How many hours a day are your children using screens? How much of that time is spent passively watching videos or scrolling through social media? Why do studies find more screen time in Black children? Check out this episode of the podcast to hear more about how screen time affects your child's mental health and development.

Here are some helpful references and resources for this episode:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2020-0-8-census-fact-sheet-black-children-final2.pdf

https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/center-of-excellence-on-social-media-and-youth-mental-health/5cs-of-media-use/

https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-And-Watching-TV-054.aspx

Nagata JM, Ganson KT, Iyer P, Chu J, Baker FC, Pettee Gabriel K, Garber AK, Murray SB, Bibbins-Domingo K. Sociodemographic Correlates of Contemporary Screen Time Use among 9- and 10-Year-Old Children. J Pediatr. 2022 Jan;240:213-220.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2021.08.077. Epub 2021 Sep 2. PMID: 34481807; PMCID: PMC9107378.

Muppalla SK, Vuppalapati S, Reddy Pulliahgaru A, Sreenivasulu H. Effects of Excessive Screen Time on Child Development: An Updated Review and Strategies for Management. Cureus. 2023 Jun 18;15(6):e40608. doi: 10.7759/cureus.40608. PMID: 37476119; PMCID: PMC10353947.

Depression can show up in families in subtle ways, sometimes with small changes in behavior that slowly start to create concerns. One of the most common questions that I get is, “how can I get a loved one to see a doctor/therapist?” In the most recent episode of the pod, I speak with Dr. Valerie Cordero, Co-Executive Director at Families for Depression Awareness and a prominent voice for suicide prevention, mental health parity, and health equity. We discuss the issue of mental health concerns within families. Check out Families for Depression Awareness at https://www.familyaware.org/ for online resources for how to help your family members.

If you or someone that you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call 911 or 988 for help in the US or activate the emergency services in your area.

Go beyond the surface and challenge your assumptions in this episode of the podcast. Deborah Jackson is the Associate Director of Training and Consultation at Justice Resource Institute. She provides trainings regionally and nationally on cultural responsiveness and recently developed a training on implicit bias and microaggressions. In this episode, she shares her top gems from this training. You can find her at jacksoncounselingri.com.

For more information on Black Mental Health Matters with Dr. Kerry-Ann, check out drkerryann.net.