Alabama Mental Health Commissioner Kim Boswell said limiting access to smartphones and social media can help.
Mike Cason | [email protected] Mental Health Commissioner Kim Boswell discussed a range of issues with state lawmakers during an informal budget hearing on Wednesday, including a national topic – the alarming increase in mental illness striking teens.
“Kids are losing their social skills,” Boswell said. “They don’t know how to interact with people because they’re used to being in front of their phone all the time.” “There’s some developmental issues that if you let them do that earlier they’re not really prepared for what they’re seeing on social media and how they’re engaging in social media,” Boswell told the gathering of about 10 legislators at the State House.
While lawmakers and school officials can adopt policies that help, Boswell acknowledged that it is up to parents to protect their children’s mental health by limiting their exposure to social media. The purpose of the centers is to help people experiencing a mental health episode or crisis, providing stabilization, short-term care, and referrals.
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