Parenting around technology can feel hard, in part because digital technology has advanced at a pace that society hasn’t experienced before. These technologies were designed without child or teen well-being in mind, and parents are feeling the strain of helping kids navigate a rapidly changing digital landscape.
In a new book, Connecting: Raising Kids in the Digital World, co-authors Megan Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH, and Jenny Radesky, MD, help parents find tech-life balance between two opposing truths: technology has caused harm in many kids, and many kids find social support and joy in technology. Written from an evidence-based framework, the authors translate the latest scientific data into practical, effective tools parents can apply to their kids’ use around devices, social media, video gaming, and AI.
“There is more than one right way to parent around technology,” Moreno says. “Our goal with this book is to provide parents with a helpful, useful, judgement-free resource they can use as their children and families grow.”
In Connecting, the authors pull from their vast experience as pediatricians and experts in technology and children’s mental health. Moreno is professor and chief (academic) in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and vice chair of academic affairs for the Department of Pediatrics. She leads the Social Media and Adolescent Health Research Team (SMAHRT), which strives to advance society’s understanding of the relationship between media and adolescent health. Radesky is associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School where she runs a research laboratory focused on family media use, digital design, and tech policy. Together, Moreno and Radesky serve as co-medical directors of the American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health.
Key areas of guidance in the book include:
- Promoting healthy use of technologies
- Normalizing parent struggles with their own media use
- Addressing health concerns such as sleep, mental health, and physical activity
- Managing modern technology, including AI
Connecting: Raising Kids in the Digital World is published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Contributions from department members
During the writing of Connecting, Moreno and Radesky consulted parents and topic experts to learn about the real-world experiences parents were facing. They also sought reviews and feedback on the book from members of their respective departments. The following members of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health are listed in the acknowledgements section of the book for their contributions:
- Jessica Babal, MD, associate professor, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
- Reva Finkelman, professional development manager
- Leigh Fredericks, faculty recruiter
- Kerry Gannon-Loew, MD, MS, assistant professor, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
- Andrea Jones, MD, associate professor, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
- Michelle Kelly, MD, PhD, professor, Division of Hospital Medicine and Complex Care
- Ryan McAdams, MD, professor, Divisions of Neonatology and Newborn Nursery and Global Pediatrics
- Chelsea Olson, PhD, scientist I, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
- Christine Richards, senior medical program assistant, General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
- Erin Ryan, executive assistant
- Sushant Srinivasan, MD, MHPE, professor, Division of Critical Care
- Hannah Wakefield, MD, MPH, assistant professor, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
“It was important to us as authors that we translated scientific evidence into tips and tools that were feasible and useful to families,” Moreno explained. “Working with department members to leverage their expertise in reviewing the content helped us achieve that goal.”