Reading, Writing and Video Games
March 15, 2013, New York Times
WHEN I was a child, I liked to play video games. On my brother’s Atari, I played Night Driver. On his Apple II, I played Microwave, Aztec and Taipan! When I got to go to the arcade, I played Asteroids and Space Invaders. Here’s what I learned: At a certain level on Microwave, the music from the bar scene in Star Wars comes on. If I am at the front line when aliens descend to Earth, we’ll all be in trouble. Read More >
Children, Teens and Entertainment Media: The View from the Classroom
October, 2012. Read the New York Times story on the national survey of teachers we directed for Common Sense Media, about how teachers view the impact of entertainment media on students’ academic skills and social development. Download the full report or visit Common Sense Media’s research library for more of their work.
They’re on Facebook, But Talking Beats Texting Among Teens
June 27, 2012. Michelle Maltais, LA Times; Mom and Dad, when your teen says, “But everybody’s doing it,” they’re actually telling the truth—not that that should sway you. Read More >
Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives. June 26, 2012: Read the new study we directed and wrote for Common Sense Media, about how teens think social media impacts their social and emotional well-being.
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Disney kicks junk food out of the magic kingdom
June 5, 2012: NPR’s Marketplace quotes Vicky Rideout on Disney’s new anti-obesity efforts. Read More >
Wasting Time Is New Divide In Digital Era
May 30, 2012: In the 1990s, the term ''digital divide'' emerged to describe technology's haves and have-nots. It inspired many efforts to get the latest computing tools into the hands of all Americans, particularly low-income families. Read More >
Missed connections in our digital lives
April 15, 2012: The Boston Globe
As screens and gadgets increasingly claim our eyes and time, shared family experience is feeling the squeeze. Read More >
Go Directly, Digitally to Jail? Classic Toys Learn New Clicks
February 25, 2012 - New York Times
Generation after generation, Monopoly money stacked up in piles of pink, green and gold, Hot Wheels raced across floors and Barbie was, well, just a doll. Not anymore. Read More >
Do toddlers really need computers to learn?
December 12, 2011 - USA TODAY
Time was when all kids wanted for Christmas was to sit on Santa's lap. Now, they may get a laptop. This year, a number of toymakers are hoping to stuff babies' stockings with kid-size computers, some targeting babies too young to talk — a trend that worries many parents and pediatricians. Read More >
Kids and Screen Time
November 17, 2011
How does screen time affect kids? And does the answer change if you're talking about e-books, educational television, computer math games? We explore the latest on kids and technology. Listen Now >
Screen Time Higher Than Ever for Children
October 25, 2011, New York Times
Jaden Lender, 3, sings along softly with the “Five Little Monkeys” app on the family iPad, and waggles his index finger along with the monkey doctor at the warning, “No more monkeys jumping on the bed!” He likes crushing the ants in “Ant Smasher,” and improving his swing in the golf app. But he is no app addict: when the one featuring Grover from Sesame Street does not work right, Jaden says, “Come on, iPad!’” — then wanders happily off to play with his train set. Read More >
Toddler Video: Survey Says Young Kids are Tuned In
October 25, 2011, Broadcasting & Cable
Some 39% of 2-4-year-olds use a smart phone or tablet, and more than half (52%) of kids ages 5-8 do so. That is according to a just-released national study from Common Sense Media. "For parents, pediatricians, and child development experts concerned about screen media use among children under two, this report indicates that a substantial number of infants and toddlers are watching TV and DVDs on a regular basis," the study concluded. It is the first of a series of reports from Common Sense as part of its new Program for the Study of Children and the Media, which is headed by Vicky Rideout, former VP of the Kaiser Family Foundation. "These results make it clear that media plays a large and growing role in children's lives, even the youngest of children," said Rideout, president of VJR Consulting. Read More >
Toddlers and Television
October 27, 2011, KQED
According to a new survey, nearly half of children age two and younger watch an average of two hours of TV per day. But the American Academy of Pediatrics just issued a policy saying parents should keep children under two as "screen-free" as possible, citing research that shows harmful effects on early development. Read More >
Kids Increasingly Staring at Glowing Screens, Study Finds
October 25, 2011, PBS NewsHour
Pediatricians have long warned of the risks of exposing young children to too much television and other electronic devices. A new study suggests such warnings are having little effect. The study, released today by Common Sense Media, surveyed nearly 1,400 parents.
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As more use tech, child development is an issue
October 25, 2011, San Francisco Chronicle
Nearly half of babies under age 2 in the United States watch an average of two hours of TV every day, and 10 percent of children that age have used a smart phone, tablet or other mobile device at least once in their young lives, according to a survey released today. Read More >
Speech advice: Be upbeat, stick to message, be goneThe Associated Press
BOSTON - In a windowless room beneath the podium, a team of speechwriters is imposing John Kerry's will on the words of the other speakers at the Democratic National Convention. Their orders: Go easy on the Bush bashing. Each speech is read and re-read, heavily edited and rehearsed as part of a tightly controlled process designed to impress independent voters who are tired of negative politics. Read More >