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By Cook County Public Health and Human Services Public Health Educator Rocio Rivas - September 4, 2025

In today’s world, being “always connected” can feel overwhelming. Between constant notifications, endless scrolling, and the pressure to keep up online, it’s easy to forget that our digital habits can shape our mood, relationships, and even our sleep. The good news is that with awareness and minor adjustments, technology can work for our well-being rather than against it.

Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that social media and online connections can have both positive and negative effects. On the bright side, they can help youth explore their identities, stay connected with friends, and find supportive communities. But too much time online—or exposure to harmful content—can increase feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and depression, and interfere with healthy sleep and focus.

Experts agree that if families adopt just one tech rule, it should be to keep screens out of bedrooms. This simple guideline protects sleep, supports mental health, and prevents risky late-night online activity. Keeping devices in shared spaces encourages openness and accountability, allowing parents to guide responsible use. A family charging station outside bedrooms can help make this habit routine, especially when parents model it themselves.

What Parents and Teens Can Do Together:

1. Create a Family Media Plan: Establish screen-free zones (like bedrooms or meals), set shared expectations, and discuss digital behavior openly p2online.netAAP PublicationsMedscape. 

1. Model Balanced Use: Teens learn from what they see—demonstrate thoughtful and healthy social media habits yourself Northwestern MedicineWVU Medicine. 

1. Encourage Critical Thinking: Teach teens to question content, recognize edited images, and choose uplifting communities News.com.auReddit. 

1. Limit Before-Bedtime Use: Avoid phones in bedrooms to protect sleep—and by extension, mental wellness The Washington PostBehavioral Health News. 

1. Promote Moderation: Excessive time online can increase distress—encourage off-screen activities and healthy social interactions The GuardianNAMIAmerican Medical Association. 

Last year, Erin Walsh from the Spark & Stitch Institute presented for our community on “What Science Tells Us About Raising Thriving Kids in the Digital Age.” Her insights reinforced that combining thoughtful rules, open dialogue, and healthy alternatives allows families to create a balanced digital environment. Technology can remain a tool for connection, creativity, and learning without compromising sleep, mental health, or family relationships.

For families interested in exploring digital habits further, The Center for Digital Thriving offers an interview guide and template to assess and improve technology use at home. Common Sense Education also provides a Tech Habit Challenge course geared toward teens, helping them build positive media habits that support overall well-being.

If you would like more information about this or other youth topics youth-related topics, contact Rocio Rivas, Public Health Educator, with Cook County Public Health and Human Services at 218-264 9236 or [email protected].