The Sleep Crisis: Addressing Melatonin and Tech as Sleep Aids
Parenting in the Screen Age - The Screenagers Podcast
Release Date: 10/21/2024
How Students Are Really Using AI & ChatGPT
Parenting in the Screen Age - The Screenagers Podcast
How are students really using ChatGPT and other AI tools for school work? What do they see as acceptable? And where do they draw the line? What happens when AI is used for creative projects, and at what cost? In this episode of Parenting in the Screen Age, Delaney Ruston, MD, explores the impact of AI tools like ChatGPT on student learning and academic integrity. She shares interviews with college students who talk candidly about using AI for academic purposes, what they will and won’t do, and how they navigate ethical gray areas. One student recounts being accused of cheating with AI, and...
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Social Media’s Influence on Eating Disorders: Insights from Dr. G
Parenting in the Screen Age - The Screenagers Podcast
What role does social media play in disordered eating and eating disorders? And how can parents spot early warning signs and have meaningful conversations about these tough topics? In this episode, host Dr. Ruston talks with Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani, a physician specializing in eating disorders for nearly two decades. Dr. Gaudiani explains the difference between disordered eating and clinical eating disorders and how social media can fuel both. She shares concrete strategies to help parents talk with their teens, recognize early signs, and prevent problems. This episode builds on our...
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Eating Disorders and Social Media: Isabelle’s Story
Parenting in the Screen Age - The Screenagers Podcast
We often hear about social media’s impact on body image, but what can we learn from someone who’s lived it firsthand, developing a serious exercise and eating disorder? Dr. Delaney Ruston sits down with Isabelle, a teen who bravely shares her journey from body dysmorphia to a severe eating disorder, struggles made worse by the constant stream of triggering content on platforms like TikTok. Isabelle opens up about how social media shaped her self-perception and how therapy, hospitalization, and strong family support helped her begin to heal. With candid insights from Isabelle and her...
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When Co-Parents Clash Over Screen Rules
Parenting in the Screen Age - The Screenagers Podcast
Struggling to get on the same page with your co-parent about screen time rules? Worried that enforcing boundaries might harm your relationship with your teen? In this episode, Delaney talks with renowned family psychologist and author Dr. Laura Kastner about the tricky — but crucial — process of setting and upholding screen time rules. Together, they explore a practical roadmap built around The Four Cs: Calm, Confidence, Co-Parent Unity, and Collaboration. Packed with relatable examples and expert-backed strategies, this conversation will help you navigate resistance and hold boundaries...
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Are AirPods Ruining Our Kids’ Hearing?
Parenting in the Screen Age - The Screenagers Podcast
How risky are the high volumes blasting through the earpods that poke into our kids’ ears? What about our adult ears? In this episode, Dr. Delaney Ruston explores the fascinating world of hearing health and the risks associated with exposure to loud noises, especially through headphones and earphones. Delaney is joined by Dr. Robert Jackler, MD, a researcher and neurotologist from Stanford, who discusses the mechanics of hearing loss, the dangers of excessive noise exposure, and practical steps to protect hearing. The show provides numerous productive ways for parents and...
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Boredom In, Boredom Out: How Teens Experience Social Media
Parenting in the Screen Age - The Screenagers Podcast
Why is it so hard for teens and young adults to cut back on social media — even when they truly want to? What emotional triggers keep pulling them back onto apps, and what actually happens once they're there? In this episode of Parenting in the Screen Age, host Dr. Delaney Ruston explores these questions with Dr. Katie Davis, a leading expert on youth and technology. Dr. Davis is a professor at the University of Washington’s Information School, with an adjunct appointment in the College of Education. She co-directs the UW Digital Youth Lab and is the author of three books on how technology...
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Screen Time, Teens and Therapy: What Parents Need to Know
Parenting in the Screen Age - The Screenagers Podcast
In this episode of 'Parenting in the Screen Age,' host Delaney Ruston discusses the critical role of counseling and therapy for teen mental health. Joined by Laura Kastner, PhD, author of acclaimed parenting books and a teen and family therapist for over 30 years, they debunk common myths about therapy and explore effective ways parents can support their teens struggling with depression, anxiety, and tech overuse. The conversation offers insights into how to identify when professional help is needed, and emphasizes the necessity of family involvement in therapy. ...
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How Screens Trap Teens In Depression — Jean Twenge Explains the Trap
Parenting in the Screen Age - The Screenagers Podcast
Are screens just a habit for young people, or something far more harmful? In this episode, psychologist and researcher Dr. Jean Twenge, author of iGen and Generations, breaks down how screen time — especially social media and gaming — is hijacking teen mental health. From rising rates of depression and anxiety to her powerful “A-N-D” framework (Attachment, Negative experiences, Displacement), Jean explains why so many teens are struggling — and what we can do to help. Hear what the latest research really says, what most headlines miss, and how we can help young people reclaim...
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Tradwives, the Manosphere, and Online Sexism: What Can Parents Do?
Parenting in the Screen Age - The Screenagers Podcast
How can we help girls develop a sharp, critical perspective on gender inequality without dampening their ambitions? How do we guide boys to recognize how rigid gender roles harm them too? With the popular Netflix series Adolescence sparking intense discussions about gender attitudes and aggression, these questions are more pressing than ever. And how can we educate kids about the harmful effects of the "tradwife" trend spreading on social media? In this episode of Parenting in the Screen Age, host Dr. Delaney Ruston explores the psychological impacts of both online and offline sexism with...
