Nuanced thinking about children's media use is needed

What is it about?

Technology is changing the lives of children and families. In this article, we explore new, cutting-edge research that moves beyond a simple focus on how long children are on screens. More nuance is needed when thinking about how today's families and children are using technology in the real world and the research introduced in this article informs our understanding of how families are using technology.

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Photo by Vitolda Klein on Unsplash

Photo by Vitolda Klein on Unsplash

Why is it important?

We can all see that technology is impacting families - from seeing children on phones while at a restaurant to seeing parents checking email at the playground, technology has changed how parents and families move through the world. While most messaging is about how much time children should (or should not) spend on screens, we need to better understand how technology is used by today's families. Only when we understand how families use technology in their everyday lives and study how that use impacts families will we be able to better guide families so that we can leverage the benefits and minimize negative consequences of screen media use by children and families.