It’s increasingly impossible to deny the tremendous costs of our kids’ wired lives. Yet, we must understand why such lives put our kids at risk if we are to provide them positive alternatives. In this Huffington Post article, I illustrate how one particular factor–hiding in plain sight–is taking the greatest toll on kids. I also highlight concrete steps to make a better life for your child.
Read the Huffington Post article here.
Cam Adair is the founder of Game Quitters, a powerful resource for helping parents and kids understand and lessen the impact of video game overuse and addiction. His knowledge of tech and gaming and how it affects children and families are clearly apparent during our talk. I hope you enjoy.
Bill Gates recently declared that he and his wife, Melinda, provide remarkably strong phone limits for their own children–much like Steve Jobs provided firm tech rules for his kids. In the Huffington Post, I appeal to Bill and Melinda to use their incredible influence to help America’s parents set screen and phone limits. That’s because Microsoft and other tech companies use powerful strategies to thwart good parents’ efforts to raise healthy kids.
Read the Huffington Post article here.
What do the Obamas know about raising kids in a digital age that most American parents don’t? In this Huffington Post article, I highlight the low-tech parenting the President and First Lady have provided their daughters. I also reveal how Malia and Sasha’s top-notch school makes life much easier for parents by encouraging all families in its community to set strong tech limits at home.
Are we beginning to wake up to the tragic consequences of kids living their lives on devices at the expense of engaging with family, school, and other needed developmental experiences? I believe we are, and I write about it in this Huffington Post article.
Parenting today is as confusing as ever. Remarkably, what matters most to kids are factors that some consider old fashioned. In this Huffington Post article, I describe why it’s time to get back to the basics of raising kids.
The mother’s story of her video-game-addicted son in this CNN article and video clip (linked below) is both tragic and compelling. He is much like the children and teens I see in my clinical practice: capable, intelligent kids who are dragged away from an interest in family and school by the lure of gaming.
As described by Iowa State professor Dr. Douglas Gentile in this article and video clip, game addiction is increasingly common, estimated at 8.5% of young gamers. Unfortunately, the substantial risks of this problem are under recognized by parents who often aren’t aware of its impact before purchasing their kids game players, phones, and other devices. The consequences are life-changing for both addicted children and their families. Addicted kids frequently fail school, become depressed, have thoughts of hurting themselves, and can act out violently when parents attempt to set limits.
Treating game-addicted kids is a difficult process for both children and their families, as the addiction hijacks young brains and denies kids the insight to recognize their life is falling apart (“You’re the one with the problem mom!”). The behavior changes in addicted kids are also so profound that it leads many parents to say, “That’s not my child.”
I encourage you to learn more about video game addiction and to take actions to prevent your children or those you care for from developing the problem.
View the CNN article and video here.
Melanie Hempe of Families Managing Media describes the hazards video game overuse and addiction poses to the college-bound. Her tips are remarkably helpful to parents whose young adults are headed to school in the fall.
The Huffington Post published Dr. Freed’s article on popular myths that are denying preteens and teens the families they need to live happy, productive lives. The article describes how we can keep our kids close amidst today’s challenges.
Read the Huffington Post article here.
Interviewed in this New York Times’ article, I raise questions about how the gaming craze of Pokémon Go will affect children. Will it teach kids to appreciate nature, or have them disappointed that there really aren’t game characters hiding behind trees?
Tim Walker of the National Education Association (NEA) interviewed me for this article on the possible upsides and downsides of phones in school. I believe there is an important choice to be made.
Dr. Richard Freed is featured on this Scalar Learning podcast. In this episode, he describes how video game addiction undermines children’s academic success.
The forces pushing to get phones out of school are powerful, as I describe in this Huffington Post article.
Read the Huffington Post article here.
The Atlantic published teacher and writer Paul Barnwell’s powerful article on the effects of phones in the classroom.
Read the Atlantic article here.