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Dissertation research study that examined parents of preteens and the protectionist and empowerment Internet mediation and media literacy strategies they reported using to guide their child's use of the Internet. Parents' use of protectionist and empowerment strategies, their confidence level in enacting these strategies, their attitudes about efficacy of these strategies, and the relationship among their attitudes about children's use of the Internet to these areas were examined. The study used an online survey (N=236) of parents who have preteens with Internet access at home, and parent interviews from a sample of the survey respondents (N=40), to gather data from a nationwide sample of parents. Parents were asked questions about their use of, confidence in, and perceptions of effectiveness of protectionist and empowerment Internet mediation strategies, what topics related to Internet use they have discussed with their child, and overall their attitudes about the Internet and children. The survey results show that the majority of parents use a combination of protectionism and empowerment strategies, but more heavily use protectionist Internet mediation overall. Parents reported high confidence in using most of the strategies, with slightly less (but still notably high) confidence in using empowerment strategies. Even though parents reported feeling confident using empowerment strategies, they used them much less than protectionist strategies. Protectionist strategies were also ranked as more effective than empowerment ones. Parents' attitudes about the Internet were also associated with behaviors. Parents' level of comfort in using the Internet and computers was positively associated with their overall engagement in their preteens' Internet use, whether protectionism or empowerment. Parental attitude about the Internet being a good place for their child was associated with the likelihood to use protectionist strategies. However, parents who did not believe the Int

Advice to Parents When Their Child Is Accused of Bullying ​In this helpful Wall Street Journal article, author Catherine Steiner-Adair offers this advice to parents who get an accusatory phone call saying their child is bullying another child. This might be something for schools to pass along to parents. ​* Take a deep breath. It's normal to experience amixture of fear, shame, denial (this can't be!), panic, and defensiveness. "While it feels like a permanent label, remember: it is a description of behavior that your child is exhibiting today, it is not who he is in his entirety, nor who he will be forever, if you respond and get help," says Steiner-Adair. ​* Focus on staying calm and listening to what's being said. If the other parent is upset, assure him or her that you're writing down the details so you'll have them correct. You might say, "Do you want to take five minutes and call me back so we can talk calmly about this?" ​* Thank the other parent. Say that it's good we're finding out what's happening now, that it must have been a difficult call to make. Promise to follow up. ​* Take time to process the information. "Once you have the information, take time for yourself to process how it makes you feel, so that when you approach your child, you are calm," says Steiner-Adair. ​* Talk with your child. The goal is to get the facts - "a calm, nonjudgmental discovery process," says Steiner-Adair. "Do you know what they are talking about? What occurred? Is any of this true?" Read your notes and ask your child to write down a detailed account of what happened. Stay calm and make it safe for your child to tell the whole story. Explain that whatever happened, you are going to help resolve the situation. ​* Be the grown-up. "Can you help me see why the other kid sees it their way?" you might ask. "How would you feel if he did that to you?" Try to understand the antecedents - insecurity, anger, teas

Having an accurate understanding of the role of media in children's lives is essential for all of those concerned about promoting healthy child development: parents, educators, pediatricians, public health advocates, and policymakers, to name just a few. The purpose of this study is to provide publicly accessible, reliable data about media use among children ages 0 to 8, to help inform the efforts of all of those who are working to improve children's lives.

Whether it's a physical barrier (no iPads at the dinner table) or a conceptual one (turn off devices by 11 p.m.), users say these weaning techniques are improving their relationships - and their sanity. "Disconnecting is a luxury that we all need," said Lesley M. M. Blume, a New York writer who keeps her phone away from the dinner table at home. "The expectation that we must always be available to employers, colleagues, family: it creates a real obstacle in trying to set aside private time. But that private time is more important than ever." Much of the digital detoxing is centered on the home, where urgent e-mails from co-workers, texts from friends, Instagram photos from acquaintances and YOLO updates on Facebook conspire to upend domestic tranquillity.

Relevant and interesting research about media, parenting, education and kids

"Complete collection of presentations from the 2013 Policy Conference: Parenting in the Age of Digital Technology: How Families Use Media and Technology in their Daily Lives, eld at the Pew Charitable Trusts Conference Center in Washington, DC on Tuesday, June 4, 2013"

"Terrell hopes that students will consider the responsibilities that come with their digital actions and recognize that they are privileged to have access to so many people and ideas. With every post on social media, they should understand what's at stake. Students can hurt others with their words through thoughtless remarks or cyberbullying. Or they can spread compassion and joy. So how do we instruct our students to be mindful of what they put online? Here are a few tips we think will help students practice better digital citizenship."

"What Makes a Great Digital Citizen? Digital citizenship has many great benefits and responsibilities. A good digital citizen can experience all the advantages of our connected world, but there are crucial responsibilities to be practiced along with such privileges. Like a part of any established nation, the digital citizen must: consider that they are identifiable and are creating a "digital footprint" with any online activity always communicate using the appropriate language serve their duty to judge what is appropriate and ethical behaviour within the laws of the land uphold their social responsibilities always be virtuous and act with integrity in all digital and non-digital communications and interactions To navigate and to survive in this dynamic digital world, we need some basic rules and guidelines. We call these the tenets of digital citizenship. The Tenets of Digital Citizenship"