MINDFUL MEDIA: PARENTING IN A TECHNOLOGICAL AGE Resource Center for Students with Children

Discussion Today’s children are growing up immersed in all types of media, including TV, computers, smartphones, tablets, video games, etc. With technology seemingly always at our fingertips: What are your questions about media usage and your family as you enter this workshop? 6-6:05 Write on white board

The Effects of Media on the Brain Mindful Parenting

Negative Effects of Screen Time Thousands of studies support the idea that kids are healthier and better adjusted and perform better in school when they don’t get too much time watching TV or playing video games and computer games, which we call “screen time.” Studies have linked excessive television viewing (and sometimes video games) with: Poor performance in school, especially in language and reading. Less imaginative ability. Problems focusing. Sleep pattern disturbances. Excess weight. Poor planning and judgment. Tendency to resort to violence to solve problems. 6:05-6:20 Slides 3-9

Weight and Screen Time Each hour of TV viewing by school-age kids is associated with 167 additional calories. Just one hour of TV viewing daily is associated with higher consumption of fast food, sweets, chips, and pizza. Two or more hours of TV viewing daily is associated with significant likelihood of overweight among 3-year-olds. Children with TV in their bedrooms snack more than those without. Television and social media project unhealthy body images which can lead to body dysmorphia

Screen Time and Violence Children typically witness 10,000 acts of violence on TV each year. 61 percent of TV shows include violence. Heavy TV watching at age 4 correlates with bullying behavior between ages 6 and 11. Early grade school children exposed to TV violence were more violent adults 15 years later.

5 Ways Social Media is Changing our Brains

Discussion Thinking about how social media impacts our brains, what do think is happening in the brains of our children as they engage with social media?

Media & the Developing Brain Media impacts social, psychological, and physiological development Humans develop empathy through face-to-face interactions With increased screen time, we see decreased empathy skills, shorter attention spans, and more difficulties in staying on task From a young age, we are conditioned to expect constant stimulation and quick payoff. Even short term exposure to TV can cause measurable learning differences. Because kids are still building neural pathways, the more TV they watch, the harder it becomes to maintain focus and attention. Humans develop empathy through face-to-face interactions (it’s how we learn to relate to one another, decode signals about how others are feeling, and respond to those feelings). FTF interactions are the basis for communication and relationships with others.

Health Effects of Media on Children & Adolescents 6:20-6-30

Health Effects 95% of 12 to 17-year-olds regularly access the internet. Almost 75% of youth access is through a smartphone, of which teens send around 3,000 texts per month. 25% of teens describe themselves as “constantly connected” to the internet, and spend an average of 7.5 hours a day with various media. Those with TV’s in their bedrooms spend an additional two hours on average, and increase their risk of being overweight by 31%. 76% of teens use at least one social media site. More than 70 % of teens visit multiple social media sites, such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. By the age of 18, the average person has seen over 200,000 acts of violence on television alone. 4 of 5 households own a device used to play video games. A strong predictor of youth and children’s heavy media use is heavy parent media use. While we may think of TV/Video games as downtime, neurologically they are anything but. The amygdala is simply not good at differentiating between real life danger and imaginary danger. So, your child is in fight, flight, or freeze mode the entire time he’s playing a video game or watching TV (may not be as extreme, but it is still activation of the same mechanism). The more he plays, the more established those neural pathways become – the effects are cumulative. The results could include weakened attention span and impulse control, or even aggressive behavior. Kaiser Family Foundation study: p. 68 – increase in child media usage/multitasking “From a neurological perspective, it’s a disaster (prefrontal cortex sitting idle while the amygdala is getting stimulated over and over again (from media alone, our kids spend between 53 and 75 hours a week in fight, flight, or freeze)

Content & Connection Mindful Parenting

Caillou

Spongebob

Group Discussion What do you notice about the content, visuals, and pace of each of these clips? How might these two shows impact children differently? 6:30-6:45

Screens can activate our fight, flight, or freeze stress response When we watch TV, our prefrontal cortex sits idle while the amygdala is on alert Screens can activate our fight, flight, or freeze stress response Kaiser Family Foundation study found children spend between 53 to 75 hours a week in FFF from media alone “The amygdala is simply not good at differentiating between real life danger and imaginary danger. So, your child is in fight, flight, or freeze mode the entire time he’s playing this game (may not be as extreme, but it is still activation of the same mechanism). The more he plays, the more established those neural pathways become – the effects are cumulative. The results could include weakened attention span and impulse control, or even more aggressive behavior.” “Remember, your brain wants you focused on the task at hand if you’re experiencing potential danger (even if the danger is Squidward yelling at SpongeBob). When we experience the orienting response, our gamma brain waves (waves that help us focus) essentially flatline. Because Kids are still building these neural pathways, the more television they watch, the harder it becomes for them to maintain focus and attention.”

