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As daffodils and tulips pop up after their winter naps and trees begin to bud and flower, all of us at CRG hope this finds you enjoying spring's first blush of color outside as March Madness keeps us glued to our screens inside.
This issue focuses on a timely topic: how to help young people engage in wise use of the technology that dominates their world. In one generation, the Internet and a host of devices have revolutionized how children and teens learn, communicate, and socialize. Parents, teachers, coaches and other adults often help young people with this "new norm" by providing useful information online (such as Canvas and other school websites that post assignments, due dates, and grades) and sage guidance about smart technology choices. At other times, we scratch our heads and wonder why young people seem so obsessed with their screen time while thinking, what are they doing online? The teen years have always been a time when adolescents can demonstrate impulsivity, risk taking, and poor judgment. In the digital age, these behaviors - while developmentally normal - can lead to problematic behaviors such as sexting, gambling, cyberbullying, cyber stalking, and sleep deprivation.
While Internet-based technology has become ubiquitous in most developed countries, teens always seem to be ahead of most adults in terms of finding the latest app or YouTube channel. A recent informal poll of CRG's 20-something front office staff elicited this "Top 10" list of popular sites (our tech-savvy team couldn't stop at just 10): SnapChat, Instagram, Vine, Parascope, Twitter, Keek, Kik, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, Skout, Path, Skype, Dubsmash, Flickr, Yik Yak, LinkedIn, and Imgur. Whew! For readers who would like more information about some of this technology and its impact on us, we invite you to explore two thought-provoking sites:
Many parents feel ill equipped to guide and supervise their children's safe use of technology. Parents of young people with LD, ADHD, Asperger's and other disabilities, in particular, may have a love-hate relationship with technology. On the one hand, digital devices can provide tremendous help with time management, organization, homework, academic tutorials, writing assistance, and even informal accommodations. On the other hand, children and teenagers can become consumed by their screen time in a manner that restricts their development of face-to-face social skills, completing work on time, and getting adequate sleep.
This issue presents a range of articles that explore this topic. Dr. Sandy Burkhardt opens the issue with her discussion of brain-based developmental issues that are impacted by heavy computer usage. Dr. Julie Steck speaks directly to parents about what has changed - and what hasn't - in the parenting relationship with teens who may wish to push some boundaries. Dr. Chelsey Brophy offers research-based but practical insights about the impact of social media on health sleep patterns. Dr. Ray Kinder addresses potentially dangerous behaviors teens might engage in with their devices before they are old enough to understand the ramifications. Beth Waite-Lafever provides a global perspective with some wonderful highlights and photographs from her recent trip to the Bahamas to train educators/school administrators and to conduct speech/language evaluations with children there. Her husband, Dave, helped several schools resolve Internet issues during the trip. Beth remarked upon return that her experiences gave her a new appreciation for the widespread availability of technology here at home. Finally, we are very pleased to conclude this issue with an interview with Dr. James Schroeder, a pediatric psychologist practicing at St. Mary's Center for Children in Evansville, IN. Dr. Schroeder's article summarizes many of these topics and provides access to his highly informative blog and other publications. Whether you are a parent or grandparent, educator, provider, or just concerned about this topic, we hope these articles will provide a useful perspective and practical tools you can implement in this digital world.
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The 21st Century Playground
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Parents and teachers ponder how much computer time is good for children. Families become battlegrounds
with commands to "shut that thing off" countered with offers to "go play with my
phone
."
Technology with its hardware and software, hard drives and cyberspace has relocated the backyard playground to virtual reality, the neighborhood library to the Internet and the street corner to
an iPhone. Let's take a look at the typical and risky ways in which screen time affects children.
Back to the Future
Might it be that children still flock to these spots for the same reasons they always have: information, recreation, socialization and imagination?
Why do children seek to spend so much time "on the computer"? And why do their elders object, even as they themselv
es devote hours to Facebook, Netflix and surfing the net?
Although it is easy to think of screen time as child's play, it is a fact of life that information and
communication are serious business. Like television and radio in earlier eras, there is likely to be tension
regarding adults' standards for children's involvement with screen time. Movie ratings, disclaimers,
passwords and other child-proofing efforts validate the growing concerns of parents regarding their
child's access to inappropriate programs,
websites and games. Additionally, parents worry about perpetrators gaining access to their children through messaging and chat rooms. Even as the child sits safely within the confines of the family home, is the child truly safe from on-line social forces?
Click here to read the rest of this story.
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Staying Ahead of Your Child in the Digital Age
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It is always tempting to characterize the younger generation as so different from what we knew, grew up with, or understood in the past. As adults we want to complain that the influences that our children experience are different from what we experienced. Yet, I am not sure that children and adolescents are that different or that the impact of societal changes are unique to
today's world. Yes, there is much
more information available to you. Yes, they are more able to communicate with each other and avoid adult supervision. However, the goals of children and adolescen
ts are no different than they were "
back in the day.
