Technology Use Guidelines for Children and Youth

by Carolinda "Trini" Myers-Murphy, MS CCC- SLP; COMSo we all have heard it said, TV will make your eyes cross! Well- that’s what my parents told me anyway, over 30 years ago. As time has progressed, they may have had a point. I’m now the proud owner of a set of black rimmed eye glasses.It’s funny how old things become new again. But these days, we can literally have TV in the palms of our hands, almost whenever we want them.As I’m getting ready to have my first baby, and I’m also a nerd of sorts… I’ve been pouring through the research, as well as honing in on my maternal instincts to see what’s out there.As a Speech/language pathologist, I’ve seen first hand how the advancements that have been made in technology have both helped our profession in terms of having a wide array of apps for therapy. But on the same token, I can’t ignore how much more kids have struggled with language development, attention, and social awareness to name a few. I’ve included a fascinating article posted by the Huffington Post, which lists the guidelines for children and youth regarding technology.But as we all know, the science IS important, but it’s not all about science. At Speech Solutions Hawaii, we frequently ask parents to try an experiment---1 month without technology. But until this article, I didn’t realize what was really being replaced when we bask in the glow of our phones and iPads.I found this utterly beautiful letter that a mom wrote to her sons. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. When I shared it with our office, there wasn’t a dry eye, and all of a sudden, the real reasons behind why we do what we do, came into razor sharp focus. And I didn’t even need my black-rimmed glasses to see that! :)"This world needs more selflessness. This world needs more connection. This world needs more love. We can’t learn these behind a screen." Thank you Renee Robinson for such a beautiful letter to your sons.