Blog

Their Mission:

• Provide practical advice for individuals and families to develop responsible tech habits
• Create communication health awareness campaigns promoting balanced use of popular technology
• Explore the impact of popular technology on healthy speech, language and hearing

The Statistics:

• Researchers have found that every 30 minutes of daily screen use increased the risk of expressive speech delay in children ages 6 months to 2 years by almost 50%
• 44% of children under the age of 6 would rather play a game on a technology device than read a book or be read to
• The average amount of time spent on a mobile device per day by children under 8 is 48 minutes
• Nearly 50% of 12 to 35-year-olds are exposed to unsafe sound levels from the use of personal audio devices
• 68% of 2-year-olds use tablets at home
• 78% of teens check their devices at least hourly
• 4 out of 5 smartphone users check their phones within 15 minutes of waking up

Tips for Managing Kids’ Safe Tech Usage:

• Find at least one or two opportunities during the day, at the dinner table, for example, to create tech-free times
• Resist overreliance on technology to pacify boredom and plan other activates to keep young children entertained
• Don’t overestimate the value of educational apps, children learn best through talking, conversing and reading
• Make tech use a group activity, such as while playing an online game
• Consider whether young kids really need their own devices, and try ones with features that limit content and provide extra security
• Set daily time limits and enforce them through devices that automatically turn off or keeping track yourself
• Be consistent in enforcing the parameters you set for tech use
• Always practice safe listening, especially when using ear buds or headphones
• Model the safe tech habits you want your kids to adopt
• Learn the signs of communication disorders and seek an assessment from a speech-language pathologist if you have any questions or concerns