Fredericksburg Parent

18 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • June 2024 Ask the Expert a sk t h e e x p e rt Genuine social connections are a basic human need. Our relationships with family, friends, coworkers, coaches, teachers, pastors, neighbors and other individuals are a cornerstone of well-being for all ages. But there's a growing body of evidence that our social connections are fraying—and the resulting isolation is one factor that is driving the nation's mental health crisis. The number of high school seniors who met up with friends in person "almost every day" dropped from 44% in 2010 to 32% in 2022, according to a national survey of adolescents called Monitoring the Future. That same survey found that social meetups for eighth graders declined from an average of 2.5 per week in 2000 to 1.5 in 2021. There are similar trends among adults. According to a 2023 survey by market research firm CivicScience, less than half of U.S. Adults (43%) report socializing with friends in person on a daily or weekly basis. Sixteen percent reported that they rarely or never meet up with friends. With social media and a Rolodex of contacts in our pockets at all times, it can feel like we're more connected than ever. But technology cannot replace our basic need to form authentic connections in person with other people. Here's the good news: You can take simple, proactive steps to increase levels of con- nectedness for yourself, your children and other people around you. This important work starts at birth. Here, providers with the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board and other community partners offer insights and strategies to help us all remember to put connection at the center of our lives. YOUNG CHILDREN NEED IN-PERSON INTERACTIONS In her work as a developmental educator with the Parent Education-Infant Development program run through RACSB, Anne Longenecker emphasizes to parents that early childhood is a critical time for wiring social skills into the growing brain. But when screen time crowds out opportunities for person-to-person interactions and tactile manipulation of toys, important neural connections can be missed. "What tends to have impact is when I tell parents that researchers have literally found evidence that the brain is being wired differently when children are on screens," she says. "The young brain looks different on MRIs for chil- dren who have spent more time with phones, tablets, TVs and other devices." She explains that it's important that children activate the parts of their brain that govern social interaction in the first three years. Because just like any muscle in our bod- ies, if we don't use it, we are likely to lose it. She and her colleagues at PE-ID consistently tell parents that the time they spend on the floor playing alongside their children and interacting face-to-face will pay divi- dends for their children's social, cognitive and develop- mental health. And no—the latest YouTube sensation or the most advanced "academic" tablet game is not a substitute. "Think of the screen as a candy bar. It doesn't matter if your child can imitate Ms. Rachel or match colors on a tablet game," she says. "It does not stimulate the same neurons that true in-person play and interactions do." Trading digital for in-person interactions can boost mental health for all ages WRITTEN BY EMILY FREEHLING Get Get Connected Connected

• Cover