Durable Human (2 book series)

Baby’s Screen Time Linked to Mom’s Mental Health

New mom smiling at newborn reaching out to touch her face

The time a baby spends on screens can have a lot to do with the mother’s mental health.

Two new studies in JAMA Pediatrics show an association between babies’ screen use and delays in their development, especially in the areas of learning to speak and problem-solving.

The more screen exposure, the more delays.

In the studies—both from Japan—the states of mind of the mothers affected the time their babies spent using digital devices.

“Lower developmental scores were associated with increased screen time in children with maternal psychological distress,” the first study states.

Postpartum Depression and Anxiety are Widespread

Depression is a vexingly common disorder among pregnant and new moms. 1 in 8  has depression or anxiety severe enough to require medical care, according to the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

A mother may be diagnosed with postpartum depression or anxiety if her feelings of sadness, emptiness, fear, or worry last for weeks and interfere with the tasks of everyday life.

Turning to screens is how some depressed and anxious parents cope.

As one mom recalls from before she was treated for postpartum depression, “I sat [my infant son] in a bouncy seat in front of the TV to get things done and take my mind off my anxiety and show something was getting accomplished.”

Many Parents Still Unaware of Screen Time Guidelines

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New Tools Help Parents of Young Children Manage and Question Screen Use

3 preschool age kids have lumch. photo by Nappy

The Screen Aware Early Childhood Kit is a game changer for caregivers of young children who’ve lacked the words and wherewithal to talk with daycares, schools, babysitters, and relatives about the role of screens.

It’s so satisfying to have the right tool for the right job. A flathead won’t do when you need a phillips screwdriver. Plyers are different from a wrench.

But since the arrival of digital devices, parents have had precious few tools to work with. They quickly learned, for instance, there’s no lunchbox to contain social media.

Now comes a fact-filled fleet of info products to help caregivers manage screen use by and around children from birth until at least age 8. The toolkit arrives just as alarming new evidence floods in about how screen use can harm babies, toddlers, and young children.

The kit’s 10 research-backed fact-and-action sheets not only give parents a hand, but teachers, schools, and daycare providers, too.   

5 Fact and Action Sheets from the Screen Aware Early Childhood Kit

Meeting Children’s Real Needs

Fact Sheet 1 answers to basic question “What do young children need?”

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Warning Labels on Social Media Suggested as Way to Protect Children

Depiction of Social Media Warning that could be used to protect children online, a concept discussed in the US Senate Judiciary Committee.

Putting warning labels on social media is among strategies to better protect child users being discussed by a U.S. Senate committee. 

At the hearing “Protecting Our Children Online,” witnesses called by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary described a digital environment replete with social media harms. They also discussed ways for Congress to act.

Parent Nightmares Continue

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My Dad the Jetson: A Durable Human Life Lesson

Durable Human Exemplar in a Durable Human shirt

Especially with the arrival of ChatGPT and other artificially intelligent helpers, if you want to be a durable human, you need to know how you differ from machines.

For starters, you are completely one-of-a-kind, whereas machines can be duplicated endlessly. You’re also a powerhouse of resources, starting with your masterful palette of senses. Sure, that’s the Famous Five, but also intuition, compassion, humor, and muscle memory, to name just a few. Children embody the all-important sense of wonder. (Read more in The Durable Human Manifesto)

Unlike what can be the seesaw of resilient, if you are durable, you are consistently active and effective for as long as possible.

Being a fully expressed “Durable Human” is an ideal. Like playing golf, you never quite reach perfection. But my dad came close. 

A Mind of His Own

Consider how he lived just one day we were together in October 2022. He was 98 ¾ years old. It would have been the 75th anniversary of marrying my mom, who had passed away 10 years before.

As he did first thing each morning, my dad read two newspapers. Later, he’d watch the evening news and often recorded other news, information, or entertainment shows to view at his convenience.

Sometimes he was troubled by what he read or saw, but he had a neat trick for staying on the bright side.

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