On Thursday, May 30, Ross Parker led a talk for parents inspired by his recent book, “Screens That Eat Children.” This event took place at Carmel School and also featured opening remarks by Carmel Principal Rachel Friedmann. Nearly 100 parents attended.
Ross’ talk focused on sharing his experiences as an educator and parent, following his journey from a technologist passionate about the potential of technology to inspire young people all the way to more of a technology skeptic, especially around the impact of smartphones and similar technologies. He shared specific examples of how smartphones can harm children’s development and also practical guidelines parents can implement at home to reduce the negative impact of screens on their children.
Specifically, he highlighted how the portable nature of more recent screens (such as laptops, iPads, video game consoles, and smartphones) make them particularly dangerous for children. He suggested that parents could help children have more balance by keeping these screens in areas like the living room and away from bedrooms. Additionally, he shared about the powerful, addictive algorithms that drive technology such as smartphones, social media, and video games. Evidence is mounting about the impact of these technologies on children and teenagers’ mental health, and schools and parents must do more to protect children in their care.
Ross also shared his experiences giving his teenage son more freedom in the real world – to ride his bike, to run errands for the family. In order to support our children having meaningful lives away from smartphones, we should work to give them well-scaffolded freedom outside in the community. Ensuring that we support our children in having adequate rest, time in nature, and time to play is essential so that they can develop as well functioning adults who will be able to thrive in a connected, digital world.
Ross also shared ways that schools can support parents – and how parents can support schools – in supporting children’s learning and healthy development. Ultimately, we must work together to help change the culture around smartphone and social media use among children and teenagers.
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