Beyond the Screens: A Community Conversation with Dr. Jill Walsh on Technology and the Tween/Teen Experience
Experts, parents, caregivers, and students gathered to share real insights on tech's impact on young people and how we can support them together.
By Spark Kindness Team
Families, educators, and community members recently came together for an important conversation about technology and tween/teen well-being that many of us have been quietly navigating on our own: how do we help our kids thrive in a world dominated by screens?
Hosted by Spark Kindness and Natick 180, Navigating Technology and Tween/Teen Well-Being: A Program For Families brought together a remarkable group of experts, including featured speaker Dr. Jill Walsh, alongside panelists Dr. Kristen Aberle, Principal Jodie Cohen, and Instructional Technology Teachers Kate Neville and Karin Cloutier. The evening was also made memorable by a meaningful presentation from Natick Above The Influence (NATI) students, who reminded us that young people themselves have powerful perspectives to share.
On behalf of the Spark Kindness and Natick 180 Teams, we are grateful for the insightful and practical tools and strategies that were shared in honest conversations. Most importantly, this event was a reminder that none of us are facing these tech challenges alone. Key resources are included below for future reference.
Key Resources:
- Digital Aged (founded by Dr. Walsh)
- Including downloadable resources: How To Know If Your Child Is Ready For A Phone and Screen Time: How Much Is Too Much?
- Parent's Guide to Healthy Tech Use from Natick 180
- Digital Literacy & Well-Being: Family Activity from Common Sense Education
- General Media Family Contract from Panda
- 5 Tips For Helping Kids Balance Their Media Lives from Common Sense Education
Books, Podcasts, Articles and More:
- Making Digital Well-Being a Habit from Common Sense Media
- Selfies, Wealthies, and Staying Emotionally Healthy: Dr. Jill Walsh on Your Kids and Their Phones from Curious Minds Blog at University School of Milwaukee
- Navigating Tech With Kids: Reflections on Screenagers Elementary School Age Edition with resources and tools from Spark Kindness
- Get Screen Smart: Essential Tech Knowledge Needed for Digital Parenting - #AskTheExperts Webinar from Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
- Screen Deep Podcast from Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development