As screens and gadgets become part of children’s lives, parents see many opinions as to what is appropriate and how much screen time is OK. Where do you get your advice from? How much do you trust what’s in The Media? What parenting decisions have you started to question based on what you read or hear? How to know what source is reputable and how to judge for yourself?

 

My concerns, as someone who works with children and gets to see the impact of screens and gadgets first-hand, are deep and too many to list here. I did write on the problem of childhood gadget dependency earlier in this article. But, in a future episode, I will also walk you through the details of that impact on the specific areas of child development.

 

It is amazing (and scary) how misguided and misinformed we can get in the Age of Information, when led by the media and not our own values. So it is important to start one of the many conversations about gadgets and kids by discussing appropriate screen guidelines. It is also important to consume the media with discernment, and to read and listen with a critical perspective. 

 

In today’s episode:

 

• Learn what guidelines I use & recommend
• Hear my opinion about “teaching apps”
• Walk with me through an example of misleading research
• Understand how lack of barriers to consumption makes us vulnerable to misinformation
• Learn 6 tools for critical evaluations of claims made in the media

 

 

Articles and Resources mentioned in this Episode:

 

The misleading publication mentioned in today’s episode can be found HERE.

The actual UK study can be found HERE.

American Academy of Pediatrics

Childhood Gadget Dependency

 

To protect yourself against misleading interpretations, check the information against reputable agencies and resources. Even checking with a professional you know and trust would be much better than trusting a general media source. Just because it sounds good and what we may want to hear, it does not mean it is actually true. Ultimately the responsibility for our decisions around screen time and gadget use rests with us and not the scientists or the media.

 

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