Expert advice on tech often comes too late for parents

As parents, we naturally seek out expert advice on tech. We want to know the “best way” to raise our children. It’s understandable that we’re inclined to defer to the judgement of experts because they are, after all, experts. But there’s a problem with relying on experts too much. Their focus is often narrow, and they’re sometimes reluctant to weigh in on important topics before collecting enough data. If we as parents wait for the experts to say whether something is “healthy” or not, it may be too late. And that’s doubly true when it comes to the harmful effects of technology. 

Here’s an example of what I mean: I recognized years ago, as kids started to acquire smartphones, the potential for them to become addicted to these devices. I didn’t have “proof”—only my instinct and understanding of how companies use these devices to capture users’ attention. Back around 2010, no research existed to prove my point because the technology was so new.

In fact, the first substantial and widely reported study on the topic didn’t pop up until 2018. This study found a connection between excessive screen time, more than two hours a day, and a significant decline in teens’ mental health. “The advent of the smartphone is the most plausible explanation for the sudden decrease in teens’ psychological well-being,” the study’s author, San Diego State University Psychology Professor Jean M. Twenge, stated.

Expert advice on tech or common sense?

By 2018, it was too late for many parents to reverse course. Their kids had been submerged in smartphones for years. At the same time, many of these same parents had probably already reached Twenge’s same conclusion, even if they had been reluctant to voice it without an “official” study to back them up. But let’s face it, you don’t need a doctorate degree to realize it’s unhealthy for teens to be holed up in their rooms for hours on end staring at screens. While nothing about Twenge’s study surprised me, I was still thrilled to read about it because it helped push the conversation about smartphone effects—and social media, in particular—into the mainstream. 

Thankfully, we continue to see a steady stream of studies documenting the smartphone’s effects on childhood development. Even industry insiders have acknowledged the problem. In 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported on Facebook’s own research showing its social media platform Instagram negatively affected teenage girls’ mental health. Facebook, known now as Meta, shelved plans to unveil an Instagram platform for kids under 13 after members of Congress began scrutinizing it. In October 2023, more than 40 states filed lawsuits alleging Meta used addictive features to hook kids onto their platforms.

Technological singularity will outstrip expert advice

For the most part, social media platforms have done little to change how they operate. A lack of regulations coupled with the dizzying speed of technology advancement will likely guarantee these platforms remain a toxic force on kids for years to come. I predict the experts will likely only fall farther behind technological advancements. A theory known as technological singularity suggests technological advancement is accelerating at an exponential rate, prompting some mainstream observers to worry aloud whether artificial intelligence could someday soon wipe out the human race. Well, I won’t wade into that debate here, but my point is this: Technology is evolving too quickly for the research and experts to keep up. 

Want to raise a smartphone-free child? Read how

To be clear, I’m not against experts. They serve an important role in providing society with credible information. Indeed, many people I interview for Frugalmatic are experts in their fields, from psychology to physical fitness. One reason research often lags real-world developments is because experts hold themselves to incredibly high standards. They diligently collect data, sometimes over many years, and then submit their work to a lengthy peer-review process before their findings can be published. The slowness of it all ensures that we can trust the experts and their conclusions.

On the flip side, the only barrier facing technological innovations is the market’s willingness to adopt them. New social media platforms can go from no users to one billion in a matter of months. The result is to leave many parents wanting guidance on whether to allow their children access to new tech. Dr. Susan Linn, an expert on technology’s effects on childhood development, recognizes the dilemma facing parents. She says parents shouldn’t assume new technology is safe. Linn recommends adopting a “precautionary principle.” “We acknowledge that the research is incomplete but we urge parents to limit young children’s exposure to tech until there is robust research suggesting that it’s beneficial, or at least harmless,” she explains in her book, “Who’s raising the kids? Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children.” 

Prepare for the next addictive tech

Before too long, smartphones will become yesterday’s problem. Virtual reality and artificial intelligence could merge to create a whole new set of digital addictions for adults and kids alike. Just as with smartphones, the early adopters will embrace the new technologies without any clue as to their effects. The rest of us would be smart to wait and observe. How are these new devices affecting our friends? How easily do they become dependent on them? 

Just like with smartphones, you likely won’t hear many concerns voiced in the media about the next tech craze—at least not until the experts have gathered enough data to give an opinion. Once these experts finish their studies and clear all the hurdles standing in their way to publication, the technology will have changed, again. As parents, we simply can’t count on them for timely advice, at least not when it comes to tech and its effects on our children.