Have we been asking the wrong questions about screen time all along? S9 | Ep227

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝗼𝗿-𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴? In this episode, 𝗠𝗲𝗴 𝗙𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗲 speaks to 𝗗𝗿. 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿, researcher at Georgetown University, about what 25 years of research tells us about young children, technology and learning. They unpack why not all technology is created equal, the impact of technoference on parent-child connection, how algorithms are designed to keep us watching and why some screen experiences can be more supportive of learning than others. Rachel also shares practical ways parents can use technology more intentionally, from creating family media plans and finding natural “off-ramps” to using joint media engagement to support language and learning. Most importantly, this conversation moves away from rigid rules and parenting guilt towards something more realistic: making a plan that works for your family and revisiting it as your family changes. 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗗𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨'𝗟𝗟 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡 Why children learn differently from screens than they do from real-life interactions Why not all technology is created equal What technoference is and how phones, notifications and background TV can interrupt parent-child interactions How background television can disrupt children's play, even when they aren't actively watching it What an “off-ramp” is and why natural stopping points can make transitions easier Whether using screens to calm a child can affect their developing self-regulation skills Why rigid screen-time rules can sometimes create an all-or-nothing cycle How to create a flexible family media plan What joint media engagement is and why parental involvement can make such a difference Why repetition can actually be helpful when young children watch the same story or programme repeatedly What to look for when choosing content for young children Why slower, simpler, story-based content may be easier for young children to process Rachel's one guiding principle for technology during the first 1 000 days: make a plan and revisit it 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 00:00 Meet Rachel Barr: 25 years of research into children and technology 02:59 Is all technology created equal? 05:28 What is technoference? 07:18 How phones and background TV can disrupt play 10:00 Small changes that can reduce technoference 11:24 Why algorithms make it hard to put your phone down 13:10 Designing technology with an “off-ramp” 15:04 Screens, tantrums and using technology to calm children 19:47 Do tech detoxes actually work? 20:35 Creating a family media plan 24:20 Moving beyond rigid screen-time rules 27:28 Technology, language development and joint media engagement 30:26 Why parental involvement can transform screen learning 32:48 Why children want to watch the same thing again and again 35:14 What makes good content for young children? 36:52 Why highly stimulating content can be harder to process 38:07 Rachel's one technology guideline for the first 1,000 days 𝗗𝗿. 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀. 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘁 ⁠𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘: ⁠ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E4_b... 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧 Rachel Barr is a researcher at Georgetown University who has spent more than 25 years studying how babies and young children learn, particularly in relation to media and technology. Her research has explored children's learning from television and touchscreens, video chat, parent-child interactions and the ways families use technology. She is particularly interested in how parents and caregivers can support young children's learning and development in an increasingly digital world. In this conversation, Rachel brings a research-led but refreshingly nuanced perspective to a topic that can leave parents feeling overwhelmed and guilty. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗗𝗿. 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿:   / rachel-barr-25b5199   𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘 𝗕𝗬 𝗠𝗘𝗚 𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 Sense by Meg is the parenting podcast from occupational therapist, parenting expert and Parent Sense founder Meg Faure. With more than 20 years of experience in occupational therapy and a special focus on infant regulation, sensory processing, attachment and early relationships, Meg brings together leading experts, researchers and parents to explore the science behind raising happy, healthy and resilient children. The podcast is part of Parent Sense, a science-backed parenting solution designed to help parents understand their children and feel more confident in their parenting journey. 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘𝟱𝟬 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟱𝟬% 𝗼𝗳𝗳. https://parentsenseapp.onelink.me/G6H... 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗨𝗦 𝗠𝗲𝗴 𝗙𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗲 Instagram:   / megfaure.sense   LinkedIn:   / meg-faure   Website: https://megfaure.com/ 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 Instagram:   / parentsense.app   LinkedIn:   / parent-sense   Website: https://parentsense.app/