Local experts say helicopter parenting is a bigger danger to child mental health than screens

You may have heard — or said — this phrase before: Too much TV will rot your brain.

Parental concerns about too much screen time naturally extend to excess cell phone and video game use. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a study last summer showing children who spend three or more hours a day on social media are more likely to experience negative mental health outcomes.

Two local experts, however, think a deeper dive into the research shows we might be looking in the wrong place.