Video games are a ubiquitous form of entertainment in today's children and youth, and while fun and exciting, have a darker side that parents, teachers and health professionals can no longer ignore. While many adults struggle with gaming addiction, parents don't seem to consider gaming's addictive nature when allowing young children to game. When evaluating impact of video games on children, 3 parameters are important to consider: duration, content, and age of first exposure. Children who start gaming later in childhood, and who stay under the expert guidelines for duration and content, will likely demonstrate less negative effects from gaming. Whereas children who start gaming young in life, play video games for long periods, and who play predominantly Mature content with sexual and physical violence, will likely exhibit a greater number of below noted negative effects. Children who experience 3 or more of the following conditions have significant negative effects from playing video games, and should work with their parents, physician and/or therapist to improve access to healthy activities and stop using video games if under the age of 12 years. Teens who are older than 12 years of age and demonstrate more than 3 of the following conditions, would benefit from increasing access to healthy activities and subsequently reduce game duration, change to non-violent game content, and possibly consider quitting gaming altogether until 18 years of age.
An International Appeal to Stop 5G on Earth and in Space, together with the list of signatories, will be formally presented to the United Nations, World Health Organization, European Union, and world governments on or before December 1, 2018.
If you are a scientist, doctor, health professional, building biologist, or other professional or consultant, or if you represent an environmental organization, please sign the Appeal.
With your help, stopping 5G is possible.
Information about signing the Appeal can be found here.
30 min. video of Dr. Erica Mallery-Blythe, Founder of Physicians' Health Initiative for Radiation and Environment and Trustee Radiation Research Trust speaking at Oct. 9, 2018 UK Childhood Cancer Conference on wireless radiation and childhood disease.
Foundation Series Workshop Schedule
November 3 and 4, 2018 - Lahore, Pakistan
Presentation and panel discussions on the impact of technology on child development at the annual School of Tomorrow conference titled "A World of Tomorrow Reimagined" sponsored by the Beaconhouse School System.
Workshops for early childhood educators and health professionals on impact of technology on children sponsored by Ridge Meadows Early Child Development Committee.
Contact person: Roberta O'Brien, 604-467-6055,
rmecd@telus.net
March 1, 2019 - Winnipeg, MB
Workshop for parents and professionals on impact of technology on children sponsored by Alloway Therapy.
Presentation on impact of technology on brain/body physiology to teens attending Camp Unplugged sponsored by Palomar Christian Conference Center. www.camp-unplugged.com.
The Screen Solution Workshops will leave you feeling equipped with the tools needed to help you reset your child's screen habits. From video games to smartphones, we'll show you how to make practical changes in your day-to-day life with proven strategies and replacement activities to establish a balanced screen use at different ages.
In this webinar Dr. Nancy Carlsson-Paige will offer a full exploration of how and why screens interfere with developmental milestones crucial to children's well-being. Presentation will be recorded and available on the Action Network website after the event.
The family of an 8-year-old girl says she was sexually assaulted twice on a school bus.
By Nicholas Bakalar
By N. U. Yurika, Y. Hiroyuki, S Hiroki, et al August 2018 doi: 10.2152/jmi.65.280.
Study of a boy exposed to the media during his early development who was diagnosed with attachment disorder. His symptoms improved dramatically after he was prevented from using all media and encouraged to play in other ways.
Research presented at in 2017 suggested the more time children under 2 years old spend playing with smartphones, tablets and other handheld screens, the more likely they are to begin talking later.
It comes amid concern about an epidemic of anxiety and distress among young people, with record levels of mental ill-health among a generation dealing with the fallout from social media.
Young children spending at least half an hour a day of leisure time online were twice as likely to spend their pocket money on such foods, compared with those whose time on websites was more restricted, the study found.
By Environmental Health Trust (EHT) May 2018 The CDC presented new findings of increasing rates of brain cancer, renal cancer, hepatic (liver) cancer, and thyroid cancer among individuals under 20 years old in the USA after analyzing 2001-2014 US National Cancer statistics tumor data from 48 states (covering 98% of the US population).
A Barnesville man wants to turn back the clock. He says, his son is addicted to electronics and he wants his son to do his homework, on paper. But he claims, the school isn't making it easy.
Apple's latest operating system, iOS 12's newScreen Time, is the feature parents have been waiting for. With it, we have a new tool to help prevent excessive screen time for our youth, as well as ourselves.
Op Ed suggesting Americans find themselves in a culture being shaped in echo chambers, stunted by closed-mindedness and unwilling to learn from each other.
Generation Z students, classified as being between the ages of 14 and 23, believe that YouTube is a bigger contributor to their education than textbooks, according to a study by Pearson Education.
The voice revolution has only just begun. Today, Alexa is a humble servant. Very soon, she could be much more-a teacher, a therapist, a confidant, an informant.
