A few weeks ago, I submitted evidence to the Science and Technology Committee (Commons) on the topic of the ‘Impact of social media and screen-use on young people’s health inquiry’, and today was notified that that evidence has been accepted for publication, and can now be found on the publications page of the call:
The document starts:
Dr Bex Lewis, Author of Raising Children in a Digital Age: Enjoying the Best, Avoiding the Worst (Lion Hudson, 2014), which the Financial Times described as ‘sensible’ in a sea of scare books.
Executive Summary:
- Screentime is not necessarily bad, and should be measured on its own terms.
- Understand the online environment, and how children are actually using it.
- Are screens so very different from other tools, e.g. books
- Understand technological determinism versus social shaping of technology.
- Are people really addicted to the internet?
- Would a fixed screen time work?
- A brief note on age verification.
- The social benefits of online communities
- Using technology for health benefits, including mindfulness
- We need to listen to the children.
- Care with the language used required, and who should be involved.
- The digital as part of wider culture.
- Challenging assumptions: digital is not separate from ‘real life’.
You can read the full document online, or download the PDF.