Work Groups
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Work groups are collaborative communities organized around common interests, goals or professions. Participants decide on scope and direction and projects are led by individual members.
Early Childhood
Educators and advocates are working to create programs, projects and resources that help teachers, childcare providers and parents identify the risks of screen use in early childhood environments. One of the first projects is creating a “Screen-Free” or “Screen Aware” designation for schools that maintain play, nature and physical activity as priorities for early childhood settings.
Mental Health Professionals
Mental health professionals are concerned about how kids’ screen overuse affects their well-being. Current projects include a letter to the American Psychological Association (APA) regarding the unethical practice of persuasive design to increase kids use of ad-supported devices. Fact sheets and a directory of mental health professionals knowledgeable about screen overuse are also planned.
Screens in Schools
This group works on specific solutions that parents and teachers can use to advocate for limited screen use in schools. Topics such as "personalized learning," the gamification of education and corporate-sponsored digital curricula are addressed.
Children and Nature
Helping kids develop a stronger relationship with nature as an antidote to media dependence. Currently, this group shares high-quality videos and articles about the link between screen time and nature deficit disorder.
Faith Communities
This group supports all faith traditions which wish to understand how media is shaping children’s spiritual lives. They work to empower people to approach leadership in their churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship, many of whom have not considered the amount of time their youth are spending with digital devices rather than with their families and friends.
Parent Professionals
If you are a professional who works with parents, you can’t help but be aware that the child’s screen use is a major issue for families. This group will work together to create programs, resources, talking points and fact sheets that professionals can use and share with parents about the impact of screen use and how to set boundaries and create solutions that preserve childhood and relationships.