In advance of her Parent University talk March 8 at Emerson Middle School in Niles, Devorah Heitner — who has a doctorate in media/technology and society and is the founder and director of Raising Digital Natives, an online resource for parents and schools — answered a few questions for the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate about bringing up children in the digital age.
Q: What can people who attend the event expect to hear you speak about?
A: A lot of parents are a little bit overwhelmed by how quickly the digital landscape has changed. They might also be concerned about some of the challenges that come with being so connected. I think it’s important to help them have empathy for what it’s like to grow up in the digital age. … What I want to set parents up for is an ongoing conversation. The important thing is we have digital etiquette and we have a conversation about it.
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Q: How did this become your area of expertise?
A: I used to teach [media studies] at the college level for many years. When I became a parent myself seven years ago … that was when cellphones really started to proliferate, and it coincided with a lot more parental involvement. … A lot of high schools and middle schools brought me in to speak. After doing conversations and consulting on the side, it became my focus.
Q: Does screen time get a bad rap?
A: I think we kind of lump too many things in that. Not that some consumption isn’t good. Often, parents want to know good apps versus bad apps, but … you can do great things on Twitter and bad things on Twitter, and it’s the same with Snapchat or Instagram, for example. Are you using it in an appropriate way? Are you using it in a thoughtful way?
Q: What are some common parent concerns?
A: I think it’s very good to keep a conversation going with other parents. I think we feel like we can’t ask other people how they deal with some of these things. Actually, the best way to keep kids safe is to do it as a community. It’s good to know what’s out there so you can fact-check your kids. It’s good to kind of identify your allies in the collective project of keeping your kids on the good side of this.
Q: As a parent yourself, how do you manage screen time and all things digital?
A: Being unplugged at meal times is important to us as a family. When any of us are becoming kind of a “screen monster,” you’re allowed to let the other person know.
Q: What are your favorite apps or programs for kids?
A: Look at apps that are really challenging for kids. Minecraft is great, or Scratch, which teaches computer programming language. The best apps are things you can use at different stages and they’re still interesting.
Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.