The Huffington Post – Rebecca A. Palacios, Ph.D.
“As children look around their environment today, they are seeing not only the natural world, but also an increasingly technological world. For adults, this new world of technology makes possible instant connections between people, information, and ideas. But for parents of young children, who are often attracted to digital devices, it also raises questions and concerns about their children. Many child development experts worry that too much time passively consuming entertainment media can limit a child’s opportunities to play and interact with others, as well as contribute to health issues, such as obesity, by reducing the child’s daily movement and exercise, while offering little value in return. The good news is that there are many active and educational applications of technology that can be beneficial to children…Children need a balance of activities, including lots of physical play and movement, non-screen-based learning and reading, and healthy routines for eating, sleeping and hygiene, along with age-appropriate, education-focused screen time with adult oversight and monitoring…How do parents decide which education technology resource to use? Here are the questions I think parents should ask themselves (looking for as many yes answers as possible):”(more)