WESTERVILLE, Ohio — The Westerville School District brought in a pediatric psychologist from Nationwide Children's Hospital Tuesday night to educate families about the mental health risks associated with excessive internet and social media use among children.

Dr. Michael Flores, who works as a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital, spoke to students and parents at Minerva Park Middle School about the daily impacts he observes social media having on young people.

The presentation comes as recent statistics reveal widespread internet usage among adolescents. According to a 2024 Pew Research survey, 96% of kids ages 12-17 report daily internet use and 50% say they're online "almost constantly."

"The statistics are pretty shocking," said Lindsey Nicholson, a parent in the

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