This is an appendix to my review of Michel Desmurget’s 2022 book Screen Damage: The Dangers of Digital Media for Children. At the end of the book, Desmurget suggests “Seven Fundamental Rules.” However, they do not actually resemble a clear list, so I have reformulated them, incorporated other ideas from the book, and compiled them into a handy list
Jonathan Haidt says the use of devices for remote synchronous communication with family members is fine. I agree. There is no harm of digital immersion, seeking validation, or split attention in this case - but there is huge benefit in staying in touch with family members.
Oh, that’s a VERY important age! I’d suggest reading Dismurget and also Haidt’s "The Anxious Generation." The latter is essential for parenting in the digital era, and it’s shorter and a much better read.
We actually already know a lot about the nature and structure of digital harm for kids and adolescents. And now we are gathering knowledge about how to deal with those harms and dangers (and my upcoming book Counter-Digital Media Literacy will be about this - thanks for the support, by the way!).
Thank you for the recommendation! This quote for your book The Digital Reversal is really good: “If newer media are introduced into a child’s life before older media—screen before book—it disrupts the “evolutionary logic” of the child’s sensory, cognitive, moral, and emotional development. Learning to use a touchscreen disables the book reader.” My son has two bookshelves and zero screens. But it is a long ride, so the information and tactics are key.
Yes, I tried to advance the media recapitulation theory: the adaptation of media by kids should follow the same order in which humankind adopted media technologies: “Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny”
What are your thoughts about the impact of FaceTiming with grandparents?
Jonathan Haidt says the use of devices for remote synchronous communication with family members is fine. I agree. There is no harm of digital immersion, seeking validation, or split attention in this case - but there is huge benefit in staying in touch with family members.
Thank you Andrey. As somebody with a two-year-old, I really appreciate this list.
Oh, that’s a VERY important age! I’d suggest reading Dismurget and also Haidt’s "The Anxious Generation." The latter is essential for parenting in the digital era, and it’s shorter and a much better read.
We actually already know a lot about the nature and structure of digital harm for kids and adolescents. And now we are gathering knowledge about how to deal with those harms and dangers (and my upcoming book Counter-Digital Media Literacy will be about this - thanks for the support, by the way!).
Thank you for the recommendation! This quote for your book The Digital Reversal is really good: “If newer media are introduced into a child’s life before older media—screen before book—it disrupts the “evolutionary logic” of the child’s sensory, cognitive, moral, and emotional development. Learning to use a touchscreen disables the book reader.” My son has two bookshelves and zero screens. But it is a long ride, so the information and tactics are key.
Yes, I tried to advance the media recapitulation theory: the adaptation of media by kids should follow the same order in which humankind adopted media technologies: “Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny”
https://human-as-media.com/2022/06/28/media-recapitulation/