Screens are everywhere, but not all screens are created equal. Children use screens and media for a variety of purposes; however, the quality of the content matters. There’s a distinction between learning from educational videos online versus mindlessly scrolling through YouTube Shorts for hours on end. Research shows that content heavily influences a child’s thoughts, actions, and beliefs. Thus, it’s important for parents to know how their child is utilizing devices. In this article, we’ll share existing literature that highlights what children are viewing and how they are engaging with the online world so that parents and caregivers can make informed decisions about their children’s screen use. We’ll also share some tips to help parents ensure that the content that children view is both safe and age-appropriate.
Continue reading Snapchat to Minecraft: What Content Are Children Consuming Online?Tag: Mental Health
Screen Time Usage: Pre-Pandemic, Pandemic, & the Present
Even prior to the pandemic, children’s access to and the duration of screen use has been on the rise. From 2015 to 2019, entertainment screen use went up by 3% for tweens and 11% for teens. Children’s engagement with certain types of digital devices varies by age, but television appears highly popular among kids of all ages. Between 1999 and 2009, the prevalence of televisions in children’s bedrooms increased from 65% to 71%. Now, with the use of streaming services, children can more easily access entertainment media content on their own devices, as more than two-thirds of kids own a smartphone by age 12.
Continue reading Screen Time Usage: Pre-Pandemic, Pandemic, & the PresentParenting in the Age of Screens
“I have noticed both my older children are quicker to anger after screens are taken away. They ask for screen time constantly and are in a terrible mood when I say no.”
– Parent Quote
“I don’t like how my son comes home from school straight to playing video games, but he says that his friends are all playing together. How can I limit screens without isolating him?”
– Parent Quote
Continue reading Parenting in the Age of Screens“My daughter says her entire soccer team is on Snapchat, but I worry that if I let her get the app, I’ll have no control over what she’s posting and seeing. I feel really torn.”
– Parent Quote
The COVID-19 Pandemic: What Has Been Difficult for Children and How They Are Adapting to Change
It has been over a year now since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the world continues to adapt to the changes brought on by COVID-19, it is important to acknowledge the ways in which children have been affected specifically.
Continue reading The COVID-19 Pandemic: What Has Been Difficult for Children and How They Are Adapting to Change