Content and Connection Not all screens are the same, as not all content is the same Use a website such as commonsensemedia.com to screen content. The quality of content is more important than the platform or time spent with media. Prioritize how time is spent rather than simply setting a timer. Play a videogame with your kids. Family participation with media facilitates social interactions and learning. Choose TV shows that may facilitate family discussion and watch them together. It’s not only the content of TV or games that matter, but what your children are being exposed to on social media sites, as well.

Developmentally Appropriate Media Mindful Parenting

Setting Limits: Developmentally Appropriate Screen Time 6:45-6:55 Have you tried to regulate your kids media usage before? What happened when you did? Set limits. Kids need and expect them.

Developmentally Appropriate Media for Infants & Toddlers (Ages 0-5) Infants and Toddlers under age 2 need hands-on exploration and social interaction with trusted caregivers to develop their cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional skills. Under age 2, media is linked with language delays. Because of their immature symbolic, memory, and attention skills, they cannot learn from traditional media as they do from interactions with other people. For children under age 2, evidence of the benefits of media is very limited, but there continues to be evidence of harm from excessive digital media use. Don’t feel pressured to introduce technology early. Kids will pick up use quickly. If you introduce media, watch high-quality programming with them, as they learn from watching and talking with you. Avoid solo media use. Avoid using media as a way to calm your child, as this could lead to inability to develop emotional regulation skills.

Developmentally Appropriate Media for School-Aged Children and Adolescents The effects of media are multifactorial and depend on: Type of media Type of media use (interactive vs noninteractive) Individual characteristics of your child It is recommended that parents develop personal media plans for each of their children that attend to their individual age, health, temperament, and developmental stage. Place consistent limits on hours per day and type used. Promote daily recommended physical activity of 1 hour and adequate sleep (8-12 hours depending on age). Discourage media while doing homework and have media-free family time and locations.

Address what type of and how much media are used and what media behaviors are appropriate for each child or teenager, and for parents. Place consistent limits on hours per day of media use as well as types of media used. Recommend that children not sleep with devices in their bedrooms, including TVs, computers, and smartphones. Avoid exposure to devices or screens for 1 hour before bedtime. Discourage entertainment media while doing homework. Designate media-free times together (eg, family dinner) and media-free locations (eg, bedrooms) in homes. Promote activities that are likely to facilitate developmental and health, including positive parenting activities, such as reading, teaching, talking, and playing together. Communicate guidelines to other caregivers, such as babysitters or grandparents, so that media rules are followed consistently. Engage in selecting and co-viewing media with your child, through which your child can use media to learn and be creative, and share these experiences with your family and your community. Have ongoing communication with children about online citizenship and safety, including treating others with respect online and offline, avoiding cyberbullying and sexting, being wary of online solicitation, and avoiding communications that can compromise personal privacy and safety. Actively develop a network of trusted adults (eg, aunts, uncles, coaches, etc) who can engage with children through social media and to whom children can turn when they encounter challenges.

Discussion: Limit Setting How do you decide how much and what type of media is appropriate for your family? Have you ever tried setting limits to media use in your household? What has happened? How does your family make decisions regarding media use? 6:45-6:55

The Benefits of Unplugging Mindful Parenting

Why is it good to unplug? Reduces risk of obesity Improvement in sleep and school performance Less risk of problematic internet use Promotes healthier eating and less weight gain Media multitasking while engaged in academic tasks can have negative consequences on learning Media use has the potential to increase adolescent’s exposure to and normalize high risk health behaviors (i.e. cigarettes, alcohol, self-injury, and disordered eating) Reduced risk of cyberbullying, sexting, and online solicitation 6:55-7:05

Discussion What are some of the other benefits of unplugging?

Parent Modeling and Engagement Reflect on your own media usage. How often do you use screens? Are you ever or often using one or more screens to multitask? Are you setting the type of example you’d like regarding media usage? Social media can provide positive social experiences, and opportunities for parents to connect with their children. Unfortunately, sometimes parents can be distracted by media and miss important opportunities for emotional connections with their children that are known to improve children’s health. Parental engagement is critical in children’s social and emotional development.

Media Alternatives Mindful Parenting

Media Alternatives Create a family media plan: Where is media allowed in your home? When? How long is media used? Set device curfews. Diversify your media. Research and choose media worth your time. Co-view/co-play and discuss media with your children. Limit “background media”. Does the TV need to be on if no one is watching? What alternative activities will we do instead of screen time? Create tech-free zones or tech-free times of day by preserving family mealtime or charging devices overnight outside of your child’s room. Discuss ongoing media citizenry. How do you present online? Be safe users. What ideas seem most realistic for you and your family? If your children are old enough, consider including them in your planning. 7:05-7:15

MINDFUL PARENTING IN A TECHNOLOGICAL AGE HOMEWORK MINDFUL PARENTING IN A TECHNOLOGICAL AGE

Choose your adventure: Hang Up and Hang Out OR Develop and implement a Family Media Plan Develop and implement an After-School Screen Time Plan Have a Screen Time Reduction Challenge for your family