Real Talk About Kids and Technology

The recent article “Real Talk About Kids and Technology” (Psychology Today Jan 2024), explored the use of technology by age group. Their research supports the ALSC Core Competency I Commitment to Client Group – Understands theories of infant, child, and adolescent learning, literacy development and brain development, and their implications for library service.

Psychology Today’s research found “48 percent of parents with children under the age of 5 say their children interact with tablet computers and 55 percent with smartphones.” This increased with the age of the child “with 80 percent of children between 5 and 11 interacting with tablet computers and 63 percent in that age group interacting with smartphones.”

In the teen and tween group, half of teens reported “spending at least 4 hours daily on social media like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (now X). Older teens spend more time online than younger teens, ranging from 4 to almost 6 hours per day. And girls spend nearly an hour more daily on social media than boys.” Additionally during the teen and tween ages “areas of the brain associated with the desire for attention, feedback, and peer validation are more sensitive. Among girls, this period is between the ages of 11 and 13, and among boys, the period is between the ages of 14 and 15. It also seems that the more we use social media, the lower our satisfaction with life becomes.”

The amount of time spent on technology and social media is key as this is time that kids are “not interacting with family members or friends in person and time they are not spending on schoolwork.” Additionally, excessive use of technology and social media “could significantly encroach on sleep, studies, and the development of in-person, real-time relationships.”

While parents have different thresholds for when their children are given access to different devices, “all of the devices allow access to the Internet. And the Internet gives us access to the entire world, far beyond our neighborhoods and communities.” That includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good news is libraries can help support parents and children in this complex digital landscape by becoming “Media Mentors” who provide “informal personal or personalized learning networks” (American Libraries) through all types of online media. This can include access to free educational resources on technology and social media issues from groups including netsmartzkids.org/ and the Federal Government at sos.fbi.gov/en/ This post addresses the core competencies of I. Commitment to Client Group and II. Reference and User Services.

Christy Keyes, MLIS, is the Director of the Lighthouse Point Library in Lighthouse Point, Florida. She graduated from the ALA Certified Public Library Administrator Program in 2021 and currently serves on the ALSC Children and Technology committee and the FLA Professional Development Committee.

All photos courtesy of guest blogger.
Real Talk About Kids and Technology: The good, the bad, and the ugly. Psychology Today. January 22, 2024.
Becoming a Media Mentor: Creating trusted sources for emerging media. American Libraries. November 1, 2016