Raising a Screen-Smart Kid: Embrace the Good and Avoid the Bad in the Digital Age

Description

For parents who didn't grow up with smartphones but can't let go of them now, expert advice on raising kids in our constantly connected world. Most kids get their first smartphone at the same time that they're experiencing major developmental changes. Making mistakes has always been a part of growing up, but how do parents help their kids navigate childhood and adolescence at a time when social media has the potential to magnify the consequences of those mistakes? Rather than spend all their time worrying about the worst-case scenario, parents can use this book to get a bigger-picture understanding of their kids' digital landscape. Drawing on research and interviews with educators, psychologists, and kids themselves, this book offers practical advice on how parents can help their kids avoid the pitfalls and reap the benefits of the digital age by- - using social media to enhance connection with friends and family, instead of following strangers and celebrities, which is a predictor of loneliness and depression - finding online support and community for conditions such as depression and eating disorders, while avoiding potential triggers, such as #Thinspiration Pinterest boards - learning and developing life skills through technology-for example, by problem-solving in online games--while avoiding inappropriate content Written by a public health expert and the creator of the popular blog Rants from Mommyland, Raising a Screen-Smart Kid shows parents how to help their kids navigate friendships, bullying, dating, self-esteem, and more online.

Julianna Miner is a part-time lecturer of global and community health at George Mason University. Miner is, also, the creator of the popular parenting blog Rants from Mommyland, Parents magazine's funniest blog of 2013 and was named one of Babble's 10 Best Humour Bloggers. Her articles on parenting, public health and technology have been featured in The Washington Post.

"Most of us have a love/hate relationship with technology, especially when it comes to how-and how much-our kids use it. With empathy, humor and a ton of solid research, Julianna offers an essential guide to helping families navigate cell phones, gaming, and social media." -Glennon Doyle, author of #1 New York Times bestseller LOVE WARRIOR, and Founder of Together Rising "A facts-over-fear approach to modern parenting in the digital age. A must-read for parents who want to really understand what kids are doing on their devices." -Jean M. Twenge, PhD, author of iGen "Raising a Screen-Smart Kid will be a frequent reference for me, a dog-eared and well-thumbed resource. It answers the most difficult questions parents face-about how to raise kids with character, boundaries, and healthy habits in a world where technology is everywhere-and anticipates about fifty other questions that we may never have considered. This book is smart, well-organized, exhaustively researched, and deserves a place on every parent's shelf." -Jessica Lahey, New York Times bestselling author of The Gift of Failure "A great resource for parents who are looking for reliable, common-sense information about online threats posed to their kids so they can evaluate risks without letting fear drive parental decision-making." -John F. Clark, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children "Julianna Miner describes the state of the science around kids and technology accurately. It is messy. The digital landscape is changing faster than the speed of scientific research. Miner's approach of using the best evidence, common sense, and a lot of calm is perfect. " -W. Keith Campbell, PhD, coauthor of The Narcissism Epidemic and professor of psychology at the University of Georgia "What I love about Raising a Screen-Smart Kid is Julianna Miner's clear-eyed understanding that our hope, as parents, should not be to scare, threaten, or push our kids into a certain relationship with tech and screens, but to teach them to use these tools in a way that furthers their goals and increases their happiness. This is a book that will calm your fears, and help you help your kids learn to live in this world." -KJ Dell'Antonia, author of How to Be a Happier Parent "Believe me, kids know more about the internet than a parent ever will. If you want to make your kids safer and be on the same page with them, read this book." -John Walsh, cofounder of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and host of America's Most Wanted "The internet can be a dangerous place for children-one in which seemingly innocuous websites can in fact lead to treacherous and heart-breaking consequences. Raising a Screen-Smart Kid is filled with expert advice, as well as accounts from kids and their mentors, and provides a critical understanding of how parents and coaches can best support the youth in their lives in navigating our increasingly complicated digital world." -Steve Salem, President and CEO of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation "Full of humor and empathy, Julianna Miner shows anxious parents that navigating the digital age with their kids isn't as daunting as they might think." -Jill Smokler, New York Times bestselling author of Confessions of a Scary Mommy "Smart, realistic, and actionable. As a phone-obsessed parent with two kids approaching the age when they will get phones and social media of their own, I was hanging on to every word like our lives depend on it." -Ilana Wiles, author of The Mommy Shorts Guide to Remarkably Average Parenting "The manual every parent needs right now! Parenting tweens and teens in the digital age can be terrifying, so it's nice to know Julianna Miner is on our side." -Jen Mann, bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat "Parenting was never easy, but technology has made it even more complicated. Julianna Miner's book has done an excellent job of giving parents a roadmap to raising healthy kids who are faced with seemingly constantly evolving tech issues." -Larry Rosen, Professor Emeritus at California State University, Dominguez Hills, and coauthor of The Distracted Mind "Julianna Miner's book is filled with practical advice on how to encourage kids to make great decisions online and in-real-life-especially critical in this ever-changing digital world. A terrific, thoughtful resource!" -Ana Homayoun, author of That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week and Social Media Wellness "Raising a Screen-Smart Kid will help parents connect with and find empathy for young people growing up in the digital age as they navigate gaming and social media. Julianna Miner's insights on the nuances of friendship, dating, and self-esteem help parents identify the most crucial points for understanding and supporting kids without succumbing to anxiety and despair." -Devorah Heitner, PhD, Author of Screenwise "Miner unmasks what we thought we knew about raising kids who live their lives online and tells the truth about what we really need to know. A must read for understanding and guiding our teens through these tumultuous times." -Estelle Erasmus, adjunct writing instructor at New York University "Realistic and practical advice for parents to become more savvy about their child's cyber-life. I highly recommend this empowering book not only for parents, but educators and anyone who works with today's young people." -Sue Scheff, author of Shame Nation: The Global Epidemic of Online Hate