Take 5: for Adults – Social Media with Dr. Jill Walsh HERE
Digital and social media create many opportunities and challenges for children and adolescents. The same is true for parents and caregivers who are tasked with guiding them through adolescence in a mediated world; a world most of us never experienced until adulthood. We cannot pretend that digital technology does not impact teens, but in what ways and to what effects? Why are they always on their phones? And exactly what is going on with Fortnite?
Dr. Walsh’s talk will outline the landscape of tween/teen digital media use and provide insights for caregivers trying to navigate this world with them. Particular emphasis will be placed on what draws them to the digital space and how to engage in positive and productive conversations about their technology consumption. Using examples from her research, she will discuss the good, the bad, and the just plain confusing in their mediated experiences.
Dr. Jill Wash is a researcher and lecturer at Boston University, and an advocate for our children. She studies their world, learns from their perspective, and translates that on a global scale to help close the generational gap. So that parents and educators are able to make informed decisions around the digital, social and emotional health of our kids.
Dr Walsh obtained a PhD in Sociology from Boston University, and earlier earned a Masters in Public Policy from Brown University and a B.A. from Harvard University.
Her recent work examines the way that social media, and the need to document the self online, has altered the paths to adolescent development.
