UBCO and community partners share findings and strategies for healthy use
What: Screen Time and Young Children: What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know
Who: UBCO researchers, Project Literacy and Childhood Connections
When: Wednesday, November 27 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. or 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Hollywood Rd. Educational Services, 1040 Hollywood Rd. (morning), and Kelowna Innovation Centre, 460 Doyle Ave. (evening)
Technology is everywhere—including on the minds of parents and caregivers who are struggling to balance screen time with other activities for their young children.
According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, children between the ages of two and five should use screens for less than one hour per day. To examine this issue locally, a UBCO study was funded by Project Literacy Central Okanagan Society and Childhood Connections with matching funding provided by Mitacs.
Associate Professor in Psychology Susan Holtzman led the study and on November 27, the community is invited to join Holtzman for a panel discussion on caring for young children in an age dominated by screen time. The panel will include fellow UBCO researchers, as well as members of Project Literacy and Childhood Connections.
“It’s a fascinating area of research that is relevant to so many families,” says Holtzman. “Parents’ roles are constantly evolving, there are always new challenges. Figuring out a healthy amount of screen time is one of them.”
There are two presentations; one in the morning and a second that evening. The evening event will be moderated by CBC Daybreak South host Chris Walker. Both events will feature preliminary results from a recent survey of Okanagan parents about technology and child wellbeing. Local experts will also talk about online privacy and provide strategies to help children develop a healthy relationship with digital devices.
These events are free to attend, but pre-registration is required at: www.familyscreentime.ca
