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Catherine Martinko urges Red Clay parents to delay smartphones and limit social media to curb youth anxiety
Summary
At a Red Clay Consolidated School District webinar, author Catherine Martinko cited research showing high entertainment screen time among youth and recommended six practical steps for families and schools, including delaying smartphones until 16 and bell-to-bell phone bans in schools.
Catherine Martinko, author of Childhood Unplugged, told a Red Clay Consolidated School District webinar audience that children’s recreational screen use has surged and urged parents and schools to take immediate action.
Martinko, introduced by Dr. Dorrell Green, said national surveys show tweens average about 5½ hours a day of entertainment screen time and teenagers average about 8 hours 40 minutes, of which roughly five hours are social media use. "This means that kids are spending more time scrolling on their phones than they are spending in school," she said.
Why it matters: Martinko framed excessive recreational screen time as linked to poorer sleep,…
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