Lesbian, Bisexual and Gay preteens ages 10-14 report four more hours of daily recreational screen time in comparison to their heterosexual counterparts, for a total recreational use of over 10 hours a day, a new study has found.
Jason Nagata, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, said that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation leads LGB kids to spend more time online.
“Lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents are more likely to experience school-based bullying and exclusion from peer groups due to their sexual orientation, leading them to spend less time in traditional school activities and more time on screens,” he said. “Texting, and using social media and the internet for virtual communication could be helpful for LGB preteens to find and receive support from other LGB people who may not be available in their local communities.”
Researchers analyzed data from over 10,000 preteens, who are part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. It is the largest long-term study of brain development and health among children in the United States.
Preteens who identified as LGB reported experiencing more problematic social media use. Problems included using it too much, having conflicts related to it, increased use over time, and finding screens hard to quit even when they desired to.
“LGB young people in particular face marginalization and discrimination based on sexual identity at relatively high rates,” says co-author, Kyle T. Ganson, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. “Adolescent development is a challenging time for many given the social pressures and physical, psychological, and emotional changes that occur.”
While the authors agreed that LGB preteens experience important benefits from social media, including support, they argued that parents should try to manage the risk factors associated with excessive screen use.
Perhaps having an open dialogue with children about their concerns, including about their sexual orientation, without judgement or minimizing responses, will remedy the reclusive behavior evident among LGB young people who are seeking socialization online instead.
