THE CONVERSATION
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Children’s mental health
and the digital world: how
to get the balance right
Rachana Desai, Post-doctoral Research Fellow, University of the Witwatersrand
Published: June 16, 2022.
1 Technology has caused the boundaries between the physical and digital 1
worlds to become less clear. This has led to dramatic shifts in daily life and
changed the way children and adolescents live, move around, learn and
interact with others. Never has this been so evident than at the start of the
COVID pandemic and the subsequent rapid rise in technology and internet
6
use.
2 Global estimates suggest that one in three internet users is a child. Digital 7
technology exposes children to information, social connection, education,
online support groups and professional help. Yet, children engaging in the
digital world are also exposed to a range of threats. These include
inappropriate content (violent or sexual), undesirable contact with strangers
12
and online bullying and victimisation.
3 The South African Child Gauge is an annual publication that aims to report on 13
and monitor the situation of children in South Africa. This year, the theme of
the report focuses on child and adolescent mental health. Lately, there has
been increasing public debate and concern that digital technologies may
contribute to mental health problems such as depression, self-harm and
suicide among adolescents and children. To contribute to the collective
understanding of the experiences and consequences of growing up in a digital
world, our chapter in the Child Gauge report aims to examine the impact of
digital worlds on children’s mental health. We also want to provide
recommendations for policy and practice. 22
How South African children use digital
4
technology 23
South Africa has approximately 38 million internet users (1.5 million
households). Children most often go online on smartphones, using mobile data
at home, and the level of online engagement increases as children become
older. Mobile phone plans in South Africa also provide free or cheaper access
to social media platforms, resulting in social media use being much more 28
common than any other online activity.
5 The relationship between digital technology and mental health is complex. 29
Understanding the impact of the digital environment on children’s mental
health requires a balanced consideration of not only the potential risks, but
also the benefits of the online world. Not all exposure to online threats leads
to harm. For example, participation in a public Facebook group could put a
child at risk of sexual grooming, because adults sometimes pose as children.
But this will not necessarily lead to harm if a child is able to prevent, anticipate
and manage the potential situation. To give another example, adolescents
struggling with offline mental health problems may be more likely than others
to seek out negative content online. This may cause their existing mental
health issues to worsen and may result in self harm. But social media may also
be a source of mental health information, support and professional help. It is
therefore useful to consider how to foster the (digital) resilience of children so
that they understand what risks they are likely to encounter at different ages
and know when they are at risk. It is also important that they know what to do
44
and how to recover from harmful experiences.
Keeping children safe online
6 Realising the benefits of technology for children’s mental health and well- 45
being, while restricting exposure to online threats, requires an integrated
approach. This includes recognising the role that parents and caregivers,
educators, government regulators, tech companies, and children themselves
have to play in promoting children’s mental health and well-being in all
aspects of children’s online engagement. 50
7 With regards to parents, they often think that banning social media and the 51
internet will keep their children safe, but that is not the case. Banning internet
use may result in children being socially excluded or prevent them from
accessing mental health services or information. Furthermore, while parental
controls and surveillance technology have their place, it is the internal
safeguards like empathy, resilience and values that are more powerful and
serve children throughout their lives, whether online or offline. Parents need
to start an open dialogue with their children. This will build understanding and
allow children to open up about their social media use. Parents should model
good citizenship (social skills, community engagement, accountability,
respecting others’ rights and perspectives) and healthy digital habits for their
children as well. 62
8 The technology industry has a huge part to play in designing products with the 63
best interests of the child in mind. The privacy of young users’ personal data
needs to be protected and their right to freedom of expression needs to be
preserved. Systems need to be put in place to address violations of children’s
rights when they occur.
67
9 School policies, regulations and guidelines should aim to balance the 68
protection of children with their rights to privacy and to use technology in a
way that is appropriate to their age. Such policies should promote positive
use of digital technologies, while taking steps to restrict access to harmful
content. Training for educators is also needed so that they can identify
children who exhibit symptoms of trauma or distress as a result of online harm
74
and can refer them to psycho-social support services.
10 Finally, and most importantly, children need access to information, education 75
and training to support the development of their own digital skills. They must
feel confident to seek help when needed and know that it will be provided. 77
Dr Rachana Desai is a contributor of the South African Child Gauge 2021/2022. This annual
report on the status of South Africa’s children is published by the Children’s Institute,
University of Cape Town in partnership with the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human
Development, University of the Witwatersrand; UNICEF South Africa; the Standard Bank
Tutuwa Community Foundation and The LEGO Foundation.
https://theconversation.com/childrens-mental-health-and-the-digital-world-how-to-get-the-
balance-right-185047
