MediaSmarts Blog

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Was “digital detox” or “reduce screen time” on your New Year’s resolution list, but it’s not real

We are fully in the holiday season and that means people are celebrating, gathering and hopefully making plans for rest. 

As we continue to feel merry and bright, I’ve realized that technology plays interesting and at times significant roles in our holiday planning and enjoyment. 

It’s easier than ever to know the whereabouts of your family and friends. There are devices you can buy with wearable GPS systems. Effectively, you can be traced and tracked by loved ones.

There’s no denying that being online can have negative effects, for adults and children. At the same time, we are living in a digital age where being online has become threaded into our everyday lives with various effects, some positive and some not so much. 

I became a parent before we all had access to smartphones. That makes me sound (and maybe) feel old, but I share that to set the stage for my personal parenting experience.

We need to talk about “KPop Demon Hunters”.
Partly because everyone else is, but more importantly because your kids are likely talking about it, which invites a special opportunity for parents and caregivers to get involved in the media kids are consuming.

We have been witnessing a rising crescendo of conversation happening around AI and fake images online. It’s always been an issue, Photoshop and all, but it feels like there’s a snowball effect happening; AI is moving at speeds that we just can’t comprehend or keep up with.

Original digital art takes patience and skill. While yes, you could ask ChatGPT to recreate something similar with the right prompt, it doesn’t come close to the heart or care that was put into this original artwork and it doesn’t quite look the same.

There is one place getting more attention lately for increasing the quality of conversations: in-person.

“Can you please send that link to my email?” I ask, innocently. I prefer to open the link and order whatever it is my teen needs on my desktop rather than my phone.