This document discusses raising children in a digital world and managing their media use. It notes that children's prefrontal cortex, which controls impulses, is not fully developed. As a result, parents need to set boundaries for children's media access and use. The document provides tips on setting limits for screen time, social media and app use based on a child's age. It also discusses the importance of media literacy and promoting non-screen activities for children.

1. Raising Kids in a Digital World
Holly Gerla & Sam Harris, Ethics 4 a Digital World
Emily McMason, Evolving Parents

2. Media =

3. Media =

4. Media ≠

5. Who are you raising right
now?

6. Brain Anatomy 101
“brain power” by Allan Ajifo (modub.net) is licensed under CC BY 2.0

7. The best part of parenting today is what we know
from studying the brain.
Image: Yale University Medical School

8. It can also feel like the worst...
20%
80%

9. 20%
80%
Our job for the next decade (or more) is to be their prefrontal cortex.

10. The issues:
• Pre-frontal cortex isn’t fully online
• The ‘brakes’ aren’t wired
• The gas pedal is floored

11. The result:
We spend a lot of time asking “what were you thinking?”.
“I don’t know” is the response. They aren’t kidding.
Because…they have “less control over impulsive behavior,
less understanding of the consequences, and fewer tools to
stop the behavior.”
Neuroscientist Frances Jensen

12. The result:
“...adolescents aren’t reckless because they
underestimate risks, but rather because they
overestimate rewards – something that can
be partially attributed to the fact that the reward centers of
the adolescent brain are much more active than those
of children or adults.”
Ellen Kate, everyday feminism

13. The solution:
• Tell them short term consequences, not long term
ramifications. They aren’t planners. It won’t hook
them.
• Shock & awe – give them the jolt to pay attention &
memorize results.
• Be their brakes through the rules you have.

14. access:
What apps are your kids using? What are the age
requirements for each one?
• = 13 and
*
• = 14
• = 16
• = 17
• = 18, or 13-17 w/ parents’
permission.

15. access:
Making a decision...
– Talk to other families or do a quick search for
information
– Compare that to your family’s values and rules
– Read the Terms of Service

16. THE COMMON SENSE CENSUS: MEDIA USE BY TWEENS AND
TEENS, 2015

17. boundaries:
For young children
• consider how expensive the ‘toy’
• how often you will be reminding them of the rules
• and what a child is missing when they are in front of a
screen.

18. boundaries:
For young children
• Let’s talk about gaming - MINECRAFT!!!!!
• educational games vs. entertainment
• What is the reward every time you open a new app? start
a new game? beat the next level?
• “what’s the difference between passion and obsession?”

19. boundaries:
For tweens & teens:
• No computers, phones, ithings in bedrooms.
• No texting / calling in the car.
• Ideally, no screens 90-120 minutes before bed.
• No (extra) media during homework.
• Know all their passwords.
• Follow & read their digital messages.

20. boundaries:
Establish expectations early, but it’s never
too late
Contract examples:
Common Sense Media
● media use guidelines for K-5, 6-9, 9-12
● customizable device contract
Jo Langford, MA
● teen guidelines (many specific to boys)

21. instead:
• Weekday... first ___ / then___ expectations.
• Weekend family (fun!) options:
o Game nights.
o Rural walks / hikes.
o Reading times.
o Urban outings.
• Media literacy: consumption, creation, communication.

22. Why does media use matter?
Because it has a huge impact on non-media aspects of life.
• Attention:
• see vs. watch and think
• 20 second rule
• Fire it to wire it

23. Why does media use matter?
Sleep:
• 10 hours until age 10, then 9.5 hours
• Remember the nearly 9 & 6 hours of daily entertainment
media?
• Chronic missed sleep leads to:
o depression
o acne
o aggressive behavior
o cognitive problems
o learning difficulties

24. Why does media use matter?
Obesity:
o sitting, and sitting in front of a screen or not the same.
o Screen time messes with appetite.
o Kids ate more meals on screen days
o They ate more calories at each meal
o They ate fewer veggies.
o And they reported feeling less hungry before the meal

25. The biggest issues we see as
educators...
● Multitasking Myths
● Consumption vs. Creation
● Evaluation of Media for Education and
Personal Use

26. What’s actually going on in your brain?
“Multitasking reduces your efficiency and performance
because your brain can only focus on one thing at a
time. When you try to do two things at once, your brain
lacks the capacity to perform both tasks successfully.”
(Forbes, 2015)
Multitasking Myths

27. Consumption vs. Creation

28. Evaluation of Media
S start with someone / something you trust
L listen to your instincts
O observe others around you. What are they
doing? Why?
W wisdom - journal your experiences,
collect your
own wisdom.

29. The Newest Research and
Data
● AAP Guidelines: Media and Children (update coming
Oct. 2016)
● Kids and Screen Time: A Peek at Upcoming Guidance (NPR 1/6/2016)
● The Trouble with Talking Toys
● How Teens Share Information on Social Media (PEW)
● Common Sense Media Census 2015 (Full Report) (Handy
InfoGraphic)
● Common Sense Media Parent Concerns

30. More Resources/Links
Safer Search engines:
• Duck, Duck Go
• KidRex
• KidzSearch
• SafeSearchKids
• GoGooligans
Sam and Holly - Ethics 4 a Digital World - (Facebook, Twitter,
Pinterest)
Emily - evolving parents - (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,
Instagram)
Browser add-ons or
extensions:
• AdBlock Plus
• A Cleaner Internet
• Simple Profanity Filter (for Chrome)
• Ghostery (identify and block
trackers)
• Lightbeam (for Firefox)
• Web of Trust
In terms of devices or networks you use, every family is slightly different. If you’re looking for other tools to
help you manage equipment, wifi, devices, etc. try a Google search using “parental controls” in the search
string. And check with your internet service provider (ISP) for what controls they have available for your in-
home networks.

31. Organizations to Follow:
• Common Sense Media - (Facebook, Twitter)
• Family Online Safety Institute - (Facebook, Twitter)
• Pew Internet & American Life Project - (Facebook, Twitter)
Adolescent Development:
• Julie Giesy Metzger, RN, MN and Robert Lehman, MD, Great
Conversations
• Robin Wright, The Wright Conversations
• Amy Lang, Birds + Bees + Kids
• Jo Langford, Be Heroes
Find even more links on our website. And “Like” us on Facebook or follow
on Twitter for more current information. Thanks for attending our
workshop!
More Resources/Links

32. Books!
• Bazelon, Emily - Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and
Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy
• boyd, danah - It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens
• Englander, Elizabeth - Bullying and Cyberbullying: What Every Educator
Needs to Know
• James, Carrie - Disconnected: Youth, New Media, and the Ethics Gap
• Jensen, Frances E. MD - The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist's Survival
Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults
• Steinberg, Laurence, PhD - Age of Opportunity: Lessons from the New
Science of Adolescence
• Wiseman, Rosalind - Masterminds & Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope
with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New
Rules of Boy World

33. Q&A