Millennial parents are constantly looking for ways to “life-hack” their parenting and make parenthood a breeze. YouTube channel ‘Ms. Rachel’ is the newest of the tools parents are utilizing, and the results are astonishing. Parents all over social media are praising ‘Ms. Rachel’ for teaching their children to talk (along with teaching skills like sign language). Virtual learning tools are a great way to help supplement the education your child receives, but with screen time comes burnout. To prevent screen time burnout for your child, try our safe-screen home setup and management with our GKISConnected Family Course, suitable for parents with toddlers to teens.
Who is ‘Ms. Rachel’?
‘Ms. Rachel’ is a teacher who created “Songs for Littles,” a YouTube channel that has 3.03 million subscribers and 1.7 billion views despite only having 102 videos made since its creation in early 2019.[1] Rachel Griffin Accurso (Ms. Rachel) creates educational videos that are backed by research and learning standards important for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers with the help of a large team. Accurso has a masters degree in music education from NYU and is currently working on her second masters in early childhood education.[2]
Accurso was motivated to create the channel after her own son was diagnosed with a speech delay. Her son inspired her to create a show to encourage language development and help children reach important learning milestones.[3] Accurso employs psychological principles like mirroring and encourages viewers to follow along with her sign and body language to build speech and language skills. Mirroring involves the mimicry of reflecting speech or behavior to help children learn to develop skills on their own.[4]
Social Media Praise
Parents all over social media have sung high praise for Ms. Rachel, even crediting her for being the reason their children say their first words. Beyond just speaking, users have also shared videos of their kids expressing themselves using sign language.
TikTok user Cw1908 shared a video of her 2-year-old daughter signing and saying, “I want more milk, I want more.”[5] The comments of the video are filled with parents sharing their experiences with Ms. Rachel as well. TikTok user Yesys13 writes, “OMG! My daughter is almost 3 and has a speech delay. Mrs. Rachel has helped her communicate with us a lot easier without frustration!”[6] User Sweetness.103 writes, “I play Ms. Rachel and my baby can read for my grandbaby.”[7]
Even parents who are cautious about screen time in infanthood share their praise for Ms. Rachel and share that the benefits outweigh their anxieties. TikTok user Nataliaa_calles shared, “I was very hesitant to allow screen time with Ivy. I heard many kids’ shows become addictive. I researched a lot of different YouTubers to help my daughter’s brain development, and Ms. Rachel was the best. Ivyanah has now learned ‘momma’ (6 months old). She’s been saying it for weeks now.”[8]
Ms. Rachel’s videos seem to help both children who are just developing their language skills and those who are developmentally delayed. Comment by user Irisloc112 on the aforementioned video states, “My son has no word at almost 3. We started watching Ms. Rachel, and now he doesn’t stop talking 5 months later.”[9]
It is not just moms on TikTok who are praising Ms. Rachel. Jasmin, 27, shared with GKIS all about how her child has learned to talk with the help of Ms. Rachel’s videos. “I started playing Ms. Rachel for my son when he was about 3 months old. I heard good reviews about Ms. Rachel and how she teaches kids important skills such as speech, movements, and emotions. I thought it was a great way for my son to learn at an early stage. From watching Ms. Rachel’s videos my son has learned how to say ‘Mama’ and ‘Dada’. His first word was ‘Mama’ at 7 months old. He always laughs and talks while I have Ms. Rachel playing on the TV. I would recommend Ms. Rachel’s videos because I believe they can help many kids who are behind in speech development or any kids who are struggling to express their feelings and emotions.”
It turns out that grandparents are crazy for Ms. Rachel too! Dr. Bennett shared that she just returned from a weekend vacation with her first grandchild and said that is the one show that keeps his attention the whole time. She found herself singing along and repeating Ms. Rachel along with him. He too is signing as well as talking and singing.
