Tooled Up Education

This seems to be the season for questions about smartphones, gaming and digital diets. Parents want to raise responsible digital citizens and to support young people as they grow and develop, but we also need good quality information to support family conversations and family decisions. 

Digital parenting is one of the most challenging aspects of parenting today. Here are some resources that respond to what Tooled Up parents have asked our research team in recent weeks. 

For parents of young children questioning the introduction of digital devices at home, this podcast with developmental scientist Andy Ribner should help with your decision-making.  Even before the introduction of personal devices, parents can model the digital behaviour they wish to later see and establish digital values. 

For those worried about the impact of screens on children, listen back to our chat with psychologist and science writer Professor Pete Etchells, on the Real Science of Screen Time, where he separates fact from fiction and encourages us to give more weight to what children are doing online. Professor Etchells is returning to Tooled Up to deliver a webinar on The Truth about Gaming on 14th October. Register here to come along.

A crucial aspect of parenting in the digital age is raising children to be skilled, self-protective users of technology. That means helping them develop an understanding of how content is created, how it gets served to them, and how they can be discerning and sceptical about what they read and watch online. Our article packed with tips on Developing Algorithmic Literacy, and Dr Kathy Weston’s webinar on Becoming A Digital Detective, are packed with research-backed and realistic advice on how to raise confident, discerning online citizens.