"
Elementary school children want to be "in the know
.
" They don't really want to experience what their
older siblings or friends do
- they just want to be included. Early adolescents want to "talk th
e talk.
"
They want to be able to have enough knowledge to act like they know what older adolescents are talking about and flirt with the issues of older adolescents. Older adolescents want to act like adults but
don't want the responsibilities of adulthood. They want to "reach out and touch" but not really make
the commitments of adults.
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here to read the rest of this story.
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Social Media and Sleep:
This Is Not "Snooze Material"
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While many of us enjoy the technology that is rapidly intertwined throughout our daily lives, new research indicates that our devices may be impacting our sleep. Texting, use of social media, the need for constant connectedness, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), and overall screen time tends to be particularly troubling for the young generation with regard to obtaining good quality sleep.
Several studies have begun tracking social media and technology usage, but until recently few studies have investigated the impact of social media on sleep. In relation to general usage, the Kaiser Family Foundation (
Roberts, Foehr, & Rideout, 2005)
found that teens spend an average of 53 hours per week engaged in some form of electronic media, equating to more than seven hours per day. Additional research from the
Pew Research Center
suggests rapidly increasing usage of social media, in particular, with 90% of youth aged 18-29 engaged in some sort of social media.
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here to read the rest of this story.
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Top Parental Challenge:
Responsible Internet Use
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Parents
: It's 10:00 p.m. You know that your child is home and in his/her room, but do you really
know what he or she is doing??
Today's t
echnology tools and Internet access combine to provide us with absolutely wonderful informational outlets, educational tools, and entertainment mediums. We benefit daily from the advances these tools have brought us and see how they have shaped our world in exciting new ways. The iPhone alone has certainly transformed mine as well as my grandkids. We could publish a separate newsletter regarding ways
to utilize technology to assist with our children's
education, but that is not the pressing issue this article will address. With every progressive leap forward we make as a society, we also uncover some hidden dangers that occur as a byproduct. As a parent, grandparent and mental health professional, I believe we need a keen appreciation for the pitfalls/dangers that young people can face through their use of technology and the Internet. In turn, we must have a better acceptance of the duties and responsibilities we adults should embrace in order to help young people protect themselves.
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Confessions of a Beach Therapist
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As a speech-language pathologist and assistive technology specialist, my days consist of evaluating and providing therapy to students, talking to parents, collaborating with teachers and presenting workshops. During a week this past February, I found myself completing the same activities in a non-traditional place:
Eleuthera,
a small island in the Bahamas. Because of this experience, I am changed.
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| Beth Waite-Lafever conducting a speech-language evaluation. |
Last summer I became aware of a nonprofit foundation called
Exceptional Education Outreach Bahamas,
or EEO. This organization, started by a U.S. special education teacher over 15 years ago, provides resources, teachers, and training for children with learning disabilities on this island. In the Bahamas, special education is not provided by the schools. EEO, through fundraising and volunteerism, provides special education resource teachers, materials, consultation with medical/educational specialists and teacher training to increase the literacy of the students. After speaking with the EEO director, I volunteered to provide speech-language evaluations and teacher training on site. Eleuthera is a small island approximately 110 miles long situated 50 miles east of Nassau. You won't find casinos or large resorts here; this is an example of an out island and is often referred to as "the real " Bahamas. Pink sand beaches and turquois water paint a beautiful background. Settled in the 1600's by British colonists searching for religious freedom, Victorian style influences can be seen in many of the older homes in Governor's Harbour, the capital of Eleuthera. The island is dotted with small towns along the main highway that has no traffic lights and finds cars driving on the left side.
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Impact of Extended Technology Usage on Developing Youth and Their Families
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Note
: James Schroeder, Ph.D., HSPP, is a pediatric psychologist who specializes in treating children and young adolescents with developmental, social, learning, mood,
attention, anxiety, and behavior problems. He practices at St. Mary's Center for
Children in Evansville, IN. An active member of and presenter for the Indiana Psychological Association, Dr. Schroeder is also a prolific author. He has published three
books
and writes a monthly column of online articles directed to parents and fellow providers who work with youth. He and his wife have six children.
DP: In your online column,
Just Thinking
, you frequently write about young people
's
use of technology. Why is this topic of such importance to you?
JS: I think the main reason is that this issue is revolutionizing so much of what young people do and who they are. From how they communicate to how they learn to how they identify themselves, it has begun to change the landscape so dramatically in such a short time. Meanwhile, despite the changes, there are serious concerns about how this might be affecting their physical, psychological, social, and even spiritual health. For me, I worry that many of these changes are not only occurring so quickly, but without a real conscious, decision-making awareness to discern if what our youth are doing, and what we as parents are allowing, is a positive, or even tolerable, thing. I am concerned that much of the change is occurring just to keep up with the trends.
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