The Grandparents Hour: Kids, Families and the Digital World

Grandparents, aunts and uncles (and a young mom) joined Catherine Adair-Steiner for a conversation about kids and digital devices at the Grandparents Hour on November 2. A recording that includes Adair-Steiner’s remarks and the questions and answers prompted, can be found here: Kids, Families, and the Digital World.

In addition to sharing information about the impact of devices on brain development, and solid suggestions for managing the disruptive forces of our omni-present phones, Dr. Steiner-Adair introduced the idea of a “Responsible User’ policy/contract for families.  There are multiple benefits of such a family policy:

• It establishes minimum expectations for all family members—taking judgement off digital natives.

• It introduces  the concept of civics into the family culture. This article on digital citizenship offers a path for families struggling with how to have useful conversations with their children (and each other) about this very 21st century dynamic.

• It offers practice for how to exercise voice and participate in family governance for children who may feel that adult conversation about ‘governance’ is not relevant to them. At it’s foundation, parental direction to ‘listen, take turns, and share’ is a form of governance practice. Starting early to include children in how to be ‘in relationship—in person, in digital life, in community, and in the world, benefits us all.

This link offers good suggestions for responsible user policies in families.  And Dr. Steiner-Adair shared other links for samples, here:

• Bark Family Tech Contract-

  https://www.bark.us/blog/tech-accountability-create-technology-contract-family/

• Common Sense Media – template for Family Responsible Use Agreement

  https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/parents-ultimate-guide-to-parental-controls

But a key guideline that came out of the session was this: Responsible user policies are not something to ’do to’  to young people in the family—this must be policy for the family. Where digital behavior is concerned, “do as I say, not as I do” is just too 20th century!  

To learn more about Dr. Steiner Adair’s views on kids and digital lives, See her best selling book: The Big Disconnect,  And contact her at: catherine@csadair.com