parents and technology – Page 65 – Media! Tech! Parenting!

cell phones, interesting research, parents and technology, risky behavior

Technology and Sleep

Posted on March 8, 2011February 28, 2015 by Marti Weston

sleep report pic2 — Click to see one-page report profile.

Parents need to be vigilant about the amount of sleep their children get each night. In fact everyone in a family needs to be aware that pre-bedtime gadget habits may decrease the quality of nighttime sleep.

Technology gadgets, computers, television sets, even glowing alarm clocks and radios, are interrupting sleep patterns according to a Reuters article, Not Getting Enough Sleep? Turn off Technology. The article reports on the Sleep in America poll (full 76 page report), carried out by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). The poll surveyed 1,508 people, ages 13 – 64. Click on the image at the top left to see a one-page summary of sleep habits for all age groups.

Part of the problem is that people stare at very bright screens just before bed or go to bed with glowing screens surrounding them. Another issue is that people, including adolescents and teens, leave devices on at night while they are sleeping so phone calls and text messages often interrupt sleep. This is risky behavior for everyone, but especially for adolescents who need sleep to learn effectively and grow.

Findings for Students Age 13 – 18 Include Continue reading “Technology and Sleep” →

cultural changes, digital citizenship, digital devices and gadgets, family conversations, parents and technology

5 Tech-Free Times for Families

Posted on March 6, 2011April 6, 2015 by Marti Weston

I am reading Sherry Turkle’s book, Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Ourselves. Turkle is a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Last Friday she was Ira Flatow’s guest on the NPR’s Science Friday program. Professor Turkle explained how she interviewed more than 300 children and teens who described feeling immense frustration when their parents use technology gadgets at the same time they are supposed to be interacting with their kids.

The Alone Together author, quoted in a January 31, 2011 Washington Post article, AnyBody: Parents are Ignoring their Children for their BlackBerry, points out, “It’s now children who are complaining about their parents’ habits…” During the Science Friday interview Turkle identified five times when children want their parents to put away their phones, Blackberries, and other gadgets and to pay attention. They include: Continue reading “5 Tech-Free Times for Families” →

digital citizenship, gadget ownership, parents and technology

Generations and Their Gadgets – from Pew

Posted on March 5, 2011March 20, 2019 by Marti Weston

Pew-Internet--Generations-and-Gadgets — Click for a larger copy.

The Pew Internet and American Life Project just published (Feb 3, 2011) Generations and Their Gadgets (overview). Researchers surveyed 3001 Americans in late 2010 and discovered a lot about how technology tools and gadgets are used. Click on the image on the right to get a larger image of the summary chart.

I often think about how members of my family use computers, laptops, cell phones. Our three generations are a microcosm of gadget world users. Are we average? Do we have more gadgets or fewer? I don’t know.

My mother (83) uses a Dell desktop and occasionally a Dell laptop. My dad (87) uses a Dell laptop and an iPad. They have a cell phone and a landline and are contemplating removing the landline. Mom e-mails a lot, Dad a little.
My husband and I have a desktop, a couple of laptops, an iPad, an iPhone, a Blackberry, and a basic cell phone. I text, he does not. We both e-mail a lot. We, too, are contemplating removing the landline.
My daughter and her husband have all of the above, but more of them, as well as iPods and two iPhones. They text most of the time and e-mail much less Their house does not have a landline.

My Thoughts After Reading the Pew Report Continue reading “Generations and Their Gadgets – from Pew” →

cultural changes, digital citizenship, digital parenting, parents and technology, social media, social networking, technology changes

Video – How Social Networking is Changing Our World

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Marti Weston

Watch this interesting video that shares a lot about how fast social networking has moved into our world and how rapidly it’s changing the way people interact, work, and play.

Go to the Socialnomics website to see sources of the information, statistics, and data.

You may need to turn down the music.

digital citizenship, digital parenting, leaving comments online, parents and technology

The 10 Commandments of Commenting — Positively Rephrased

Posted on March 1, 2011September 27, 2015 by Marti Weston

You may also want to read my post, Conversations on Commenting.

A Few Etiquette Pointers Rewritten for Students and Their Parents
(or The 10 Commandments of Commenting, positively rephrased.)

All comments leave digital footprints — any comment posted at a website will be accessible for years.
Be specific and demonstrate with your comment that you have a genuine interest in the topic.
If you disagree, that’s fine, but include at least a bit of constructive criticism.
You may share something about yourself, but avoid blatant self-promotion.
Stay on topic. Brevity is good.
The quality of your language counts. Do you want your digital footprints to include obscene and foul language or rude and disrespectful information?
If you just want to say you like the post or article, use the like or share link.
A comment is a piece of writing and the comment writer is the author.
All of the comments that you leave will become a part of your digital dossier.
It’s your writing. What conclusions will people draw about you when they read your comment?

If you want to use a copy of this post, click on the image at right to download the PDF. Instructions for attribution are on the document.

answers to media questions, family conversations, media literacy, parents and technology

Talking to Children About the News

Posted on February 28, 2011February 28, 2011 by Marti Weston

News saturates our world. The electronic media makes small events large and dramatic events frightening. Moreover, with around-the-clock media coverage, many news stories feel like they will never end. Read Facts for Families: Children and the News, at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry website.

So what should parents do to help children process news, especially when a frightening or dramatic event is relentlessly covered in the media? Continue reading “Talking to Children About the News” →

digital parenting, family conversations, parents and technology, privacy

More on Facebook Privacy

Posted on February 26, 2011February 26, 2011 by Marti Weston

According to the LA Times Technology Blog, Facebook is again updating its privacy policies. The February 25, 2011 post, Facebook Rolls Out Test Version of Simplified Privacy Policy, describes how the company is testing a simplified, maybe even one-page version. The company will be seeking feedback from Facebook users.

Read the information about new privacy guidelines posted on Facebook’s site.

As soon as children begin using computers, parents can begin to introduce the concept of online privacy, and these conversations focusing on privacy and social networking should continue throughout a child’s pre-adolescent and teenage years. Ongoing discussions can help children understand the power of the digital footprints they leave as they engage in web-based work and play.

Other Places to Read about the Facebook Privacy Updates