LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Gone are the days of "free-range children" who race outside to play after school. But this week, the idea is to get them to try it, and to spend time interacting with friends and family. "Screen-Free Week" is an annual effort by children's advocates to pry kids away from TV and video games, however briefly.
Dr. Susan Linn is director of the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. When her group began hosting what was then "TV Turnoff Week" three years ago, she said, they changed the name because TV isn't the only "bad guy."
"It's not even that screens are necessarily 'bad guys,' except for babies - but it's just that there's too much of them in our lives and way too much of them in children's lives, and it's important to take a break," said Linn.
When the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under two have no screen time, what's a modern parent to do? Cheryl Wright, an early childhood expert and associate professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Studies at the University of Utah, explained the reason for the concern.
"The research supports the fact that kids that spend too much screen time have some developmental delays," she pointed out. "And it can be quite engaging - but it can have some consequences to it."
Wright says parents and caregivers who aren't sure how to keep kids occupied without movies and video games should think about satisfying their senses, whether it's at a park or museum, or cooking a meal together.
"Technology hasn't advanced so much that it's all-sensory: you can't smell technology, you can't taste technology. You can't really feel technology," she noted. "And so, sensory experiences are real important for brain development."
The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood cites studies that show that on average, some preschoolers spend 32 hours a week in front of screens.
Adults are also encouraged to take the "Screen-Free Week" pledge to swear off TV and DVDs for a week, and only use that laptop or smartphone when it's required for work. Of course, you have to look online to get the pledge - but then, step away from the screen until May 5.
More information is online at CommercialFreeChildhood.org.
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October is National Bullying Prevention Month and a recent study showed teens bullied in high school tend to become pessimistic about life prospects.
The study, published in the Journal of Research on Adolescence found students who experienced relational bullying were more likely to develop depressive symptoms and over time became more pessimistic about both academics and career prospects beyond high school. Relational bullying includes things like starting rumors, being deliberately ignored and exclusion from group activities.
Hannah L. Schacter, assistant professor of psychology at Wayne State University in Detroit, said a student's perception of social inadequacy can spread into other parts of life.
"You're receiving a message from your peers that you are someone who doesn't deserve positive treatment, and that may then generalize to these other life domains," Schacter explained. "Now you expect that you're not going to be able to do well academically, or perhaps you won't be able to achieve what you wanted in terms of your work or kind of life plans."
Maryland requires county boards of education to track and report on bullying. This year's report showed there were more than 7,800 incidences of bullying reported during the 2022-23 school year, an increase of 25% over the year prior.
Researchers found students who experienced overt victimization such as direct verbal or physical attacks did not report lower future expectations. Earlier research showed relational victimization had negative effects on elementary students' academic performance and standardized test scores over time. Schacter argued schools need to see the effects of bullying not just as a challenging social issue but also an educational priority.
"As there's been increased recognition of how it can negatively impact teens, more and more schools have, at the very least, adopted anti bullying policies," Schacter acknowledged. "Unfortunately, it's very time intensive, and can be quite costly to implement evidence based large scale school interventions for bullying."
Maryland's State Department of Education adopted a model policy to address bullying, harassment and intimidation in 2009 and has updated it in the years since. Last year the department began offering an online introduction to bullying prevention for educators.
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October is National Bullying Prevention Month and a new study showed teens bullied in high school tend to become pessimistic about their future.
Researchers found adolescents who experienced relational bullying were more likely to develop depressive symptoms and over time became more pessimistic about academics and career prospects beyond high school. Relational bullying includes things like starting rumors, being deliberately ignored and exclusion from group activities.
Hannah L. Schacter, assistant professor of psychology at Wayne State University in Detroit, said a student's perception of social inadequacy can spread into other parts of life.
"You're receiving a message from your peers that you are someone who doesn't deserve positive treatment, and that may then generalize to these other life domains," Schacter explained. "Now you expect that you're not going to be able to do well academically, or perhaps you won't be able to achieve what you wanted in terms of your work or kind of life plans."
The study began with more than 300 9th graders at 38 different high schools across Michigan. Students completed online surveys multiple times per year over three years.
Researchers found students who experienced overt victimization such as direct verbal or physical attacks did not report lower future expectations. Prior research established relational victimization affected elementary students' academic performance and standardized test scores over time. Schacter argued schools need to see the effects of bullying not just as a challenging social issue but also as an educational priority.
"As there's been increased recognition of how it can negatively impact teens, more and more schools have, at the very least, adopted anti-bullying policies," Schacter acknowledged. "Unfortunately, it's very time intensive, and can be quite costly to implement evidence-based large-scale school interventions for bullying."
She added it is important to have strong communication between researchers, policymakers and administrators to address bullying so it is not too burdensome for schools and is backed by what researchers have learned.
Disclosure: Wayne State University contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement, Education, Environment, and Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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The biannual Pro-Kid Scorecard from the Children Now Action Fund was released today.
In it, 12 state Assembly members and seven state Senators earned a 100% rating.
Kelly Hardy, senior managing director of health and research at the nonprofit Children Now Action Fund, said the scoring reflects more than how lawmakers vote.
"They voted the right way on health and child welfare, child care, education," Hardy outlined. "They also supported kids in the budget, which is not always an easy thing to do when we've got budget deficits."
The lowest scores hovered around 48%, awarded to lawmakers who voted against certain bills but also voted for proposals like forced outing policies for LGBTQ+ students in schools.
Hardy noted the report is intended to inform voters as they head to the ballot box next month.
"Kids may not vote but we want to elect legislators who do their best to support kids," Hardy explained.
California ranks 35th in the nation for child well-being, according to the latest Annie E. Casey Foundation report and is just above the national average for per-pupil spending on K-12 education.
Disclosure: Children Now/Kids Count contributes to our fund for reporting on Children's Issues, and Youth Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
click here.
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