Fear of missing out driving teen online anxiety, says study

An age of distraction

Do an audit: Estimate how many hours a day you think you are using your phone, then check your phone’s settings for the actual number. You’ll probably be surprised at the difference.
Make your phone boring: Shift any apps you know you have trouble with onto a separate device like a tablet or computer, and set time limits for their use.
Quiet the noise: Turn off most of your notifications, and fine-tune the rest so you only hear from the people who matter.
Prioritize: Identify what’s important to you. Chances are, it won’t be what’s happening on social media.
Put the phone down: Make time for activities you enjoy where you either can’t use your phone or are less likely to, including sport, exercise, playing a musical instrument, or art and craft.
Learn to be bored: We all tend to reach for our phones when we have nothing else to do, especially in public when it can feel awkward to be unoccupied.
Be selective: Choose your groups carefully and don’t be afraid to mute or leave them.

Cold turkey won’t work: Be aware that if a child or teenager has an unhealthy relationship with their phone, taking it away will cause conflict.
Phones equal responsibility: When you give a child their first phone, set expectations for its use.
Be aware: Make sure you know how high-school-age children conduct themselves on social media and have regular chats about this.
Do as I do: Be a good example of healthy phone use.
Not all bad: Let children know that some FoMO is a natural human feeling.
IRL first: Encourage children to participate in sport and non-screen-based hobbies to foster face‑to‑face friendships.
Quality over quantity: Encourage them to be selective about their online friendship groups, and only be active in groups where they feel supported.
Healthy goals: Help them identify what is important to them, and how they can meet other priorities if their main goal—such as being popular—is not being met.