The Download on Device Adoption: The Skills Your Children Need Before Getting a Smartphone
Kids are asking for smartphones at younger and younger ages – in some cases, as young as kindergarten -- causing debates in families about the right time to hand over a fully enabled device. We'd like to change the conversation to a more nuanced consideration of the competencies that kids need as they increase their online presence. In practice, it's not an all-or-nothing decision.
This webinar will consider the skills that kids need to live safely and responsibly in a digital world. Are they good at communicating on the phone or by text? Are there simpler devices that could serve as an adequate substitute? And what basic rules should be established to vent the tension that these devices can cause in your household?
We'll consider how connectivity affects the path to adulthood, and what kids need to thrive as adolescents, which will provide the basis for a spirited conversation about the many options and strategies trending right now.
Join us for a discussion with Amanda Lenhart, Common Sense's head of research, and Devorah Heitner, digital parenting expert and author of "Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World." This session will be moderated by Jasmine Hood Miller, Common Sense's director of family engagement and partnerships.
This live webinar will be most useful for parents and caregivers of kids in grades K-6, but all are welcome. The conversation will be recorded. Registration is free but required to receive the link to join the online event.
