TPP 128a: Digital Media and Technology Expert Devorah Heitner on Helping Kids Be Screenwise

This weeks’ episode is a must-listen to if your child uses technology and screens of any sort and your spending energy managing your kids’ screen time. My guest this week is Dr. Devorah Heitner, an expert on young people’s relationship with digital media and technology. Devorah is the author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World and founder of Raising Digital Natives, and her mission is to cultivate a culture of empathy and social/emotional literacy. Devorah did a fascinating TEDx talk a few years back called The Challenges of Raising a Digital Native, which I highly recommend you check out.

Today Devorah and I talk about kids’ relationship with screens, everything from the specific challenges related to screens and technology for differently wired kids to how we as parents can start being effective mentors for our child when it comes to helping them develop healthy screen habits. I asked Devorah the big questions I hear all the time from parents, like how much time spent on screens is too much, does the type of activity ours kids are doing make a difference when setting limits, and much more.

An expert on young people’s relationship with digital media and technology, Dr. Devorah Heitner is the author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World and founder of Raising Digital Natives. Her mission is to cultivate a culture of empathy and social/emotional literacy. She has a Ph.D. in Media/Technology & Society from Northwestern University and has taught at DePaul and Northwestern. She is delighted to be raising her own digital native.

Things you’ll learn from this episode

• Why it’s important that we focus on tech literacy in our kids rather than specific apps
• The most common challenges for differently wired kids when it comes to their relationship with technology and “managing” their screen time
• How we might use their skills and interest in tech to bridge into areas of strength
• The challenges stemming from schools’ increasing reliance on technology in a 1 to 1 capacity
• Whether or not there is true value in online or virtual social relationships
• Why our role as parents should be that of mentor when it comes to our child’s relationship with screens
• The difference between tech savvy and being wise about technology
• Why all screen media isn’t created equal—it’s important to discriminate between the way our kids use media
• How much “screen time” is too much?
• What are goals should be in helping our kids become wise technology consumers
• Strategies to start using to become a positive “screen” mentor for our children

Resources mentioned for managing kids’ screen time

• Raising Digital Natives (Devorah’s website)
• Phonewise Boot Camp 
• Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World by Dr. Devorah Heitner
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