Many parents find it hard to make decisions about screen time for their kids because advice comes from different directions and often conflicts. In the field of child development, there are decades of theory and research that can be very helpful as a guide for screen and digital device use with young kids. These ideas can be a resource for parents…

Parents need to be aware of the dangers and the opportunities the cyber world offers. Video games are being used in the classroom. Commerce is increasingly taking place online and computers are indispensable in the workplace. A cyber-oriented child possesses some great advantages. The author urges parents to become experts in the cyber world so…

This study is one of the largest and most comprehensive publicly available sources of information on the amount and nature of media use among American youth: (1) It includes a large national sample of more than 2,000 young people from across the country; (2) It covers children from ages 8 to 18, to track changes from childhood through the…

Play is essential to children's healthy development and learning, and toys are the tools of children's play. Noting that parents are constantly faced with decisions about what toys to buy and what toys to avoid, this guide is intended to help parents promote their children's creative and constructive play by making informed choices about toys, and…

Exposure to cell phones, DVD players, video games, computers, digital cameras, and iPods has made today's young people more technologically advanced than those of any previous generation. As a result, parents are now concerned that their children are spending too much time in front of the computer. In this article, the author focuses her…

Provides ideas to help parents determine whether their children are spending too much time with electronic media, noting children learn both good and bad from every device they use. Parents are encouraged to offer their children interest, support, and suggestions for alternate ways to spend their time. (SM)

Aimed at primary care physicians and nurses, educators, and parents, this book reviews media effects on adolescent behavior and psychology. The book notes that television is a powerful medium to which adolescents are uniquely susceptible and how studies have shown television's ability to shape social attitudes. Theories of how television affects…

As the federal government provides funding to wire classrooms to the Internet, software companies market educational programs even for preschoolers, and school administrators cut funding in other areas to make room for new computers, it is time to examine the impact of computer use on children. Presented in three parts, this book examines the…