Smart Screen Time

My wife recently brought home a bag full of pinecones drenched in cinnamon. Our son was thrilled because for him this signaled the kickoff of the holiday season. Those pinecones and their not-subtle scent also got me thinking about how the holidays intentionally...

In the world of digital media, we use the word “interactivity” to make an important distinction about the ways people use screens. The first generation of screens—televisions! asked viewers to simply view and not respond to the screens in any way. During his TV show,...

  I absolutely love Halloween night when I get to sit on my front porch, feel a chill in the air (fingers crossed), and see our neighborhood come alive with visitors. There comes a point each Halloween when the crowds grow so big that they take over the streets,...

  This month, we start with a question from a parent: “I thought I was doing the right thing by reducing video time and steering my child to more interactive content like games and academic skills practice. However, I’ve noticed that my child doesn’t seem to be...

    August is upon us and the end of this long, hot summer is approaching. While the heat is likely to be with us for some time yet, our kids will soon be exiting our homes and re-entering school buildings. This means it’s a good time to bring back (or...

    I’ve recently been corrected about a long-time impression that I’ve held. Between you and me, I don’t always receive correction gracefully, but in this instance, it opened up possibilities for thinking about how media and literature can come together for...

  One of the most amazing results of the internet age is the ability to deeply investigate people and places around the globe. As you head out this summer, you can involve your children in pre-travel exploration and planning through kid-friendly travel resources,...

May is a busy month - several holidays, end-of-school-year events, sports leagues in full gear, and let’s not forget No Sock Day (May 8). All of these occasions likely add up to significant travel time, which in turn means screen time in cars for many kids. Some years...

Welcome to April, everyone, the most beautiful month in Austin. If you’re like many central Texans, you’ve already tried to maximize your time outside this spring, before the moderately hot weather turns truly hot. One characteristic of our current era that...

  If I ever go back to classroom teaching, I’m going to fully embrace making mistakes as the absolute best learning opportunity – moments for celebration, not discouragement. The scientific community has long regarded error analysis as the foundation for...

  Years ago, I read an academic study about kids and how they told stories about their lives. Frequently, their stories would borrow from movies or shows they had seen and sometimes, their stories appeared to be direct copies of those programs. The temptation at...

With the new year, everyone is talking about diet, exercise and making changes. I’m going to jump on that trend and ask you to consider your screen resolution – not the pixel count but your intentions for screen use in 2023. Parents, older siblings, and other adults...