Children Technology And Healthy Development

How can adults keep children safe and healthy online now and in the future? How can we thrive alongside technology? This highly accessible book unpacks the latest psychological research, attachment theory and neurobiology to offer parents and professionals insight into how technology impacts children’s development and how to navigate our lives online. Catherine Knibbs shares her extensive experience to reveal what we know about human behaviour in cyberspace, and particularly that of children using devices, consoles and social media platforms. She offers deeper understanding of how and why children engage online and shows parents and professionals how, rather than being overwhelmed by the dangers and pathologies of cyberspace, we can learn to support children in using technology healthily. She covers key topics including social media use and abuse, impact of screen time, issues around gaming and extreme behaviours online. By the end of this book you will be able to understand your child better, and have an understanding of what is happening in their minds, brains and bodies in relation to the technological and digital world. Children, Technology and Healthy Development is for all parents, and professionals in psychology, education, social care and the police who are concerned with understanding how we support children in an online world. It will also be valuable reading for those in tech design interested in the impact of technology on the developing human.

A Harvard-trained psychiatrist and mom of 3 gives parents and educators the tech habits children need to achieve their full potential--and a 6-step plan to put them into action. You may have picked up on some warning signs: The more your 9-year-old son plays video games, the more distracted and irritable he becomes. Or maybe comparing her life to others on social media is leaving your teenaged daughter feeling down. Then there are the questions that are always looming: Should I limit screen time? Should I give my 11-year-old an iPhone? The Tech Solution is a to-the-point resource for parents and educators who want the best approach for raising kids in our digital world. It outlines all you need to know about the short-term and potential long-term consequences of tech use. Dr. Kang simplifies cutting edge neuroscience to reveal a new understanding around how we metabolize experiences with technology that will lay the foundation for lasting success. On top of that, she offers practical advice for tackling specific concerns in the classroom or at home, whether it's possible tech addiction, anxiety, cyberbullying, or loneliness. With her 6-week 6-step plan for rebalancing your family's tech diet, Dr. Kang will help your child build healthy habits and make smart choices that will maximize the benefits of tech and minimize its risks. Use The Tech Solution to help your child avoid the pitfalls of today's digital world and to offer them guidance that will boost their brains and bodies, create meaningful connections, explore creative pursuits, and foster a sense of contribution and empowerment for many years to come.

Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.

The Internet can be a scary, dangerous place especially for children. This book shows parents how to help digital kids navigate this environment. Sexting, cyberbullying, revenge porn, online predators…all of these potential threats can tempt parents to snatch the smartphone or tablet out of their children’s hands. While avoidance might eliminate the dangers, that approach also means your child misses out on technology’s many benefits and opportunities. In Raising Humans in a Digital World, digital literacy educator Diana Graber shows how children must learn to handle the digital space through: developing social-emotional skills balancing virtual and real life building safe and healthy relationships avoiding cyberbullies and online predators protecting personal information identifying and avoiding fake news and questionable content becoming positive role models and leaders Raising Humans in a Digital World is packed with at-home discussion topics and enjoyable activities that any busy family can slip into their daily routine. Full of practical tips grounded in academic research and hands-on experience, today’s parents finally have what they’ve been waiting for—a guide to raising digital kids who will become the positive and successful leaders our world desperately needs.

Cyberbullying. Pornography. Inappropriate texting. Anxiety. Depression. Screen addiction. Families, worldwide, are grappling with the Herculean task of tackling technology with their kids. "Should your kids have their own cell phone?" "What rules, consequences, rewards do you set up?" "How do you protect them from getting addicted to video games and social media?" "How can you shield them from pornography?" Parents need a strategy, a workable plan to help them navigate technology while strengthening their bond with their kids. Creating a Tech-Healthy Family gives you the tools, resources, and the points of discussion to create your Family Technology Plan so you can create healthy tech boundaries and feel more confident in your ability to raise children in a digital world. Inside, you'll discover how to host Family Tech Discussions to: Build sensible boundaries when using technology as a family. Create a Family Tech Plan to be more intentional about screen use. Set screen time rules and guidelines that work for your family. Answer the "Can I have a cellphone?" or "Can I have a smartphone?" question with confidence. Learn and practice self-awareness around social media, gaming, video streaming. Stay safe online from predators, bullies, and pornography. Practice healthy, screen-free recharging as a family. "Andrea is a masterful teacher. [The discussion guides in this book] inspire collaboration, conversation, and accountability. Her work has changed my family, and I know it will change yours too." -Rachel Nielson, mother of two and podcaster at 3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms "We've felt very strongly about limiting screens and using them wisely, but I kind of struggled with how to get everyone on board and keep them on board. We've known to be intentional. We've known to have restrictions. And we've known to protect our family from the dangers. But we were struggling with buy-in and this has helped so much!" -Steven and Sarah Harward, parents of four "I love having this resource-it's helping me navigate the challenges we are facing and will face [with technology in our home]. I love the research behind the information presented and the short, clear lesson [plans]. I also appreciate having ways to personalize our technology plan for our family's needs." -Danielle Porter, mother of six

How children engage with technology at each stage of development, from toddler to twentysomething, and how they can best be supported. What happens to the little ones, the tweens, and the teenagers, when technology—ubiquitous in the world they inhabit—becomes a critical part of their lives? This timely book brings much-needed clarity to what we know about technology’s role in child development. Better yet, it provides guidance on how to use what we know to help children of all ages make the most of their digital experiences. From toddlers who are exploring their immediate environment to twentysomethings who are exploring their place in society, technology inevitably and profoundly affects their development. Drawing on her expertise in developmental science and design research, Katie Davis describes what happens when child development and technology design interact, and how this interaction is complicated by children’s individual characteristics and social and cultural contexts. Critically, she explains how a self-directed experience of technology—one initiated, sustained, and ended voluntarily—supports healthy child development, especially when it takes place within the context of community support. Children’s experiences with technology—their “screen time” and digital social relationships—have become an inescapable aspect of growing up. This book, for the first time, identifies the qualitative distinctions between different ages and stages of this engagement, and offers invaluable guidance for parents and teachers navigating the digital landscape, and for technology designers charting the way.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a forceful reminder that education plays an important role in delivering not just academic learning, but also in supporting physical and emotional well-being. Balancing traditional “book learning” with broader social and personal development means new roles for schools and education more generally.

Children are the foundation of the United States, and supporting them is a key component of building a successful future. However, millions of children face health inequities that compromise their development, well-being, and long-term outcomes, despite substantial scientific evidence about how those adversities contribute to poor health. Advancements in neurobiological and socio-behavioral science show that critical biological systems develop in the prenatal through early childhood periods, and neurobiological development is extremely responsive to environmental influences during these stages. Consequently, social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors significantly affect a child's health ecosystem and ability to thrive throughout adulthood. Vibrant and Healthy Kids: Aligning Science, Practice, and Policy to Advance Health Equity builds upon and updates research from Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity (2017) and From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development (2000). This report provides a brief overview of stressors that affect childhood development and health, a framework for applying current brain and development science to the real world, a roadmap for implementing tailored interventions, and recommendations about improving systems to better align with our understanding of the significant impact of health equity.