Helping familes to be smart, secure and civil online
Too much time using apps like Snapchat and Instagram could be having a negative impact on girls’ mental health. Read more in this month’s BayState Parent CyberSavvy Mom column.
*Image by Steinar Engeland
This month’s column in BayState Parent encourages parents to rethink screen time for children.
A recent 60 Minutes segment reports on a landmark study of more than 11,000 kids to gauge the effect screen time is having on their brains. Initial brain scans from the study conclude that children who spend more than seven hours a day on screens experience premature thinning of the cortex. The report also notes that younger children who have more than two hours of screen time a day receive lower scores on tests focused on thinking and language skills.
With devices everywhere now, how can parents place acceptable limits on screen time? Check out my CyberSavvy Mom column for advice.
When introducing electronics into a child’s life, appropriate device use doesn’t just happen. Kids need coaching and rules to understand how to use smartphones, tablets and computers in a healthy manner that works for you and your kids.
That’s where a digital contract comes in to help. It is an agreement between you and your child/children on what is considered appropriate electronic use in your home. Details will vary by family, but could include, for example, amount of time on the computer, iPad or iPhones, allowable Websites and apps, allowable locations for using devices.
Please read this guidance for creating a digital contract for your family in this story on BayState Parent.
Anxiety among kids is on the upswing – and is now the leading mental health issue among children in America. Why? In this article on BayState Parent, some medical and neurological experts note that social media use is stressing kids out and giving them an unrealistic view of the world. Near-constant device use is causing mental health issues for many, and making it more difficult to escape the very factors that give them anxiety.
Do you think social media is contributing to negative feelings among kids? How much access do your children have to social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat? Leave me a comment and let’s chat!
Got a kid who melts down easy and needs a little support with learning how to regulate emotions and react to stressful or difficult situations? A video game developed by a team of experts at Boston Children’s Hospital aims to help children learn emotional regulation through play.
Mightier, by Neuromotion Labs, is a gaming platform that allows kids to have fun and learn how to calm down with the use of a tablet, an app and a heart rate monitor.
Find out more about how it works in this month’s story on BayState Parent.com
Cyber Savvy Mom 