On March 19, we will host Devorah Heitner, Ph.D., author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive and Survive in Their Digital World for workshops with students in grades five to eight and an evening presentation for parents at 6:30 p.m. In preparation for the workshop we invite you to check out this podcast from NPR’s Life Kit parenting series.
In the podcast, Dr. Heitner meets with a family who was struggling with their children’s intense devotion to their digital devices. This family was brave enough to let her, along with NPR’s Anya Kamenetz, into their home to meet them and their 5-, 11- and 14-year old children who had some great insights on the role digital devices play in their lives. You may recognize your own family in aspects of their experiences. While there was no magic fix for all of the issues experienced by this family, just having the conversation seems to have set them on a path to more intentional approaches.