Digital Parenting by Age & Stage

The Boston Red Sox named clinical and social psychologist Dr. Englander Most Valuable Educator of 2013 because of her work in technological aggression and how it interacts with peer abusiveness in general. She was the Special Editor for the Cyberbullying issue of the Journal of Social Sciences, and has authored about a hundred articles in academic journals and books. She is a frequent guest on The Social Network Show.

For this episode, Dr. J asked Professor Englander to sketch out the important issues parents face with regard to technology as their child grows. Even when your child is still an infant or toddler, it is helpful to think through what your family policy about “screen time” should be. The first thing to consider is one’s own use of screens, be they computers, smart phones, tablets, or even television. Dr. Englander explains why info tech can impact human development, even at or perhaps especially at, a very young age. What exactly are babies and toddlers missing out on if parents are interacting with their devices, rather than with their child?

As children enter school age, parents might ask, “Is there a particular age when I should let my child have a smart phone?” Dr. Englander says there is no other question she is asked as often as that one! She explains the factors to consider, including a surprising one dealing with family economics. And adolescence, of course, raises many info tech issues, and they are also discussed in this episode.

Elizabeth Kandel Englander is a professor of psychology and the founder and director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University, which delivers anti-violence and anti-bullying programs, resources, and research for the state of Massachusetts. She is the author of the book, Bullying and Cyberbullying: What Every Educator Needs to Know (Harvard Education Press; October 2013).

Learn more about Dr. Englander on her website.