Teen Video Viewing and Mental Health: What Parents Need to Know

A Q&A with Don Grant, Newport Healthcare’s National Advisor of Healthy Device Management

Teens are consuming more video content than ever before. In fact, three-quarters of teens go on YouTube daily, according to the Pew Research Foundation, and 60% visit TikTok daily. And 15% of teens report being on these platforms almost constantly.

In response, the American Psychological Association (APA) has created its first-ever set of recommendations for healthy teen video viewing. The report is designed to help parents, educators, policymakers, and tech companies empower teens to manage their viewing habits.

Newport Healthcare’s own Don Grant, National Advisor of Healthy Device Management, was a member of the expert advisory panel compiling and authoring the report. In this Q&A, Dr. Grant shares insights on the benefits and dangers of teen video viewing, as well as recommendations and strategies for parents to consider.

What types of video content can be helpful for teens?

There are literally endless terrific video content opportunities available to access online—content that teaches awareness, empathy, skill-building, learning, academic support, healthy relationships, cool hobbies, cultural education, emotional well-being, kindness, joy, prosocial and positive behavior modeling, and healthy adolescent value reinforcement.

What types are harmful? Are there are definite “do not watch” areas of content that parents should enforce?

While research shows that media affects all teens in some way, it can vary vastly in how it affects them. Keeping in mind that each adolescent brings their own unique experiences, perspectives, maturation timing, and sensitivities to their personal viewing, parents should guardrail video content within the appropriate thresholds for their own child. They should also vet the video channels, platforms, and creators they hear their children referencing and monitor their children for any emotional dysregulation, distress, or negative mood change that appears to be the result of their child’s video viewing. If it appears to be a significant problem, gently discuss it with them and potentially even block their access—even temporarily.

For teens who have already exhibited struggles with certain themes and topics, or who have mental health or substance use issues and/or risky behaviors, caregivers should more closely monitor video content, discuss it with their kids, and in some cases even limit or block it. Of course, it is impossible for parents to know what their kids are really watching. This may mean that parents need to pay closer attention to their kids’ interests and what they are talking about, including what they talk about with friends, and then investigate the content and creators themselves.

In addition, unlike other forms of video-based media, like movies and TV shows, online video content is openly accessible on most hosting platforms and currently neither regulated nor beholden to “appropriate viewing age” rating categories. Plus, creators don’t always provide warnings of mature or potentially disturbing themes or censor viewer comments.

Thus, caregivers need to be very clear about their expectations and rules regarding videos that promote stereotypes, negative representations of cultures, opinions, and/or marginalized/minority groups, violence, cyberaggression (including cyberbullying), inaccurate news and information, prejudice, or content which is age/developmentally inappropriate. Videos that include more adult-themed content, promote potentially dangerous behaviors or activities, or don’t align with the family beliefs and values should also be carefully considered in terms of their risk versus reward for teen viewing.

Should parents monitor their teens’ video viewing?

It is absolutely recommended that parents monitor younger children’s video viewing, and all online content. Especially for younger kids who may have access to family, sibling, or public devices—it’s essential to install age-appropriate blocks on some video hosting platforms. It is also vital that parents know which platforms allow viewers to post comments or engage in chat room–style discussions that may encourage inappropriate behaviors.

And at least some monitoring seems reasonable for most younger teens (13–15). However, it would be unrealistic to assume that monitoring a teenager’s complete video viewing experience today is even possible. In lieu of that, pay close attention to your teen’s interests, their discussions with friends, and any new behaviors or slang term use. Watch for mentions of unfamiliar names that might refer to video creators and influencers, and for sudden engagement in trends. Then investigate their sources, and intervene if any of them seem likely to lead to dangerous practices or outcomes.

Parents should approach these discussions as opportunities to talk about family and personal values, and the benefits of video viewing as well as the real dangers. Rather than immediately imposing their own beliefs, parents can invite their kids into nonjudgmental and safe conversations. Through these conversations, parents have the chance to not only learn about their child’s video viewing beliefs and behaviors, but also share their expectations and offer education, suggestions, and strategies to promote positive and safe video viewing experiences.

What are the risks of teens’ exposure to influencers on video platforms?

Unfortunately, there are many.  Here are three of the more significant ones:

1. Developing unhealthy “parasocial” (one-sided) relationships with an influencer can lead to disappointment, resentment, anger, diminished confidence, and even feelings of abandonment.
2. Susceptibility to influencer product endorsements can lead to regrettable impulse buys, age-inappropriate product purchasing, unhealthy social comparisons, and financial stress.
3. Unlicensed, uncertified, and untrained influencers sharing and promoting biased and/or incorrect physical and/or mental health information has become a tremendously concerning phenomenon. It has also generated an incredibly dangerous trend of followers inaccurately self-diagnosing or developing false or phantom symptoms and/or beliefs about themselves and others. This can interfere with teen mental health issues being safely diagnosed and treated.

How much time is okay for teens to spend watching video content?

Because every teen and situation are unique, there is currently no agreed-upon expert recommendation. But as with all tech consumption, a balance should be struck between online engagement and non-device-related behaviors. With regards to video viewing, it is not necessarily the quantity, but the quality. There is nothing wrong with a teen spending a couple of hours relaxing by watching entertaining and appropriate videos after successfully completing tasks, family time, academic obligations, or chores. 

That said, as we state in our APA report, excessive time viewing video content, as with other online content, has been related to later problems across biological, psychological, and sociological well-being. These consequences can range from eye strain, headaches, and poor sleep to irritability, aggression, loneliness, and depression, among others.

Excessive amounts of video viewing can also lead to disinterest in healthy activities like hobbies and social experiences, diminished academic achievement, decreased family engagement, and loss of real-life opportunities for connection. If a teen’s video viewing appears to be contributing to or exacerbating struggles or negative outcomes across biological, psychological, and/or sociological health, then parents need to work with their teens to agree upon and implement limits.

What are some strategies for getting teens to limit their watching time?

Children often base their own beliefs, behaviors, and justifications for actions in response to those of their parents/caregivers. In our APA report, we therefore recommend that parents be aware and mindful of their own video viewing choices and behaviors and model healthy behaviors.

Here are some additional strategies:

• Place and enforce appropriate and reasonable expectations, rules, and limits on teen video viewing time. For example, this might be after the successful fulfillment of other obligations, never during family activities or mealtimes, at least one hour before bed, etc.
• Clearly share those expectations, rules, and limits, and also any potential consequences for deviating from them.
• Limit or block video hosting platforms that default to non-interrupted streaming or “other suggested videos for you,” especially for younger teens or those without the ability to self-intervene against unhealthy binge watching.
• Gently educate them about how advertisers and algorithms purposely manipulate their thoughts, beliefs, and product purchasing through skilled psychological tricks.
• Remove all devices from teens’ sleeping areas at bedtime.
• Make (and keep!) a family pact regarding “no device times/zones”—especially during mealtimes and family activities.  This agreement applies to everyone—including parents!

About Don Grant, MA, MFA, DAC, SUDCC IV, PhD

Dr. Grant is an internationally recognized and award-winning media psychologist, author, published researcher, Doctoral Addictions Counselor, and educator, with specific expertise in technology’s impact on mental health. He designs and presents trainings on healthy device management and good digital citizenship for clinicians, practitioners, educators, parents, and academic communities. A Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), Dr. Grant served as the 2022 President of APA Division 46 (The Society for Media Psychology & Technology), and currently serves as a Division Executive Board Member and chairs the D46 Device Management & Intelligence committee. He has been featured in numerous publications and media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time Magazine, Forbes, CNN, ABC News, CBS News, and many more.