"Tech Wise" campaign theme

Info

Summary

Promoting prudent technology use in child education.

Topics

  • Displacement of developmental motor skills like handwriting.
  • Learning issues with “dictation note taking” on laptops. Studies show consolidating thoughts and handwriting notes makes better test scores.
  • Screens poses a distraction to learning content.

Objectives

  • Inform educators of risks of developmental delay and missed milestones when technology replaces certain skills.

  • Form informational campaigns to broadcast the harms children have already experienced related to overuse or inappropriate technology use in schools.

  • Form research groups within school districts measuring motor skills like handwriting and hours spent on laptops vs tablets vs no tech. (Washington DC has high tech and no tech schools).

  • Form a foundation to support case study review/data collection & research in spine health (neuro, orthopedic and pediatric doctors). A child teen ergonomic advocacy group- to avoid harms in neuromuscular development.

  • Form a multidisciplinary group of physicians (multiple specific specialties), psychologists, physical and occupational therapists, and developmental specialists to collectively come up with guidelines and restrictions on screen use based on real harms seen and theoretical predictions of harm.

Description

While some people are successful at limiting screentime for kids, they are inevitably exposed to technology at school. Educators have good intentions using technology to teach subjects and even making technology THE subject to learn. Unfortunately, educators are not given the information needed to preserve education while using technology. Depending on the use, technology is in schools is replacing some basic skills like handwriting and social emotional peer contact with tools like google classroom.

Tablet apps to learn math and spelling are distracting with screenbased awards which change the screen multiple times causing dopamine surges to crave more rewards.

Schools are placed in a difficult position to provide an ergonomically safe tech setup with no funding for this…. the result unfortunately is ill positioning of rapidly growing bodies. This leads to neuromuscular and postural issues. Some kids are at more risk than others, so often it appears as if everything is ok. There are no protections against harms and no awareness either.

Strategy

  • This theme does not require a high-level strategy. Strategies can be found on individual campaigns.

Campaigns

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