Benefits of Teaching Language Early
Most infants begin babbling around 4 months of age and say their first recognizable word around 12 to 18 months old.[10] Babies learn speech through socialization and the world around them. They closely watch their parents’ reactions to sounds and conversations with others. Through this observation, babies begin to mimic and mirror the people around them.[11] The most effective way to help your child learn to speak is by spending time talking and interacting with them. However, all parents need a break, so having an occasional virtual “co-parent” can help a lot.
Delayed speech development is associated with developmental risks down the line such as academic difficulties, learning disabilities, social difficulties, anxiety, and behavioral problems.[12] By teaching your child to learn language early, you can help to avoid these risks and reap all the benefits of early language development. Research has shown that developing a large vocabulary increases creativity.[13] Language development also helps children understand and process their emotions, analyze ideas, develop critical thinking skills, and set the foundation for most future learning.[14]
If you are worried about your child developing a digital injury such as screen addiction while utilizing virtual learning tools, check out our GKISScreen Safety Essentials Course. Co-viewing the content your child is consuming and using to learn can help your child avoid burnout. When you’re tired of watching a screen, they probably are too!
[5] Watkins, C. [@cw1908]. (2023). Its time for songs for littlessss!! #MrsRachel #songsforlittles #signlanguage #Shadybaby @Ms Rachel [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRWNRVM4/
[6] Rico, Yesi. [@yesys13]. (2023). Re: Its time for songs for littlessss!! #MrsRachel #songsforlittles #signlanguage #Shadybaby @Ms Rachel [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRWNRVM4/ [7] Ronnie. [@sweetness.103]. (2023). Re: Its time for songs for littlessss!! #MrsRachel #songsforlittles #signlanguage #Shadybaby @Ms Rachel [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRWNRVM4/
The creation of the Internet has transformed society in every way imaginable, and 84% of us use it every day.[1] The two generations that grew up with the Internet are millennials and generation Z. You may be surprised at how differently these two groups use it, and how it’s affected them as human beings overall. Today’s GKIS article highlights the difference between teens and young adults and those who are 25 and older. If you’d like to help prepare your gen Z’s for healthy Internet media consumption by building good habits and communication, check out our Screen Safety Essentials Course.
What defines a generation?
A generation refers to all people born and living around the same time. The average period of a generation is 20 to 30 years, and the cutoffs are defined by when people become adults and start having children of their own. Although the specific years that group a generation is often up for debate, for our purposes we define millennials to be anyone born between 1981 and 1996 and generation Z to be anyone born between 1997 and 2012. That means millennials are currently between the ages of 26 and 41, and Gen Zs are between the ages of 10 and 25. Millennials were in their teen years when they first started using social media and gen Z’s were still children when they ventured into online neighborhoods independently.
Millennials and the Internet: Jackie’s POV
To gather better insight into how millennials view and interact with the internet, I interviewed Jackie (age 25).
Jackie started using Instagram and Facebook when she was 16 years old. She considers the biggest impact social media had on her was the comparison. Comparing her social media posts to others’ posts was the biggest issue she thinks she faced. It’s an issue for her because when she would compare posts, insecurities often arose. She said that constantly seeing others’ posts of selfies, vacation pictures, and pictures with significant others and friends made her feel inadequate, especially when she was much younger. She overcame those issues by no longer using social media as often.
Gen Z and the Internet: Sophia’s POV
To better understand gen Z’s views and interactions with the internet, I interviewed Sophia (age 12) about her experiences.
Sophia started using social media when she was 10 years old, specifically Snapchat and TikTok. She feels that the biggest impact social media had on her was the concern of appearing ‘cringe’ online and in front of others in real life. Micro-managing one’s appearance and mannerisms is another problem many gen Zs face. Snapchat and TikTok often contain videos of people recording others doing things, sometimes without their knowledge. Certain behaviors are labeled as ‘cringe’ or ‘embarrassing’ by others in comment sections. Nowadays, she says she still uses social media often but not as much as she used to, claiming she used to be glued to her screen 24/7 when she first started.