Targeted ads aren't the only thing you have to worry about on social media. Now, a number of companies are making contracts with kids as young as 4 to promote their products on Instagram.
So
cial media firms face fines of up to £18m if they disturb children with notifications and alerts at night or during the school day under plans being considered by the information commissioner.
By Paige Gross September 26, 2018
24 men arrested in New Jersey were using a social media app, a messaging website, or even the chat feature of a video game to reach out to the detectives who were posing as teens.
Charges have been laid against five boys accused of exchanging sexually explicit photos of fellow students at Séminaire des Pères Maristes, a Quebec City private school.
Fortnite is one of the most addictive digital games ever played.
It's not only teenagers that are being affected by its drug like qualities. It is affecting relationships and marriages according to research by online divorce website www.divorce-online.co.uk.
Hiding the gaming remotes are in the fridge behind the vegetables. Yesterday they were in the bathroom cupboard. This is to exert some semblance of control over our children's gaming.
Rob Jones said the firms had the technology to be more proactive to prevent images reaching the web in the first place to stop crime happening and to hunt down paedophiles grooming children.
To better understand the growing internet addiction, "Compare the Market" has performed analysis to identify the availability of WiFi spots and internet access among hundreds of countries.
Study to translate and validate the Test of Mobile Dependence (TMD), and to investigate if there are any associations between mobile phone use and problem gambling.
For now, online peer support groups like Game Quitters, plus a smattering of therapists well-versed in the topic, try to do their best to support those for whom obsession has morphed into addiction.
Introduction to the presentations from the Health in Buildings Roundtable Conference held at the NIH this summer. All talks are less than 10 minutes for easy sharing.
Children's Screen Time Action Network - Newsletter
Reasons to read: As we know, it can be difficult to distinguish fact from fiction when it comes to political content on social media. With kids getting so much of their news online, this guide provides some starting points for helping kids navigate the muddle of attack ads, mudslinging, and fake news.
Stronger Data-Privacy Protections for Students and Teachers Needed, Report Argues Education Week Reasons to read: PCSP and the Badass Teachers Association (BATs) released a comprehensive toolkit for educators to navigate the complexities of protecting school-related data in the era of ed tech. A great read for educators and parents alike. Find ithere!
Kids make Big Tech tremble Politico EU Reasons to read: At the recent UK Conservative Party summit, there was plenty of discussion on screen time and protecting kids from Big Tech. Stay tuned: social media giants might have more to worry about across the pond.
Time spent by children online linked to requests for junk food University of Liverpool Reasons to read: Scientists in the UK are recommending limits on junk food advertising to kids after a study from the University of Liverpool and Cancer Research UK's Cancer Policy Research Centre found that kids who spent more than 30 minutes a day online were nearly twice as likely to ask their parents for junk food.
Give the Screens a Rest National Recreation and Park Association Reasons to read: CCFC's Rinny Yourman wrote a guest blog for NRPA on Screen-Free Week, our annual event encouraging kids and families to unplug and have fun offline. It's never too early to start planning your next Screen-Free Week!
Raised by YouTube The Atlantic Reasons to read: A fascinating look at kids' content on YouTube, its creators, and why we should design children's entertainment with kids in mind, not algorithms or clicks.
Child experts file FTC complaint against Facebook kids' app Associated Press Reasons to read: This past Wednesday, CCFC and 17 other advocacy groups filed an FTC complaint which maintains that Facebook is breaking the law with its controversial Messenger Kids app.
Kids as young as 7 are finding ingenious ways around Apple's screen time controls Business Insider Reasons to read: Although Apple is trying to help parents control their children's screen time, it's clear that they'll have to do more. Read on to marvel at kids' innovative prowess, then lament that it's being used to unlock tablets.
Zone'in Programs
Sedentary, neglected, isolated, and overstimulated, the new millennium child can no longer pay attention and learn. Zone'in Programs are designed by an occupational therapist to enhance child development and learning, ensuring successful futures.
Virtual Child - The terrifying truth about what technology is doing to children
By Cris Rowan, pediatric occupational therapist.
Virtual Child documents the impact technology has had on the developing child, and proposes tools and techniques to manage balance between activities children need for growth and success with technology use.
Cris Rowan is a pediatric occupational therapist committed to enhancing child health and academic performance. Well known activist, speaker, sensory specialist and author, Cris is the "Go To" expert on child learning, development and technology overuse. Cris has provided over 200 workshops for health and education professionals, and is currently developing the Creating Sustainable Futures Program for a First Nations Community.
Training & Consultation
Training
Instructor training for Foundation Series Workshops places pediatric occupational therapists on the cutting edge as experts in the field of technology's impact on child development.
Zone'in Programs Inc. and Cris Rowan are seeking your support and assistance to ensure sustainable and productive futures for our children. Find out more about how you can help us!
