Children growing up online need boundaries and mental-health support

Child psychologist Dr. Patrice Charles King is warning that children growing up with constant social media exposure are facing pressure that can affect their confidence, relationships and mental health. The digital space, once mainly a place for games and entertainment, now shapes how many children learn, socialise, argue and measure themselves.

Children in the segment described feeling judged by appearance, possessions and popularity online. Some said scrolling through polished photos and posts made them compare their own lives with what others display, leaving them drained, anxious and unsure of themselves. Hurtful comments and messages were also identified as a source of emotional stress.

Dr. Charles King said many young people are handling disagreements in public online spaces instead of building the face-to-face skills needed for healthy communication. She said social media has also encouraged some children to turn personal conflict into content, especially where attention and money can be gained from posts.

She said the result is a generation that may struggle to manage strong feelings. According to her, Gen Z and Gen Alpha children are often more accustomed to texting or using digital tools than talking through conflict directly, and she is seeing more children who are emotionally dysregulated.

Her advice to young people is to pause before answering online, consider whether a response is driven by fact, fear or the desire for likes, and step away from spaces that cause harm. She encouraged children to leave groups that make them feel worse, block negative interactions and set boundaries around online engagement.

Dr. Charles King said the answer is not to remove devices altogether, since children may need them for homework, studying or YouTube. Instead, she urged parents to set clear rules at home, use parental controls, monitor screen activity and create time for in-person conversation. She also noted that parents must examine their own phone habits.

Warning signs of online-related stress, she said, can include withdrawal, sleep problems, changes in eating, falling grades, reduced interest in friends and family, and visible self-harm such as cutting. She encouraged children to build joy and identity offline through hobbies, health, sport and self-development, while remembering that online content often shows only what others want people to see.