Smart Phones and Our Children’s Mental Health: The Case for Waiting Until 8th Grade with Dr. Allison Baker

Listen to Dr. Allie Sharma in conversation with  Allison Baker MD as they speak about the impact of smartphones on child and adolescent mental health and brain health, advice for parents, and her work as a proponent of and advisor for Wait Until 8th, a movement that recommends delaying smart phone usage until the end of 8th grade.

Dr. Allison Baker is a double board-certified child and adult psychiatrist. She specializes in women's mental health, ADHD and learning disorders, and adolescent mood and anxiety disorders. She is a passionate educator on topics of mental health, with a focus on families.

Dr. Baker has held leadership roles, including directing the adolescent intensive outpatient program at Columbia University, and working at the Child Mind Institute in NYC, where she integrated mindfulness as a clinical tool and promoted public mental health education. Currently, she is on the faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, working in the Center for Women's Mental Health and supervising resident physicians. In her private practice, Dr. Baker sees children, adolescents, and works with families to develop healthy relationships with technology.

Connect with Dr. Allie Sharma

• Instagram @alliesharmamd
• Facebook @dralliesharma
• Website: sonalisharmamd.com

Connect with Dr. Allison Baker MD  

• Website allisonbakermd.com
• Instagram @alliebakermd

Resources

• Wait Until 8th: waituntil8th.org
• Phone Free Schools Movement: https://phonefreeschoolsmovement.org/
• Screen Strong: https://screenstrong.org/
• JAMA 2018 Study (attention changes): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6553065/
• Nature 2022 Study (brain changes): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-20922-0

Connect with Being Health

• Instagram @beinghealthcare
• Website: beinghealth.co

Thank you for listening to the Alluminate Podcast!

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MEDIA & PRESS

• For media or press inquiries, contact [email protected].

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EPISODE CREDITS

• Produced by Andrea Castagno and Jack Inslee
• Mixed by Jack Inslee

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DISCLAIMER

• Please note that the contents of the Alluminate Podcast are for informational purposes only.  The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on Alluminate.
• If you are in crisis or you think you may have an emergency, call your doctor, call or text 988 or call 911 immediately.
• If you’re having suicidal thoughts, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to talk to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area at any time (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline).
• If you are located outside the United States, call your local emergency line immediately.
• The views and opinions expressed by guests of the podcast are those of each individual guest and do not reflect the views and opinions of Dr. Allie Sharma and do not constitute an endorsement of such views and opinions.