Achieving a Healthful Digital Diet

By MATT RICHTEL

Published: November 21, 2010

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Think of the Internet and other digital technology as food. Limit the intake of empty digital calories, and do not consume too much over all.

That is the advice of experts who study children’s use of media and who have some tips for parents and children on how to use technology in more healthful ways.
Michael Levine, executive director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, which studies media and learning, said parents should take the time to assess whether a Web site or game had clear educational value. Then, he suggested, tip the balance so that 50 percent of a child’s computer time is spent on activities that teach.
“The primary use of technology by young people is for entertainment,” he said. “There needs to be a more balanced diet.”
Vicky Rideout, a researcher who has overseen studies on media and health for the Kaiser Family Foundation, said it was crucial to limit multitasking and entertainment while studying. “Don’t have the instant-messaging function open. Don’t have Facebook open,” she said. “Put that challenge out to the kids.”
Some of the expert advice focuses on the example set by parents.
“What kind of role model are you?” asked Liz Perle, editor in chief of Common Sense Media, which helps families navigate a media-saturated world. “Are you constantly on your BlackBerry, play online games regularly — are you addicted to Facebook, too?”
Ms. Perle urged parents of younger children not to constantly entertain them with screens, like giving them the iPhone to quiet them in a restaurant. And older children should be given basic phones for talking and texting, not smartphones that can be loaded with applications.
Eventually, Ms. Perle said, older children must take responsibility. She suggested they ask questions like those asked by people with addictions: “Who is in control? Me, or the technology? Is the game calling the shots?”