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
This week marks a big milestone — the 500th edition of our Tech Talk Tuesday blog! If you had told me nearly ten years ago I’d still be writing these, I might not have believed you. But here we are — and it’s because of you. The fact that this community kept showing up and growing week after week is the greatest gift. Your support has been a constant motivation for me and the whole Screenagers team.
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Recently, the Netflix series Adolescence became one of the platform’s most-watched limited series. It tells the fictional story of a 13-year-old boy whose descent into online misogyny and emotional isolation ends in tragedy. I’ve heard from many parents who watched it in one sitting — and others who said, “I can’t bear to watch, but I want to understand what it’s about.” Today I share some of the most important takeaways for parents from the show.
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Spring breaks have begun around the country. It is the perfect time to address this topic: how do we encourage self-efficacy and independence in our kids and teens, given the many obstacles to doing so? Obstacles such as their desire to stay inside and consume (video games, YouTube, shows, social media, etc.) or parents’ fears around letting kids do things out in the world alone.
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.