Compare and Despair
The biggest similarity between the two is the micro-management of what is shared online. Many are concerned with how they’re perceived on social media in addition to comparing their lives to others. Curating the perfect image or life is something that seems to be an issue for many social media users regardless of age.
The negativity and insecurities that come from social media aren’t age-restricted. However, it can have a particularly heavy effect on tweens and teens. Our Social Media Readiness Course can help with that. By teaching kids the red flags of digital injury and clinically tested psychological wellness tools, we can help prepare your kids for safer screen use and prevent feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and the desire to compare online.
More Access and More Influence on Self-Identity
Taking both interviews and research into consideration, it seems that there are both similarities and differences in how both generations interact with the Internet. The biggest difference is that gen Z has been exposed to social media much younger than millennials before they solidly formed self-identity. Further, more social media platforms and sophisticated personal mobile devices were available to them – giving them almost constant, on-demand, mutual contact with peers and strangers.
Parent Replacement
In addition, more parents were inclined to help introduce technology to gen Z children. Smartphones became a sort of transitional object assigned by parents as their substitute.[2] This is something millennial children never experienced because smartphones weren’t around when they were toddlers and young children.
More Competence and Confidence Online
Those exposed to the Internet at younger ages tend to be more savvy and aware of online dangers. Research demonstrates that gen Zs tend to have more confidence protecting themselves online than people who are 25 and older.[1].
Self-Guided Learning Opportunities
Those who love to self-direct their learning argue that early browsing offered opportunities that older generations didn’t have. They say that the internet offered them a tremendous breadth of opportunity and a depth of learning as they directed themselves into deeper and deeper learning.[3]
However, from a developmental stance, gen Z kids who use such advanced technology to assist them in critical thinking and comprehension can have downsides. One is known as the Google Effect, also known as digital amnesia. By using the Internet, we end up storing less information in our biological memory, becoming less knowledgeable overall.[4] Another problem is that gen Zs use advanced search engines and smartphones to cheat by looking up answers to homework and quizzes. Learn more in our GKIS articles, The Google Effect. Because Memorizing is So Yesterday andSiri and Alexa Help Kids Cheat on Homework.
Social Impacts
Internet access at young ages can have developmental effects on social development as well. Positive aspects include convenient social management tools during interpersonal conflicts, like pause or block options for regulation and impulse control, and the creation of virtual identities for experimentation and practice.[2]
Potential negative effects include feelings of social inadequacy and exclusion, increased risk of body dysmorphic disorders, and exposure to cyberbullying and interpersonal exploitation. Insta-Famous Brings Insta-Anxiety is a GKIS blog article that touches on the risks that can arise from using social media.
GKIS Tools That Can Help
Our free GKIS blog articles are an excellent source of information, from parenting tips to media headlines, child development, and much more.
Our Screen Safety Toolkit offers a great resource guide so you can find the tools necessary to implement proper management, monitoring, and supervision to navigate the Internet more safely.
[1] Jiang, M., Tsai, H. S., Cotten, S. R., Rifon, N. J., LaRose, R., & Alhabash, S. (2016). Generational differences in online safety perceptions, knowledge, and practices. Educational Gerontology, 42(9), 621–634. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csuci.edu/10.1080/03601277.2016.1205408
[3] Ransdell, S., Kent, B., Gaillard, K. S., & Long, J. (2011). Digital immigrants fare better than digital natives due to social reliance. British Journal of Educational Technology, 42(6), 931–938. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csuci.edu/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2010.01137.x
[4] Heersmink, R. (2016). The Internet, cognitive enhancement, and the values of cognition. Minds and Machines: Journal for Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy and Cognitive Science, 26(4), 389–407. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csuci.edu/10.1007/s11023-016-9404-3
No matter how much we want to keep our children from experiencing the terrible things in life, it is impossible to shelter them completely. They will fail. They will get stressed. And they will experience loss. A challenge is figuring out when to step in for prevention or help them cope and when to arrange for expert treatment. Since the pandemic, the need for mental health treatment has skyrocketed. There aren’t enough mental health providers to meet the need of children and teens. Today’s article covers how to best help your kids through challenging times. In response to recent events, Dr. Bennett has created a FREE FAMILY GUIDE FOR COPING WITH TRAGEDY. Please download and share it on your social media with friends and family. If you’d like to help your family develop better communication and more awareness and accountability, check out our Screen Safety Essentials Course. It offers everything you need to close screen-risk gaps and improve overall mental health.
