1. Can We Hold These Three Truths About Tech and Teens at the Same Time?
This is an important moment. We have an opportunity to move forward with adolescent needs and development in mind. However, doing so requires that we step up to a challenge: We need to take steps guided by both attention to nuance and commitment to accountability. We need to create public solutions and recognize the strengths, needs and vulnerabilities of individual teens. Let’s hold these three truths at the same time. Keep Reading…
2. Considering a First Device? Try This Framework
Despite strong opinions on all sides, there isn’t hidden research somewhere that tells us exactly when to introduce personal devices to our kids. On the one hand, a device may allow kids opportunities for much-needed independence. On the other hand, fully connected smartphones open portals to online spaces, distractions, and content that many children struggle to manage. When it comes to the question, “At what age should I get my kid a phone?” most experts are reluctant to pinpoint a specific age. Keep Reading…
3. New Report: Youth Voices On Generative AI
It is already as easy to interact with a chatbot within Snapchat as it is to connect with a friend. With Apple’s recent announcement that it will integrate AI into the iPhone, many of us are that much closer to AI immersion. That’s why the latest research report from Common Sense Media with Hopelab and the Center for Digital Thriving at the Harvard Graduate School of Education is so important. The report paints a powerful picture of how young people think about and interact with generative AI technologies. Keep reading…
4. Beyond Likes and Shares: How to Build Real Self-Esteem
It’s tempting to try to counteract the emotional rollercoaster of social media with lavish praise or by trying to make our kids happy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with reminding our kids that they are stunning, valuable humans worthy of joy. But trying to boost our kids’ self-esteem with our own equivalent of “likes, shares, and highlights reels” isn’t the most helpful move. We can’t build our kids’ up on the same reassurance and status treadmill that brought them down. Instead, let’s keep the misconceptions about self-esteem in mind as we seek out opportunities to build real self-esteem. Keep reading…
5. Entranced or Engaged? Young Children and Screens
When television was still a fairly new pastime for young children, researchers coined the term “zombie effect” to describe this glassy-eyed, screen-induced trance that fell over my youngest child at the restaurant. It is certainly unsettling. It is hard to deny that toddlers and preschoolers have a mesmerizing relationship with videos and television content. But the idea of a “zombie effect” seems unfair. Should we really be concerned about that seemingly vacant stare? Or is something else going on when our kids are in front of the screen? Keep reading…