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.
Also, my co-producer talked today with a friend who runs a small firm and mentioned a client of hers who was fired via email with no notice and no apparent cause. The client was hurt and felt this was an inappropriate way to communicate that message.
As I am writing this post, my son Chase is literally standing next to me texting and he just looked up and started talking about a girl he's interested in. I asked if he was going to ask her out via texting or in person and he said: "Of course I will do it in person because you can read their reactions more" and then he added jokingly "and then you can spend the next 3 nights trying to make sense of their response, like their tone of voice, facial expressions, body language and stuff."
Then I asked, "why not text?" And he said with a straight face "it shows confidence when you ask in person."
So here are some questions to ask your family around the dinner table:
When do you text versus call someone?
Do you make a distinction between texting and emailing? If so, when do you do which?
Do you text someone when you are angry or do you call them?
Do you text when you are tired rather than calling?
Do you text when you have something emotionally uncomfortable to say, whether it's negative or positive?
Do you have just "text-relationships" with people?
Share with us via FB or here. We really want to hear from you!
All my best,
Delaney
April 5, 2016
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
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.
Also, my co-producer talked today with a friend who runs a small firm and mentioned a client of hers who was fired via email with no notice and no apparent cause. The client was hurt and felt this was an inappropriate way to communicate that message.
As I am writing this post, my son Chase is literally standing next to me texting and he just looked up and started talking about a girl he's interested in. I asked if he was going to ask her out via texting or in person and he said: "Of course I will do it in person because you can read their reactions more" and then he added jokingly "and then you can spend the next 3 nights trying to make sense of their response, like their tone of voice, facial expressions, body language and stuff."
Then I asked, "why not text?" And he said with a straight face "it shows confidence when you ask in person."
So here are some questions to ask your family around the dinner table:
When do you text versus call someone?
Do you make a distinction between texting and emailing? If so, when do you do which?
Do you text someone when you are angry or do you call them?
Do you text when you are tired rather than calling?
Do you text when you have something emotionally uncomfortable to say, whether it's negative or positive?
Do you have just "text-relationships" with people?
Share with us via FB or here. We really want to hear from you!
All my best,
Delaney
April 5, 2016
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
Many young people are overwhelmed by constant social media use, which can displace important activities like sleep, schoolwork, and friendships. Over 200 school districts are suing platforms like Meta for harms related to social media addiction. The blog covers what problematic social media use is from a clinical perspective and how our kids can talk with a friend (or family member) if they are worried their friend might have some level of problematic use.
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A week ago, Instagram announced changes to its rules for “Teen Accounts.” All new teen users will be defaulted into these accounts, and current teen users will transition over the next two months. Instagram’s head of Products, discussed these changes, and one comment surprised me. She mentioned that teens aged 13 to 16 will need parental permission to have a public account, hoping this would encourage dialogue between teens and parents about social media use. However, I feel this still puts too much responsibility on parents when we need broader societal solutions. I discuss this and the rest of the changes in today's blog.
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We have created a table that compares the 4 most common social media platforms and the specific ways they are similar and different. Spoiler alert, they are way more similar than different. It makes perfect sense since companies see what young people use on other apps and incorporate such features into their own apps.
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.
