Their Own Devices

Parents today are raising children in a new digital environment and medical research demonstrates that the use of interactive digital technology affects kids’ behavior and development. Parents need to be conscious of exactly how kids are changed by screens. On this episode, Marc and David explore how digital technologies influence kids with one of the senior-most experts in this field, Dr. Michael Rich, Founder and Director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Boston Children’s Hospital and Professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Rich explains in plain language what parents need to know about the influence of interactive media, violent video games, smartphones and social media on kids.

Social media and engaging online are part of being a kid today, but just one post, tweet or text can get a student suspended or expelled, ruin friendships, impact future job opportunities, or influence college admissions. Right or wrong, a single, split-second digital decision can damage a teen’s reputation and permanently impact a child’s digital footprint. This is a lot of pressure for an adolescent, who is just trying to navigate the high school years and all that goes with it. As parents, we need to help our kids understand that their digital reputation is important and that what they do online matters. On this episode Marc and David explore the complex issues around online reputation with Diana Graber, Cofounder of Cyberwise, a leading online safety and digital literacy organization, and author of Raising Humans in a Digital World.

Produced by The Podglomerate.

The Internet didn't create hate speech. But the digital world has transformed its reach, volume and dangerous tone in unprecedented ways. It's only a matter of time before our kids encounter cyber hate. When it does surface, we want them to be prepared. On this episode Marc and David discuss the proliferation of cyber hate with Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), one of the most respected civil rights organizations in the country, which operates the ADL Center on Technology & Society to help tackle this online epidemic.

When our kids start dating, it opens up a whole new world of challenges for parents. It always has. But today teen romance comes with a unique set of digital challenges and information-age risks. Whether it’s your son or daughter, you want them to have a positive experience. To be supportive parents, we need to understand how our kids communicate, meet potential romantic interests, flirt, date, and even break up. On this episode, Marc and David chat with two teens, Haley and Ben, about the significant role technology, apps, and social media play in their lives and their relationships.

Produced by The Podglomerate.

Giving kids the freedom to explore, push boundaries, and make mistakes – while still keeping them safe – is a parenting challenge as old as time. But the stakes get especially high –and complicated – when those mistakes are happening on the Internet. Are you a strict parent with unyielding rules about screen time? Are you more hands-off when it comes to trusting your kids with tech? A lot of this depends on your kids and your values. This week, Marc and David talk with two mothers – Adaeze Enekwechi and Lael Bellamy – who have very different parenting styles when it comes to technology, but have more in common than you may think.

Produced by The Podglomerate.