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Episode 40: The Detrimental Effects of Social Media on our Youth with Therapist, Tessa Stuckey

If you follow me on social media you know this episode topic was inevitable. I have been talking about the harms of social media so much lately and Tessa Stuckey was a great addition to this conversation. As a therapist to teenagers, she provides insightful research that proves screen time and social media do more harm than good to mental health and brain development. Some of the information she provided was truly shocking and I hope some of you will join me in living a life with less screens.

Tessa is a mom of four, therapist, parent coach, author and speaker. She is passionate about our youth mental health, suicide prevention and navigating parenting in today’s tech-filled world. Tessa also hosts a podcast titled, For the Sake of Our Youth, where she talks about these topics biweekly.

In this episode we discuss:

• Reasons why teenagers are going to therapy
• What research is saying about the effects of social media on the brain 
• The importance of boredom for the developing brain 
• Ways to monitor and limit social media usage 
• Tips for keeping an open line of communication with your teen

Promo Codes:

• Bark: use code TESSA
• Pinwheel: use code TESSATEN
• Gabbwireless: use code GOODIDEA

Other Resources:

• Purchase Tessa’s book, For the Sake of Our Youth
• Tune into Tessa’s podcast, For the Sake of Our Youth

Tessa’s Mac + Broc Recipe (remember, she’s Italian so it isn’t exact measurements!)

Ingredients:

• 2-3 heads of broccoli– I like to make it with extra veggies so I actually use more than this
• 1 full head of cauliflower
• olive oil
• salt
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 lb penne pasta (i like to use whole wheat but the kids prefer white)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add two heaping handfuls (that’s right, handfuls) of salt
2. Cut broccoli and cauliflower into florets and add to boiling water
3. Turn down heat to medium
4. Once water comes to a boil again, add pasta and cook for 15 minutes (that’s right, 15, not what the box says-we want the veggies to get nice and soft)
5. While pasta is cooking, brown whole garlic cloves in olive oil. Don’t let them get too burnt.
6. About 2 minutes before pasta is done, remove one cup of pasta water from the pot and set aside. Discard garlic but save olive oil.
7. Drain pasta+veggies, return to pot and add olive oil and pasta water and mix.

“This is a classic, very real Italian dish that my family has been eating for generations and generations. Add a little cheese if you see fit but usually we add a little salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to ours. Hope you enjoy it! :)”

Connect with Tessa Stuckey:

• Instagram: @themomtherapist
• Website
• Read her blog Blog

Connect with Lynzy:

• Join the Motherhood Meets Medicine community at patreon.com/motherhoodmeetsmedicine
• Instagram: @motherhoodmeetsmedicine
• Sign up for the weekly newsletter here
• lynzyandco.com

Questions Asked In The Episode:

1. What are some of the common things teens express regarding social media that you’ve seen in your practice?
2. Have you noticed any personality types that don’t get as affected by social media?
3. When it comes to suicidal ideas, have you seen an uptick related to social media?
4. Have you researched if the amount of time children have on social media can impact their suicidal thoughts?
5. What kind of rules do you have in your home?
6. How would you address a child that comes home saying everyone else in the class has a cell phone?
7. What are some things to look out for in teenagers or pre-teens to know if they may be depressed, anxious, or suicidal?
8. How do I have discussions with my kids who are not big talkers?
9. Do you spend a few minutes every night with each individual child?
10.  Is there anything that teachers can do to help?
11.  Do you have any advice on how to find a therapist for teenagers?