‘I fall asleep in class’: New program to tackle teens’ screen habits

Last night, Joanne Cervantes stayed up until 5am streaming a series on her phone. Scrolling in bed until she feels sleepy has become a part of the 17-year-old’s nightly routine.

Feeling a bit tired during the day is now the norm for the year 12 student.

“I don’t usually fall asleep during class,” the Sydney teen says. “But it does affect how well I can take in what the teachers say.”

Joanne Cervantes says feeling tired during the day is normal for her.Credit: Steven Siewert

Cervantes’ friend Natalie Lee, also 17, has a similar habit. Lee is often on TikTok until at least 1am, swiping away screen time notifications when they pop up.

“I fall asleep in class sometimes,” admits Lee.

Today, the Black Dog Institute has launched the Teens & Screens program across Australia.

A free evidence-based program developed in partnership with the Bupa Foundation, the hour-long session is aimed at students from years 7 to 9, when they typically get their own phone.

The interactive program, to be delivered in the classroom by school support officers or young Black Dog Institute facilitators, explores how to develop healthy screen habits, manage their digital wellbeing, and make better decisions about their digital habits.

They share, for instance, how tech companies use algorithms and monetise their platforms. A recent study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health showed that advertisements aimed at children and adolescents brought in almost US$11 billion across six popular social media apps.

Joanne Cervantes took part in a trial of the Teens & Screens program.Credit: Steven Siewert

“We take the parenting of our children so seriously, as we should, but we’re really under-parenting them in the digital space,” says Associate Professor Aliza Werner-Seidler, the lead researcher on the program.

In Australia, 97 per cent of adolescents own a personal, screen-based device and are among the world’s biggest users of digital devices at school, spending about four hours a day on technology.

“We spend so long talking about how to safely cross a road … and how to function in the world,” she says. “And then often, come high school, they’re given a smart device with access to the internet without guidelines or the exposure or practise to know where are safe places online and unsafe places online.”

Lee and Cervantes both had their first phones earlier, but joined social media when they were in year 7. They primarily use Instagram and TikTok.

Neither recall having discussions nor restrictions around their screen use.

Cervantes knows there is “hatefulness” online, but says she has not had any bad experiences. Lee, however, feels mixed. She was about 12 years old when she first learnt that, amidst cute and funny videos, “bad stuff” also exists online.

Racist remarks about Asians made her back away from her screen.

“I was like, ‘Whoa, I can’t believe they said that.’ I didn’t really tell anyone,” she said.

Since then, Lee has seen racist, violent and sexualised content. Still, like many of their peers, they see the online world as a valuable source of communication, connection and entertainment.

It is as significant a part of their lives as their face-to-face interactions.

For young people who have grown up in the online space, the real world is a hybrid of the two, says Werner-Seidler: “There’s no real distinction.”

Even though nearly 60 per cent of parents and carers report concerns about their teenagers’ use of social media, the online world is here to stay and teenagers need education in how to navigate it safely, she adds.

“You can’t just say: ‘Get off your phone, it’s poisoning your mind’.”

Cervantes and Lee, who participated in a focus group trialling the program, say they enjoyed understanding how to customise their feeds so it wasn’t just “brain rot”, finding out how other teens felt about being online, and learning how screens can affect mood and circadian rhythms.

“Your body feels tired when the sun goes down and the blue light from the screen affects it … I didn’t know that was a thing,” says Lee.

Cervantes says it has made her more aware of the machinations behind social media and its impact. Lee says the course was interesting, but isn’t convinced it will change how she uses screens.

Pasi Sahlberg, a professor in educational leadership at the University of Melbourne, says the program is a positive step.

“But digital distraction is a complex challenge,” he says. “A one-off, 50-minute lesson simply doesn’t have the power to meaningfully change young people’s digital habits.”

Changing teenagers’ digital wellbeing requires education that is deeply integrated into the daily culture of schools.

“It is important to give schools and homes something they can easily use in enhancing healthier digital habits,” Sahlberg says. “But we need to see digital wellbeing not just as a program, but as a whole-of-school and whole-of-family commitment, if we want lasting impact.”

Werner-Seidler agrees it is not the be-all and end-all.

“But I think it is a step in the right direction,” she says, adding they are hoping to reach more than 45,000 Australian teens through the program this year. “I hope this is a catalyst for greater awareness and the start of a conversation, not the end of it.”

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