When my daughter Tessa, who is in Screenagers, saw the completed film, I was shocked by one of her first reactions. She said, ”I didn't realize so many other kids are dealing with all this rule stuff like we are." Of course, she had been with me over the years as I was making the film, and yet somehow, she did not know how common it is for families to struggle with setting limits. She went on to tell me how rarely any of her friends talked about their rules around screen time.
I know that we as parents often feel judged about our parenting and specifically parenting around tech time. The reality is that some rules and some limit-setting is a good thing. There is an interesting study in Pediatrics, the Official Journal of The American Academy of Pediatrics, that found:
"Rules that were consistent and that were reported by both parents and children were associated with the lowest prevalence of children exceeding recommended screen-time limits"
In this Sunday’s New York Times there was a piece by a writer who informally surveyed people in his social media channels about their rules on screen time. This inspired this week's Tech Talk Tuesday:
Are you and your family on the same page with screen time rules?
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
When my daughter Tessa, who is in Screenagers, saw the completed film, I was shocked by one of her first reactions. She said, ”I didn't realize so many other kids are dealing with all this rule stuff like we are." Of course, she had been with me over the years as I was making the film, and yet somehow, she did not know how common it is for families to struggle with setting limits. She went on to tell me how rarely any of her friends talked about their rules around screen time.
I know that we as parents often feel judged about our parenting and specifically parenting around tech time. The reality is that some rules and some limit-setting is a good thing. There is an interesting study in Pediatrics, the Official Journal of The American Academy of Pediatrics, that found:
"Rules that were consistent and that were reported by both parents and children were associated with the lowest prevalence of children exceeding recommended screen-time limits"
In this Sunday’s New York Times there was a piece by a writer who informally surveyed people in his social media channels about their rules on screen time. This inspired this week's Tech Talk Tuesday:
Are you and your family on the same page with screen time rules?
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
One phrase I’ve often used over the years is “fighting fire with fire,” and when it comes to managing screen time, this idea can really come in handy. Incorporating parental controls into your family’s screen time routine can make things run more smoothly at home. And summer is an ideal time to consider this approach.
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A topic I hear from parents regularly is regret—regret about saying yes to a tech device too soon. Maybe it was a smartphone, a smartwatch, a gaming console in the bedroom, or allowing social media. Today’s post is about how to reverse course on a tech decision for your child thoughtfully — and possibly prevent even deeper regret down the road.
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As the gift-giving season approaches, many parents consider buying their kids their first phones or connected watches. Before diving into this decision, I want to share my perspective: delaying this purchase as long as possible is often the best approach. If you have decided to move forward, my team and I have worked hard to compile a detailed chart of simple phone and watch recommendations to help you choose the best option.
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.