Being Proactive
Being a parent is the most rewarding challenge we face. At the same time, it is often difficult and goes largely underappreciated. As the world continues to unleash tragedy after tragedy, it’s our job to guide our kids safely through to the other side. That requires support on our end for certain but also skill-building on theirs. Having the right tools to deal with these threats to family happiness and cohesiveness can make the difference between being a good parent and a great parent.
Staying Vigilant
Without knowing what to look for, it may be impossible to identify early warning signs that your child is in trouble. While hindsight is 20/20, it can be difficult to notice the small indications that your guidance is needed. No one knows your kid better than you. You’re the most capable person for noticing changes in their behavior. If your parental instincts are signaling that something is wrong, increase monitoring and follow up.
Active Listening
While it is important to actively communicate with your child, it can be difficult to steer the conversation in a way that puts them in a position to tell you what they need. Listening is a critical parenting skill.
To encourage your child to open up, ask a non-leading general question that will not influence their answer, such as “Is there anything bothering you?” or, “Have you heard or seen anything that is upsetting recently?” By asking general questions that allow them to direct the conversation, you can effectively gauge how your kid is doing and choose a proper strategy to guide them.
Treading Gently and Honestly
Honesty is important when dealing with kids. After all, trust lies the foundation for ongoing and open communication. Because kids can “sense” when there is something going on, creating an environment of openness and receptivity is key.
Although there is no clear “right” or “wrong” way to teach kids about tragedy, offering reassurance that they are safe and letting them know you will cope as a family is of great importance. Being honest about your feelings offers an excellent model of vulnerability and courage, while reframing challenges offer hope and opportunities for closeness and growth.
Spending Quality Time with Them
Being present and spending time together as a family is of huge comfort to kids. Research has shown that spending quality time with children helps them to develop mental and emotional fortitude.[1] By spending quality time with your child, they feel more protected and are less likely to develop behavioral problems, and are more likely to develop better emotional regulation skills. Thus, children of parents who spend quality time with them become better equipped to deal with stressful situations.
Validating Their Feelings
Emotional validation is the expression of acceptance of another person’s emotional experience through learning and understanding.[2] When a parent is accepting and understanding of a child’s feelings, the child is more likely to feel loved and respected. When a child’s emotional experience is not validated, it can lead to feelings of rejection and psychological distress.
Keen emotional intelligence is needed to effectively recognize one’s own emotions and manage them in a healthy way. Yet, children often do not have the emotional intelligence and the emotion regulation skills necessary to deal with stressful stimuli. That develops with patient coaching and modeling from caring and engaged parents.
Distress tolerance is a person’s ability to prevent oneself from becoming emotionally overwhelmed when confronted with stressful situations.[2] When confronted with stressful situations out of one’s control, it can be more difficult to regulate one’s emotions and effectively communicate one’s feelings. [3] Validation is a powerful tool to help children learn to regulate their emotions. When children feel that their emotions are validated, they become more willing to share how they feel, which leads to more honest dialogue and mutual respect.[2] First conversations offer the scaffolding for positive growth, and later conversations polish those skill sets and offer deeper, more complex abilities.
