Travel back in time with me to Saturday, September 7th at the EMF conference in Santa Cruz, California. That afternoon following lunch, an amazing woman spoke – standing ovation amazing.
Her name is Victoria Dunkley, MD and the title of her presentation was Screen Time and Children: A Plan for Screen Fasting. If you scroll down on this page, you will find a 5-minute video tracking a family who addresses this issue with their children. It is eye opening.
I loved her myth-busting session. Here is what she had to say:
“Myth: It all depends on what they’re doing…content matters.
Truth: Total screen time is more important that type or content. It’s the medium, not the message.
Myth: Computer time is better than TV.
Truth: Interactive screen time is more dysregulating and addictive than passive.
Myth: Everything in moderation.
Truth: Not universal – some kids really can’t handle ANY screen time.
Myth: Computer skills need to be taught early to survive in today’s world.
Truth: Computer skills are overemphasized in school and are relatively easy to learn at any age.
Myth: Educational technology is revolutionizing the way kids learn and saves schools money.
Truth: Using tech to teach is at best neutral and may be harmful. Devices in classroom impair performance. Schools with the most computer use have the lowest scores. Kids with less than 30 minutes of screen time have the highest GPAs.
Myth: New software can help kids learn to read.
Truth: E-reading hinders literacy and comprehension.
Myth: Devices help students be more efficient.
Truth: Handwriting beats laptop note taking for recall, integration, and test scores; laptops distract others.