Event Recap

Toddlers & Technologies, featuring Elizabeth Milovidov, PhD, JD, and Jenny Radesky, MD

By Greta Doctoroff, PhD

We had a wonderful Annual Conference, “Toddlers and Technologies: Risks and Benefits of Digital Media Use in Families,” which can still be accessed online for those who couldn’t make it. 

The Annual Conference was a well-attended virtual event focused on understanding the role of technology in the lives of families and young children. Dr. Jenny Radesky, a developmental pediatrician and researcher, helped us think about how digital media is designed by businesses to promote marketing and hook in young viewers with reinforcing features and auto-play. She presented compelling findings on how digital media use can interfere with parent-child interactions associated with strong relationships and social-emotional development. Furthermore, she discussed how use of digital media can interfere with children gaining emotion regulation skills and how parents can avoid falling into this trap. She shared practical strategies to steer young children to quality media and to reduce the presence of digital media that manipulates young children with advertising and features that make it so challenging to put down.  

Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov is a lawyer, law professor, digital parenting coach and consultant who gave an engaging talk providing up-to-date information about children’s rights related to privacy and their digital footprint online which starts with postings from caregivers and grandparents. She cautioned families to consider unwanted posting repercussions related to safety and privacy. She shared a range of products which include technology and could prevent unanticipated privacy issues or interfere with developmentally sensitive interactions. She conceptualized parents as guardians of their children’s digital experiences and encouraged families to involve children in decisions about media use as they age. Both presenters referred to commonsensemedia.org for helpful information to guide media use.

If you would like to register and access a videorecording of the conference, please visit this website.