As children return to school, two problems have risen to the top of their parent`s concerns, the impact of social media and the internet on children`s life. According to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children`s Hospital National Poll on Children`s Health, more than half of parents rank mental health issues as the top health concern for their children and teens. Overall, mental health and technology use topped this year`s top ten list of parent worries about health-related issues for children in the United States, surpassing childhood obesity, which parents ranked as the top children`s health issue a decade ago.

“Parents still view problems directly impacting physical health, including unhealthy eating and obesity, as important children’s health issues. But these have been overtaken by concerns about mental health, social media and screen time,” said Mott Poll, co-director and Mott pediatrician Susan Woolford, M.D., M.P.H. Two-thirds of parents are worried about children’s increased time on devices, including overall screen time and use of social media, taking the No.1 and No.2 spots on the list of children’s health concerns this year, according to the nationally representative poll. “Children are using digital devices and social media at younger ages, and parents may struggle with how to appropriately monitor use to prevent negative impacts on safety, self-esteem, social connections and habits that may interfere with sleep and other areas of health,” Woolford said.