If you’re like me, you’ve become pretty attached to your device. I check it to find out where I need to be today, to text my friends and kids, to find out what’s up at the office, to record an idea I want to follow up on later … it is my portable office! I am working and parenting! I need to be updated all the time!
Ex-Design Ethicist & Product Philosopher at Google, Tristan Harris wrote:
"The average person checks their phone 150 times a day. Why do we do this? Are we making 150 conscious choices?"
No, we are not. What we are doing is looking for the dopamine release that comes with that little pleasure of new email or a Facebook tag. Harris goes on to say:
"Several billion people have a slot machine their pocket:
In a recent poll by Common Sense Media, 69% of parents and 78% of teens reported that they check their devices at least hourly. I've seen this with my own kids and their friends. A survey from Cardiff University reported that many teenagers even wake up during the night to check social media.
So how often is too often? Have you thought about it? Here are some ways to get into a conversation about it with your family this week:
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
If you’re like me, you’ve become pretty attached to your device. I check it to find out where I need to be today, to text my friends and kids, to find out what’s up at the office, to record an idea I want to follow up on later … it is my portable office! I am working and parenting! I need to be updated all the time!
Ex-Design Ethicist & Product Philosopher at Google, Tristan Harris wrote:
"The average person checks their phone 150 times a day. Why do we do this? Are we making 150 conscious choices?"
No, we are not. What we are doing is looking for the dopamine release that comes with that little pleasure of new email or a Facebook tag. Harris goes on to say:
"Several billion people have a slot machine their pocket:
In a recent poll by Common Sense Media, 69% of parents and 78% of teens reported that they check their devices at least hourly. I've seen this with my own kids and their friends. A survey from Cardiff University reported that many teenagers even wake up during the night to check social media.
So how often is too often? Have you thought about it? Here are some ways to get into a conversation about it with your family this week:
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
Some months ago, I got back into therapy, and I remember the first day back, the therapist asked me, “Do you do a self-compassion practice?” I remember the moment because I had one of those little head-scratching kind of moments. My therapist's question about a self-compassion practice made me want to understand what I might be missing and, most importantly, how self-compassion could help me as a parent and all parents.
READ MORE >
I just released a new Screenagers’ Podcast episode featuring a lively and productive interview with Charlie Appelstein, a social worker and the author of “No Such Thing As A Bad Kid,” who has worked with youth and parents for over four decades. He is full of wisdom about helping youth with behavior management. Having seen his parenting workshops, I can personally attest to the remarkable insights and impactful strategies he shares. In the podcast, we address challenging scenarios, including how to determine appropriate consequences for lying and managing rude behavior from our children and teenagers, among many other topics. Read today’s blog for a sampling of some screen time dilemmas and strategies for addressing them that we tackle on the podcast
READ MORE >
We recently launched the Screenagers YouTube Channel where we will be uploading a range of new content and resources each week, such as movie clips, podcasts and other original content. I wanted this week to introduce you to the first regular feature on the channel - Screenagers Bites!
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
