Do You Know What Your Children Are Doing Onscreen? Tools and Tips to Become a Media-Savvy Parent
Sponsored by Harvard Graduate School of Education
As the coronavirus pandemic placed a quarter of the world’s population under lockdown, millions of people went online for entertainment and more. Total internet hits surged by between 50% and 70%, according to preliminary statistics. According to Forbes magazine, “a sudden onset of new educational procedures shook up the online media habits inside many homes. Data shows that the need to teach kids and keep them occupied swept aside former rules regulating screen time and social media usage.” So the question is: what are kids doing with screens now in this COVID world, and what are the implications for their development and social and emotional well-being?
In this Learning Lab, we’ll examine some telling statistics as to what kids are doing, explore how parents can respond, and detail the importance of parents understanding the vital role media literacy now plays in our media-saturated world. Using data, film clips and commentary from experts in the field, this webinar will show you how you can be “screen-time savvy.”
Randy Testa works in the Professional Education division of Harvard Graduate School of Education, devising with Harvard faculty online learning experiences for parents and educators. Prior to coming to Harvard, Testa worked for 12 years at a major movie studio on family-friendly films such as The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Charlotte's Web and The Watsons Go to Birmingham.