This assignment began by reading 8 empirical articles, press releases, and reports surrounding the topic of internet use and screen time on the well being of children and adolescents. Following this, we had to imagine that a family friend or relative asks us for scientifically-based advice about whether the Internet is re-wiring their child’s brain, the best amount of screen time their child should experience, and whether the parent should be a limiter, enabler, or mentor to their child’s use of the Internet, based on all of the articles we read. Finally, we had to construct a discussion board post in the form of an email, identifying which age this hypothetical child has, and answering the family friend’s 3 questions based on that age, and referring to the articles we had read.
The first article was a UNICEF abstract, and basically detailed that digital technology can help children’s social relationships. It also explains that neuroscience evidence challenges the idea that the internet has hijacked children’s brains.
The second scholarly article was by Mills, and the main point was essentially that internet use is unlikely to cause major brain changes. It is not “re-wiring” the brain.
The third article was another research abstract which suggested that moderate amounts of screen time were related to greater effects, such as better emotional attachment with parents. Lower and higher screen time use were associated with worse outcomes.
The next article explains that parents should be involved in actively exploring the online world with their kids, as it is more important than screen time. It claims that limiting screen time does not actually bring more positive outcomes for children.
The next read was an abstract from APS, and explained that for adolescents, moderate use of digital technology may be associated with positive outcomes. This is a similar finding to the third article, but this time relating to older children.
Next, an Oxford press release explained that the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) screen use guidelines were tested, and no correlations were found between the limits and the well being of children.
After this, the takeaway from a Pew Research Center article was that teenagers who are online all the time are just as likely to connect with their peers when they aren’t online. It can help them get through hard life occurrences, make them feel more connected, and have other positive outcomes.
The final article described 3 kinds of parents in terms of how screen time is monitored. Enablers allow their kids to use their screens all the time. Limiters try to cap screen time to a very small amount. Mentors guide their children’s internet use. The article provided statistics about what these different groups do and how it can effect the children.
My discussion board email is included below, and does a good job at summarizing some of the key findings from the articles, and what I suggest for the hypothetical child.
Dear family friend,
Thank you for taking the time to reach out to me about screen time and the internet. I understand that your child is an adolescent, and you are trying to look out for what is best for him. I will do my best to answer all of your questions in this email.
First, you asked me whether the internet is re-wiring your child’s brain. An article by Kathryn Mills aimed specifically at adolescents described that “Major brain changes, akin to what is suggested by the phrase ‘rewiring the brain’ are unlikely”. The article suggests that genetic factors have much more influence on changes in brain structure in this period of life than environmental influences such as internet use. From this example, it seems fairly clear that the internet is not making major changes in your adolescent child’s brain.
Second, you asked what the best amount of screen time for your child to experience is. According to a study by Przybylski, with a sample size of over 120,000, “moderate use of digital technology is not intrinsically harmful and may be advantageous in a connected world”. An article by the University of Oxford that describes the research echoes this notion, stating that “moderate screen-use above the recommended limits might actually be linked to slightly higher levels of children’s wellbeing”. It explains that there is no support for the theory that screen use is inherently bad for well-being.
Finally, you asked if you should be a limiter, enabler, or mentor to your child’s use of the Internet, and an article we read by Samuels suggests that being a mentor may be the best choice for you. It states that “Mentors, in fact, may be the parents who are most successful in preparing their kids for a world filled with screens, working actively to shape their kids’ online skills and experiences”. Being a mentor includes talking with your child on how to responsibly use the internet, and connecting with your kid through technology, among other things. On the contrary, being a limiter can lead children to participate in problematic behavior, which is something you wouldn’t want.
I hope you find this information to be helpful! This course is teaching me lots of information about the effects of the internet, so let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks,
Nicholas Abbs
Reflecting on this assignment, I thought it was pretty cool to read about the different types of parents when it comes to monitoring their children’s screen time. I knew that there were differences in this, but I did not realize there were distinct categories that existed, and that there was much research done on the topic. It was cool to learn about this, and allowed me to realize what type of parent I want to be…. a mentor.
Additionally, it was nice to read all of those articles that describe that capping screen time is not necessarily helpful. The generation of adults who are currently parents has always been so focused on trying to keep people off of technology, and talking about how too much time with screens can only lead to bad things. However, it is nice to know that limiting screen time does not usually make things better. Obviously, too much use can lead to some negative things, but moderate amounts are a positive thing!
It was interesting to write my discussion board post in the format of an email. We had done this once or twice before, but not commonly, so it mixes things up. It adds a personal touch, as if I am really communicating with someone, rather than just making a post. This influenced me to put more time and effort into the assignment, to make sure it was done well.
I think that the amount of articles included was not necessarily essential because they reinforced similar points. However, they each brought something new to the table, even if it was minor, so I don’t have any real complaints. Reading similar material allowed me to make sure I really understood the main points of the assignment.
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