It can be overwhelming trying to navigate this world of technology.
Here are several recommendations for books, websites, and podcasts to help you find the latest research and practical guidelines.
Book Recommendations On Screen Time
Indistractable by Nir Eyal
Indistractable is one of my all-time favorite books about managing personal media use. Nir Eyal provides helpful tips to avoid the distractions of technology without completely removing it from your life.
Media Maze by Eric Rasmussen
Media Maze is my favorite book for parents helping their children. It provides research-backed information for parents, but it is not boring to read as Eric Rasmussen includes personal examples and stories. I came away with some better ideas of how to empower my children rather than just try to shelter them from all of the negative influences that can come from media.
How to Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price
Catherine Price includes the impact of smartphones as well as a 30-day plan to create a better relationship with your phone.
The Power of Fun by Catherine Price
In this book, Catherine Price talks about why having fun is crucial and how to make it happen in your life. She addresses how screen time and phones are one of the biggest interferences we face to having true fun.
The Art of Screen Time by Anya Kamenetz
This is the next book on my to-read list, but based on the description this book resonates most with my views on screens and technology as Anya Kamenetz turns to research to provide a more balanced approach to screen time.
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
This one was a little extreme for me, but Cal Newport provides some helpful insights about how to live more intentionally without letting technology control your life.
Deep Work by Cal Newport
Although this book doesn’t specifically focus on screen time, Cal Newport shares why it is so important to develop this skill of deep focus and how to do so.
Parenting in the Screen Age by Delaney Ruston
This book intended for parents of older kids is written by an M.D. and filmmaker, Delaney Ruston.
Places to Find Research-Based Guidelines
American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics provides resources, research, and articles relating to kids and media.
As an extension of the American Academy of Pediatrics healthychildren.org includes a section on media with several different articles relating to media and kids.
American Psychological Association
The APA provides research-based guidance on several different topics including kids and screens.
Tech-Wise Littles is my favorite resource for parents with kids under 5 years old. They provide research-based, guilt-free, practical guidance for handling screens with little ones.
Better Screen Time is my favorite resource for parents of teenagers. They provide research-based resources to help you create a tech-healthy family.
Elizabeth Milovidov, the digital parenting coach, is an excellent guide for parents with kids of any age. She provides a balanced approach and has several different resources depending on your need.
Dr. Cara Goodwin is a mom and licensed psychologist that makes research easy to understand. She focuses on more than just screens, but she is a fabulous resource.
The Boston Children’s Hospital Digital Wellness Lab’s mission is to “seek to understand and promote wellness in the digital age.”
I want to make it clear from the beginning that I do not agree with everything found on Common Sense Media. However, they do provide research about the impact of media on kids as well as in-depth information about the content of shows. As is true of anything, everyone has different standards so make sure to look into the content of the show to decide if it is appropriate for your children (and you) rather than simply trust the website’s recommendations.
Emily Cherkin, the screen time consultant, helps families become tech-intentional.
Delaney Ruston is an M.D. and filmmaker. She created two documentaries about navigating the digital world, wrote the book Parenting in the Screen Age, and hosts the Screenagers Podcast.
Screen Time Guide for Parents from MyVision.org
To better educate parents and caregivers, MyVision (a free digital resource led by expert ophthalmologists and optometrists to provide trusted information on eye health and vision) recently published a guide to screen time for parents where they cover things like problems screens can cause, suggested screen time limits by age, teaching digital literacy, and more!
