2025 was a year marked by uncertainty and unexpected change. Constant media coverage amplified these challenges, contributing to heightened anxiety for many individuals and families. As we move into 2026 and colder weather encourages more time indoors, many families may naturally turn to electronic devices for entertainment and connection. While this can feel like a practical and low-effort solution, increased reliance on screens and social media can unintentionally intensify family stress, limit meaningful interaction, and deepen feelings of disconnection among family members.
Shorter days, colder temperatures, and fewer natural opportunities for outdoor connection often lead to more time spent on phones, tablets, gaming systems, and televisions. While technology can offer convenience, comfort, and some connection to those outside the home, increased reliance on screens can also contribute to isolation within the home, heightened emotional reactivity, and misunderstandings between caregivers and children.
Staff who work directly with families are often the first to notice these shifts. Parents may report that children seem more irritable, withdrawn, or resistant to routines. Caregivers themselves may feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure how to manage screen use without escalating conflict. It is important to recognize that for many families, increased screen time is not a parenting failure but a coping strategy—one that may be understandable, yet imperfect, during times of stress.
Media Saturation and Family Anxiety
One of the most significant contributors to family tension in recent years has been constant exposure to news and social media. Children and teens, even when not actively seeking information, are often absorbing adult conversations, headlines, and online content that can be confusing or frightening. In an article titled “Social Media and Mental Health in Children and Teens,” Carol Vidal, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., child and adolescent psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, and Jennifer Katzenstein, Ph.D., co-director of the Center for Behavioral Health at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, talk about what is known of social media’s effects on mental health in children and teens. Adults, meanwhile, may find themselves repeatedly scrolling or watching news coverage, unintentionally modeling heightened anxiety and vigilance.
This shared exposure can create a household atmosphere where worry feels ever-present. Younger children may express this through behavior changes, sleep difficulties, or increased clinginess. Teens may appear disengaged, sarcastic, or emotionally distant. Caregivers may feel stretched thin, trying to protect their children while managing their own stress.
Staff can play a key role by normalizing these reactions and helping families understand how media consumption affects emotional regulation. Gentle conversations about limiting background news, setting boundaries around social media use, and creating “media-free” times of day can help families regain a sense of control without requiring drastic changes.
Screens and the Illusion of Togetherness
A common theme families report is that although everyone is home more often, they feel less connected. Sitting in the same room while each person engages with a separate screen can give the appearance of togetherness without the benefits of shared interaction. Over time, this can erode communication, increase misunderstandings, and reduce opportunities for problem-solving and emotional bonding.
For children, especially younger ones, connection is built through play, conversation, and shared experiences. For adolescents, connection often comes from feeling seen, heard, and respected. When screens dominate family time, these moments can be unintentionally crowded out.
Staff can support families by helping them reflect on small, realistic shifts rather than major overhauls. Encouraging families to identify even brief daily or weekly moments of shared activity—such as eating one meal together, playing a short game, cooking, or taking a walk—can have a meaningful impact. These moments do not need to be elaborate to be effective.
Reframing the Conversation Around Screens
Discussions about screen use can quickly become sources of conflict, particularly when caregivers feel pressured to “get it right.” Staff can help reframe these conversations away from strict rules and toward balance, intention, and connection. Rather than focusing solely on reducing screen time, it can be more helpful to ask what screens are replacing and what families want more of.
Questions such as, “When do you feel most connected as a family?” or “What activities help your child calm down or open up?” can guide families toward solutions that feel achievable. Validating that technology also serves positive purposes—education, social connection, relaxation—can reduce defensiveness and open the door to collaborative problem solving. Sometimes, a simple solution may be to invite the whole family to watch something together using only one screen instead of being separated by multiple screens.
Practical Strategies for Families
As families move through the winter months, staff can share practical, low-pressure strategies that support connection and emotional well-being:
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Create predictable routines: Consistent mealtimes, bedtimes, and check-ins can provide stability when external stressors feel overwhelming.
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Designate screen-free zones or times: Even small boundaries, such as no phones during meals or before bedtime, can improve communication and sleep.
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Encourage shared decision-making: Involving children and teens in setting expectations around screens increases buy-in and reduces power struggles.
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Model balance: Caregivers’ own screen habits send a powerful message. Small changes can make a big difference.
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Focus on repair, not perfection: Conflict will happen. Helping families practice apologizing, reconnecting, and moving forward is more important than avoiding mistakes.
The Role of Family-serving Staff
Perhaps most importantly, staff can remind families that they are not alone in feeling challenged right now. Acknowledging the broader context of recent years, the uncertainty, rapid change, and emotional toll can help caregivers feel understood rather than judged. You can find more tips and strategies in the article “Evidence-Based Parenting Behaviors: Managing Screentime.”
By offering empathy, practical guidance, and realistic expectations, staff can help families use the winter months as an opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and build resilience together. Small, intentional steps toward connection can counterbalance the pull of screens and help families enter 2026 feeling more grounded, supported, and hopeful.
This article was drafted by Center for Schools and Communities staff. Generative AI tools were used to assist with language refinement and formatting, while all content decisions, interpretations, and recommendations were determined by staff.
