By: Cynthia Hess, PsyD
Pediatric Neuropsychologist, NESCA
In recent years, stress has become a more prevalent part of childhood. Fast-paced lives, evolving educational expectations, and the decline of unstructured social interactions have reshaped the developmental experience of today’s youth. One significant factor in this shift is the ever-expanding role of technology and social media.
Stress, fundamentally, is the body’s response to challenge. While short-term stress can be helpful, chronic stress has more lasting effects, keeping the body in a heightened state of arousal and often leading to anxiety. Anxiety differs from typical stress in that it is persistent, disproportionate to the situation, and frequently arises without a clear trigger. This type of emotional overload can significantly impede a child’s ability to learn, grow, and connect with others.
My own research, conducted with over 100 fifth- and sixth-grade students, revealed a strong correlation between time spent on social media and internalizing behaviors, such as anxiety and depression. Many pre-teens in the study reported having multiple devices and profiles on several social media platforms, with some spending an exceptional amount of time per week online, raising concerns about what is being lost in the process, both developmentally and emotionally.
Social media can disrupt nearly every area of development. Physically, pre-adolescents are navigating puberty and changes in body image, which are already sensitive subjects that curated online content can exacerbate. Neurologically, the brain is experiencing significant changes that facilitate higher-order thinking. However, constant digital stimulation can derail these processes, especially the development of executive functions such as attention, planning, and impulse control.
Cognitively, children at this age are becoming more curious, organized, and future-focused, but excessive screen time can reduce their attention span, ultimately making learning feel overwhelming. Emotionally, they are beginning to ask important questions about their identity and becoming more vulnerable to social pressures. When their emotional experiences are shaped more by online interactions than face-to-face ones, their ability to develop empathy, emotional intelligence, and resilience may be hindered.
Social development also takes a hit. The need to belong intensifies in pre-teen years, and social media often becomes a double-edged sword, offering connection, but also exposing kids to harmful trends, superficial relationships, and online bullying. Real-life communication skills can lag, leaving children less equipped to handle the challenges of peer relationships and conflict.
So, what can we do? First, we must recognize that our children are anxious. National data shows that a significant percentage of youth already carry a diagnosis of anxiety, and many more experience symptoms that go unnoticed. Repeated exposure to stress and the instant feedback loops of social media can create a cycle where children become increasingly anxious and reliant on screens to self-soothe.
As caregivers, educators, and community members, we can begin by fostering emotional awareness. Talk regularly with children about their feelings, help them differentiate between healthy stress and anxiety, and model appropriate emotional expression. Encourage healthy coping strategies, such as regular exercise, mindfulness practices, creative outlets, and spending time outdoors. Monitor their online activity, not from a place of punishment, but one of partnership, curiosity, and learning. Show genuine interest in what they’re doing online, who they’re talking to, and what content they’re consuming.
It’s also crucial to protect the basic developmental needs of children: ample sleep, nutritious food, physical activity, and unstructured playtime. Avoid overscheduling, set clear screen-time boundaries, and follow through with consistent expectations. Community matters, too, and building a culture where we support one another, share resources, and stay informed is essential. We are navigating uncharted and dynamic technological territory. But by staying connected to the needs of our children, both online and offline, we can help them build the emotional resilience and skills they need to thrive.
References:
Turkle, S. (2017). Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other. Basic Books.
Small, G., & Vorgan, G. (2008). iBrain: Surviving the technological alteration of the modern mind. New York: Harper Collins.
Uhls, Y. T., Michikyan, M., Morris, J., Garcia, D., Small, G. W., Zgourou, E., & Greenfield, P. M. (2014). Five days at an outdoor education camp without screens improve preteens’ skill with nonverbal emotion cues. Computers in Human Behavior, 39, 387-392. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.05.036
About the Author
Dr. Cynthia (Cindy) Hess conducts neuropsychological evaluations as a pediatric neuropsychologist at NESCA. Dr. Hess enjoys
working with children and young adults with complex emotional and behavioral profiles. She is skilled at evaluating social and emotional challenges as well as a range of learning profiles. Her experience allows her to guide families in understanding the supports and services their child requires to be successful in school.
To schedule an appointment with one of NESCA’s expert neuropsychologists, please complete our online intake form.
NESCA is a pediatric neuropsychology practice and integrative treatment center with offices in Newton, Plainville, and Hingham, Massachusetts; Londonderry, New Hampshire; and staff in the greater Burlington, Vermont region and Brooklyn, New York, serving clients from infancy through young adulthood and their families. For more information, please email info@nesca-newton.com or call 617-658-9800.
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complex, inter-related needs, with a particular emphasis on identifying co-occurring neurodevelopmental and psychiatric challenges. She specializes in the evaluation of developmental disabilities including autism spectrum disorder and social-emotional difficulties stemming from mood, anxiety, attachment and trauma-related diagnoses. She often assesses children who have “unique learning styles” that can underlie deficits in problem-solving, emotion regulation, social skills and self-esteem.
M.A. from Antioch New England in Applied Psychology. She also worked as an elementary school counselor and school psychologist for 15 years before embarking on her doctorate. During her doctorate, she did her pre-doctoral internship with RIT in Rochester, N.Y. where she worked with youth ages 5-17 who had experienced complex developmental trauma. Dr. Hess’s first post-doctoral fellowship was with The Counseling Center of New England where she provided psychotherapy and family therapy to children ages 5-18, their families and young adults. She also trained part-time with a pediatric neuropsychologist conducting neuropsychological evaluations. Currently, Dr. Hess is a second-year post-doctoral fellow in pediatric neuropsychological assessment, working with NESCA Londonderry’s 
Professional Psychology, with a concentration in Children, Adolescents and Families (CAF). She completed post-doctoral training in pediatric neuropsychology with an emphasis on treating children with developmental, intellectual, learning and executive functioning challenges. She also has extensive training psychological (projective) testing and has conducted individual and group therapies for children of all ages. Before joining NESCA, Dr. Kulis worked in private practices, clinics, and schools, conducting comprehensive assessments on children ranging from toddlers through young adults. In addition, Dr. Kulis has had the opportunity to consult with various school systems, conducting observations of programs, and providing in-service trainings for staff. Dr. Kulis currently conducts neuropsychological and psychological (projective) assessments for school-aged children through young adulthood. She regularly participates in transition assessments (focusing on the needs of adolescents as they emerge into adulthood) and has a special interest in working with complex learners that may also struggle with emotional challenges and psychiatric conditions. In addition to administering comprehensive and data-driven evaluations, Dr. Kulis regularly conducts school-based observations and participates in school meetings to help share her findings and consultation with a student’s TEAM.
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