The Screenagers Blog

tech talk tuesdays

A friend recently told me that her son, whose middle school plans to show Screenagers schoolwide before the semester ends, is already feeling defensive about what he anticipates will be “another parent attack” on one more dreaded teen behavior that we parents have to “do something about.”

tech talk tuesdays

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!

tech talk tuesdays

Who hasn’t been tempted every once in a while to be a little bit of something they usually aren’t? A little bolder, better, more opinionated or clever than we might appear in our everyday lives? I remember prank phone calls being a typical middle school way to get into a little mischief and “be” someone else.

tech talk tuesdays

If you’ve tuned into Tech Talk Tuesday before, you might already know that in my family, we have decided that the car is a “screens-off” space for all of us. It works great when it’s just us in the car. We talk, we catch up, we sit quietly.

tech talk tuesdays

Sometimes things happen in life that make you stop and take stock of who your “real” friends are. Like when I feel anxious and I call my friends to give me some moral support. If I need a hand with a ride somewhere for the kids, I call on my local parent crew. If I want to vent about the latest parenting issue, I might post on Facebook and get some reactions from my contacts around the world.

tech talk tuesdays

As a doctor, I believe that while there is a true clinical internet/video game addiction, we must be careful about using the term addiction loosely regarding broad use of technology. For serious cases, Internet addiction is a real problem. But for the kid who just won’t put her phone down during dinner? Calling her an addict may do more harm than good.

tech talk tuesdays

While I was making Screenagers, I became fascinated by the rapidly growing trend of schools deciding to give every single student on campus a digital device. When I learned that the Los Angeles Unified School District was launching one of these “one-to-one technology” programs and issuing an iPad to every student, I flew down to see for myself how it was going.

tech talk tuesdays

When I was a kid, screen and phone time existed, and kids and parents had conflicts over them. We played games, got our entertainment, gossiped with friends, and relied on technology and devices to do it. So how different was it?

tech talk tuesdays

Throughout the country spring break has just finally come to a close. But, summer vacation is coming up. What will that mean for screen time in your life? I have some rules to help my family manage screen time while on vacation. We set times that we are all going to check in otherwise we try to disconnect. I was recently in remote areas of Mexico with my family and it was both healing and at times distressing to be without cell service or a computer connection most of the time. I managed by setting expectations with the people I work with about when I would be able to check in and when I would be totally unavailable.

tech talk tuesdays

Teens who don't get enough sleep (less than 7 hours) are at risk for engaging in risky behaviors including driving with someone drunk and drinking and driving, according to a recently released CDC survey. Here's what they found...

tech talk tuesdays

I know often kids feel like we adults have double standards. We say one thing, but we don’t do it. We set rules for kids but don’t have rules for ourselves. In our morning drive, for example, my kids and I often notice adults texting while on the road to school or near a school. At restaurants, we see lots adults on their devices during dinner, not just the kids. I can be guilty of breaking my own rules, checking a screen to distract myself from a task I’m having a hard time completing, or staying up much later than I meant to, checking “just one more thing.”

tech talk tuesdays

In Screenagers, there's a scene that shows my family talking around the dinner table about Tech Talk Tuesday. My son Chase asks "when is a good time to text versus calling someone?" So, for this week talk to your family about that issue. My co-producer's 12-year old daughter just today was talking to her about how some people misuse texting. She was upset that a friend was saying mean things via text, things that he would never say to her on the phone. She adamantly said that it was not bullying, it just was a mean-spirited conversation. She saw a distinction

tech talk tuesdays

This week I want to talk about mindfulness and bringing it to our technology use. In Screenagers, there's a scene where I consult with a mindfulness coach, David Levy, who specializes in mindful tech. I reached out to him after my daughter Tessa said to me, "I'm really distracted by my computer at night."

tech talk tuesdays

When I was a kid I used to play Pong and Pac-Man. The world is very different now. For today's Tech Talk Tuesday share with your kids what you played. Ask them about their favorite games and what they like about those games. Then, ask them whether they know about any games that are focused on helping people. If so, what are they? If your child were to design a game, what would it look like? We'd love to hear their ideas.

tech talk tuesdays

I used to think the ability to have self-control was determined at birth. While making Screenagers I learned that there are a variety of strategies parents can use to improve self-control. There are studies in which parents are trained to help their kids gain self-control, and researchers are able to measure actual improvement. A key way to teach kids self-control around tech time is to set up clear guidelines: State times the child should not be on their device and then give incentives for adhering to them. Their newly learned ability to self-regulate then flows over to other areas where will-power is needed.

tech talk tuesdays

Recently the AAP released an article in the AAP News with a preliminary outline of where the recommendations, which haven’t been updated since they were first released in 1999, are headed. Titled “Beyond ‘turn it off’: How to advise families on media use...

tech talk tuesdays

Well known author and psychologist Susan Stiffleman has some ideas for you to talk with your family around the dinner table this week.

tech talk tuesdays

This week we suggest talking with your kids about what they are creating through tech and in their screen time. Do you know that only 3% of preteens and teens are actually creating content on their screens as opposed to passively clicking, scrolling and gaming?