This is an informative, enlightening and impacting conversation with Andrea Davis from Better Screen Time, about the current state of the tech environment, and the challenges today's parents face to protect their children from the threats. This is a robust conversation covering the generational harm that has arisen from the dependency of parents and their children on tech (from babies to teens) for the last two decades, to the very real threats lurking on platforms, apps and the dark web today, luring countless children and teens to harmful patterns of behaviour, other dangers and even their death.
Andrea is a former secondary ed teacher turned screentime navigator and the founder of Better Screen Time, where she shares family tested ideas from the tech trenches. As a mom of five, Andrea is on a mission to help parents worry less about tech and connect more with their kids. If you are a concerned parent or just want to know more about this topic, you don't want to miss this episode!
Vonne Solis 0:00 Welcome and introduction to Andrea.
Andrea Davis 1:41 Andrea shares her concerns as a parent and the actions she took to create her own family tech plan that led her to create Better Screen Time.
Vonne Solis 6:25 Vonne shares what the tech was like 25 years ago.
Vonne Solis 7:35 Question, what are parents struggling with today by various age groups?
Andrea Davis 9:37 Andrea explains the pressures that parents feel to parent with tech, the effects on children's brains based on current research, and what children 0 to six years need.
Andrea Davis 14:00 The effects of tech on kids as they get older from six years up and into their mid 20's.
Vonne Solis 17:54 Questions: Are parents afraid to talk to their kids about tech? What can they do when they lack confidence?
Andrea Davis 18:56 Andrea describes the two major things parents can do to have the conversation and start to manage the tech in their child's life, even when they think it's too late.
Vonne Solis 22:13 Questions: At the point parents think it's too late, what are they struggling with the most? Should kids agree to a tech plan?
Andrea Davis 23:23 Andrea shares what parents can do when they believe it's too late to manage their child's tech or they've discovered one or more major problems in their child's life as a result of their tech use.
Vonne Solis 26:43 Vonne and Andrea discuss choice and consequences and parenting with confidence.
Andrea Davis 28:16 Andrea explains the difference in tech use between girls and boys.
Vonne Solis 29:53 Last question: How does Andrea monitor her kids' tech use?
Andrea Davis 31:25 Andrea answers the question and describes the challenges they still face as parents monitoring backdoor access to forbidden apps and platforms, and several tips to help parents get started with their own family tech plan.
Vonne Solis 40:34 A big thanks to Andrea for all of the wonderful information, tips and resources she has shared.
Vonne Solis 41:04 Music.
ANDREA'S WEBSITE:
https://www.betterscreentime.com/
ANDREA'S BOOK: Creating a Tech Healthy Family
https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Tech-Healthy-Family-Must-Have-Conversations/dp/1734885904
RESET YOUR CHILD'S BRAIN:
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