This World Children’s Day, families across Bermuda and around the world are asking the same urgent question: how do we keep our children safe and healthy in a digital age?

The rise of social media and smartphones has changed childhood. While technology connects, entertains and educates, it also carries risks that are impacting young people’s mental health.

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt, in The Anxious Generation, describes this as the “great rewiring of childhood”, linking the rapid spread of smartphones and social media to sharp increases in anxiety, depression and loneliness among adolescents.

At Family Centre, we see this every day: unfiltered screen use contributing to anxiety, disrupted sleep and social isolation. Parents, educators and researchers are aligned on one truth: the way children engage with technology is profoundly shaping their overall wellbeing.

Globally, the numbers are alarming:

• The average teenager now spends 4+ hours a day on screens. This is in addition to their online schoolwork, and much of the screen time is unsupervised

• Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media are nearly twice as likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression

• The Cyberbullying Research Centre in the US reports that 30 per cent of the teens surveyed said that they have been cyberbullied at some point in their lives

We cannot ignore these realities. But we can take steps, together, to safeguard our children.

1, Recognise that change is needed

Surveys show that two thirds of parents worry about the impact of social media on their child’s wellbeing, and teens themselves admit they often feel “addicted” to their phones. Families in Bermuda are already responding by delaying smartphone access, removing devices from bedrooms, and modelling healthier tech habits. Polls also reflect growing support for restricting social-media access for children under 16, with countries such as Australia leading the way. Change is not only needed; it is wanted!

2, Limit smartphones in schools

The evidence is clear: students perform better when phones are restricted in classrooms. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s 2025 report found that schools with stricter phone policies saw higher literacy and maths scores, and lower levels of bullying and distraction. At the same time, technology used in the right way can be a powerful tool for learning — particularly for students who learn differently. Assistive apps, digital resources and adaptive learning platforms can help children access content, practise skills and build confidence. The challenge is finding the right balance such as limiting unstructured phone use while embracing technology that genuinely supports learning. Parents should ask their children’s schools what their policies are and ensure schools and families are on the same page about rules and expectations.

3, Delay social media until children are developmentally ready

Research shows that critical thinking and perspective-taking skills strengthen significantly after age 14. Waiting until mid-adolescence before introducing social media reduces exposure to harmful content such as disinformation, body-image pressures and cyberbullying — all of which increase during adolescence owing to the targeting of these messages to teens. Having these discussions are critical and could protect children during their most vulnerable years. But this can be successful only if parents and schools unite on this approach.

4, Foster real-world independence and connections

Today’s children are overprotected in the real world, but underprotected online. However, research consistently shows that unstructured, real-world play improves resilience and wellbeing. Children who spend time outdoors and engage in independent activities are more likely to develop better social skills, lower stress and greater confidence. Encouraging children to help with chores or volunteer in the community builds resilience that no screen can provide.

At Family Centre, our programmes focus on strengthening young people — and by extension, their families — by offering positive alternatives to screen time. We provide counselling services and therapeutic groups that build social skills, emotional resilience and encourage healthy relationships, and after-school programmes that empower youth through sport, mentorship, mindfulness and discovering their leadership potential. We see transformation every day when youth interact with others in positive and meaningful ways, and when families reconnect, resulting in positive mental health.

This World Children’s Day (November 20), let’s commit to practical but bold changes: delay access to social media, limit smartphone use at home and in schools, model healthy technology-use habits and create more opportunities for real-world connections.

Children deserve not only protection, but the chance to grow into confident, capable adults. It is by working together — families, schools, youth-serving organisations and government — that we can safeguard Bermuda’s children and help them to thrive.

• Sandy De Silva, PsyD, is the executive director of Family Centre. This op-ed is part of the Third Sector Spotlight Series, a collective campaign co-ordinated by the Non-Profit Alliance of Bermuda. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the value, impact and contributions of Bermuda’s non-profit sector