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Inside a Middle School’s Fight Against Smartphone-Fueled Cruelty and Bullying
Parenting in the Screen Age - The Screenagers Podcast
In many schools today, students hesitate to give class presentations — not because of stage fright, but because they're afraid of being secretly recorded and mocked on social media. Principals across the country are spending their time managing the aftermath of incidents sparked by viral trends like “Ship or Dip” posts. Physical altercations between students are often filmed by bystanders and shared online, amplifying the harm. In this episode, Dr. Ruston visits a middle school in Washington State and sits down with Principal Zach to explore what happened when phones were allowed on...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Screenagers podcast, Dr. Delaney explores the alarming rise of sleep deprivation among teens starting in 2012, coinciding with the rise of screen time. Featuring clips from Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition and insights from experts Lauren Hale, PhD, and Judith Owens, MD, the episode delves into new brain science around kids and sleep deprivation and health risks linked to melatonin. Listeners are provided practical advice on how to promote healthy sleep habits, including preventing dependency to digital devices and melatonin.
Time Codes:
00:00 Introduction to Screenagers Podcast
00:29 The Sleep Deprivation Epidemic
02:08 Scientific Insights on Sleep and Brain Health
03:47 Impact of Devices on Sleep
06:23 The Melatonin Debate
08:33 Melatonin Usage and Risks
12:49 Melatonin and Puberty
14:00 Concerns About Long-Term Melatonin Use in Children
14:43 Marketing Melatonin as a Natural Sleep Aid
15:36 The Dangers of Conditioning Kids to Need Sleep Aids
18:03 Parental Strategies for Managing Device Use
19:28 Real-Life Examples of Device Management
21:19 Encouraging Better Sleep Habits in Teens
23:14 Final Thoughts on Melatonin and Sleep Dependency
25:11 Conclusion and Podcast Information
Resources:
Lauren Hale, Ph.D.
Bio: https://publichealth.stonybrookmedicine.edu/faculty/LaurenHale
Study #1
“Researchers followed nine and ten year olds, and at baseline, they collected data from the kids, from the parents, and analyzed brain skins. Then they followed up with them two years later. The kids, who were insufficient sleepers Compared to the kids who were sufficient sleepers, had changes in their brain development, especially in areas like the basal ganglia and the temporal lobe.
And this corresponded with worse mental health outcomes, worse behavioral outcomes, and measurements of intelligence were lower. This is concerning that insufficient sleep among kids may have lasting consequences. Um, brain development, and possibly into adulthood.”
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Yang, F. N., Xie, W., & Wang, Z. Effects of sleep duration on neurocognitive development in early adolescents in the USA: a propensity score matched, longitudinal, observational study. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 6(10), 2022.
Study #2
“My team and I analyzed numerous studies in which we included youth age 6 to 17.
And we showed that just having a mobile device, which includes a phone, a tablet, In the bedroom, even if they didn't use it, was associated with almost a two fold risk of insufficient sleep duration.”
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Carter, B., et al. Association Between Portable Screen-Based Media Device Access or Use and Sleep Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 170(12), 1202–1208, 2016.
Judy Owen, M.D.
Bio: https://www.childrenshospital.org/directory/judith-owens
Study #1
"Recent study... over 500 percent increase in accidental ingestions of melatonin... poison control center reports of a child accidentally taking melatonin."
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Pediatric Melatonin Ingestions — United States, 2012–2021. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 71(22), 725–729.
Study #2
"...study that was published out of Canada a few years ago that looked at a wide range of preparations of melatonin that were labeled as being five milligrams. And they... analyzed, with a specific chemical test, how much melatonin these preparations actually contained. It ranged from zero milligrams to 20 milligrams. And in addition to that, about a quarter of the samples they tested had serotonin... Serotonin is what we call a precursor of melatonin. So serotonin is metabolized into melatonin."
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Erland, L. A. E., & Saxena, P. K. (2017). Melatonin Natural Health Products and Supplements: Presence of Serotonin and Significant Variability of Melatonin Content. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 13(02), 275–281.
Study #3
"We know that melatonin... has an effect on reproductive hormones... There may be some impact on pubertal development of melatonin. Melatonin in humans could potentially have two different effects. It could delay the onset or the beginning of puberty development because it has these suppressing effects on reproductive hormones, or alternatively, if you stop melatonin use in a prepubertal child... you could actually trigger them into early puberty... We have data in animal models that suggests that melatonin has these effects. We don't have that evidence yet in humans... One study looked very short term on the effects of melatonin in children with autism and measured their reproductive hormones as well as some other chemicals in the body and brain and did not find any effect in the short term, but again, the long term meaning of melatonin... years worth of use of melatonin."
Boafo, A., Greenham, S., Alenezi, S., Robillard, R., Pajer, K., Tavakoli, P., & De Koninck, J. (2019). Could long-term administration of melatonin to prepubertal children affect timing of puberty? A clinician’s perspective. Nature and Science of Sleep, Volume 11, 1–10.