Parents
After our longest round of lockdowns yet, parents everywhere are celebrating as our kids are settling back into school to finish term four. But after a challenging few months of trying to juggle work and school, reliance on technology has increased and our kids are using screens more than ever, affecting their digital wellbeing. In […]
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Whether your kids are learning remotely, or spending a lot of time doing online homework, study or assignments (not to mention, their gaming or social media use), chances are they’re experiencing ‘digital fatigue’. Many children and teens are reporting feeling sore eyes, headaches, musculoskeletal aches and pains (such as ‘tech-neck), an inability to focus online, […]
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Today’s students are living in a world with constant digital distractions vying for their attention. The endless badgering of pings, alerts and notifications can have a serious impact on students’ ability to focus and learn. The proliferation of smartphones and digital technologies such as laptops, smartwatches, gaming consoles and tablets has ushered in an era […]
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A common question I’m asked by parents and teachers alike relates to the impact of screen time on children’s and adolescents’ vision. There’s been increasing media attention on the impact of digitalised childhoods and adolescence and the possible association between increasing rates of myopia, near-sightedness. Basically, they want to know if too much time on […]
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The Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma has garnered much attention in recent weeks, in mainstream media and ironically on the social media platforms that were vilified in the documentary. The Social Dilemma proposes that social media companies manipulate users by using algorithms and persuasive design principles that result in ‘addiction’ to their platforms. It also suggests that […]
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WARNING- this blog post talks about suicide. If you, or anyone you know requires help in a crisis call Lifeline on 13 11 14. In recent weeks, if I’m really honest, I’ve found it incredibly challenging to be a digital wellbeing ‘expert’. I’ve been bombarded with horrific and devastating stories of kids, some of whom […]
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Have your kids/teens recently transitioned back to school after months of remote learning at home? They were probably spending more time than ever plugged-in and on devices during the home isolation period (I know my kids were). Their digital devices became their portal for leisure and learning: they used devices to complete school work, connect […]
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The global health pandemic forced many students into remote, online learning. Whilst many students initially rejoiced at the idea of learning at home on their devices (sometimes in their PJs), they soon discovered that online learning was both exhausting and very different to learning at school, in-person. One of the chief things students have struggled […]
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I’ve had the privilege of helping a number of schools adjust to online learning in recent weeks*. I’m in awe of the rapid transformation many schools have undergone as they attempt to shift their teaching approaches. It is a remarkable feat! You see teaching online is not simply a matter of ‘digitalising’ your existing teaching […]
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Parents, please lower the bar and release the pressure valve when it comes to adhering to strict screen-time limits during the Coronavirus lockdown period. Trying to stick to your pre-Corona screen-time rules, while we’re all bunkered down at home, will only add to already-elevated stress levels. For most of us, we’re experiencing uncharted waters. Stress […]
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