Take a few minutes to read Five Ways Parents Can Help Kids Balance Social Media With the Real World, appearing in the July 11, 2017 Washington Post.
Written by Adrienne Wichard-Edds, the Post article offers common-sense suggestion that parents can use to establish a sense of balance between digital endeavors and the rest of a family’s activities. Most of the ideas come from Ana Homayoun’s, Social Media Wellness: Helping Tweens and Teens Thrive in an Unbalanced Digital World.
Homayoun’s book will be published in late August, and when it’s available I will share a bit more in this blog’s Good Reads section.
Our world is full of digital opportunities that seek to take over the lives of 21st Century kids (not to mention adult lives). It’s up to parents to guide children — without resorting to fear tactics — and also to help all the kids learn how to monitor themselves in order to establish a sense of equilibrium. The article by Wickard-Edds offers a basic framework that can help adults get started and manage connected world challenges.
I’ve written several blog posts here on MediaTechParenting that incorporate similar ideas about digital wellness and health including:
Media! Tech! Parenting! 