When to Get Help from a Professional
Not every child will need therapy in their life. However, if you feel your child is demonstrating severely impairing symptoms, are not making improvement over time, or are demonstrating self-harm or suicidal ideation, it may be time to seek expert help. Dr. Bennett has been offering psychotherapy for children, teens, and adults for over 25 years. Although she does integrate play therapy into sessions, she feels the most powerful change happens when she works as a team for the family to set measurable goals, offers behavioral incentives and rewards, and offers cognitive-behavioral and dialectical behavior toolkits like those offered in the GetKidsInternetSafe Essentials Course for the family and our Social Media Readiness Course for tweens and teens.
Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills to process emotions and problem-solve without becoming overwhelmed.[1]
DBT can teach a child these skills:
recognizing when a situation is out of their control and accepting the fact that they cannot change it
learning to self-soothe – using adaptive coping skills to relieve stress and anxiety
learning to recognize and stop impulsive behavior in favor of thinking rationally
learning to assess the pros and cons of one’s actions before reacting
learning to utilize TIPP skills – skills to quickly calm the limbic system and reset one’s emotional arousal levels
If you are looking for other useful tips about how to make the internet a safer place for your family, you can get parenting and family coaching information, support, and other valuable information from the GKIS Essentials Course. Also, check out the GKIS blog for other entertaining and informative articles.
Thanks to CSUCI intern, Michael Watson for researching coping skills for children in dealing with tragedy.
I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.
[1] Jones, C. (2017). What are the benefit of spending quality time with your kids. 10 Minutes of Quality Time. https://10minutesofqualitytime.com/what-are-the-benefits-spending-quality-time-kids/
[2] Linehan, M. M. (2014). DBT skills training handouts and worksheets. Guilford Publications.
[3] Chapman, A., Gratz, K., & Tull, M. (2011). The dialectical behavior therapy skills workbook for anxiety: Breaking free from worry, panic, PTSD, and other anxiety symptoms. New Harbinger Publications.
It is no surprise that homeschooling has been on the rise in the last few years. What is surprising is the new concept – “unschooling.” In this article we are going to delve into the world of traditional homeschooling and the newer model, “unschooling.” Is your kid ready for unschooling? Is the world ready for unschooling? Whether your child is at home or in school they are going to be active participants in social media and the world of screens. Dr. Bennett’s Social Media Readiness Training for Teens and Tweens will reduce your child’s risk of digital injury and take the stress of navigating the social media world off you.
Why homeschool?
We are an individualistic culture in the United States. We prioritize having the freedom of choice. We promote the idea that we are all unique individuals with our own creatively cultivated paths in life. It has been argued that the public school system does not do enough to support individuality and freedom of choice. Instead, public schools tend to set one curriculum for each grade. For many years, the majority of families accepted that same-age children must follow the same curriculum from grade school to high school.
But within the past half-century, many parents have chosen a more flexible curriculum by choosing to homeschool.[1] The U.S. Census Bureau reported that when schools shut down due to the COVID19 pandemic in 2020, 5% of US families homeschooled their children. Currently, that figure has risen to 11%.[2]
The Original Homeschool Format
While education laws differ by state, the general concept of homeschooling refers to an individualized education program where a teacher comes to the child’s home or the parent teaches their child with materials provided by the local public or private school.[3] This can be particularly beneficial for children that have emotional or physical disabilities or if you’d just prefer to be the one to teach your child. With homeschooling, the child still benefits from a set curriculum and resources.
What is unschooling?
Although there are some overlaps, unschooling is not the same as homeschooling. Unschooling does not follow a set curriculum, instead, it welcomes the child’s freedom of choice. Parents that choose the unschooling route allow their children to choose what they learn and when. Since there is no set curriculum and each child is taught differently.
The concept of unschooling started in the 1960s. It is not entirely new but not as common as homeschooling.[4] Unschooling aims to help children desire to learn by allowing them to choose what to learn about. Concepts are not forced onto the children and there are more hands-on opportunities for learning. It is believed that by allowing children to indulge in their own interests, you are allowing them to find their own path in life. A lot of people follow the path of their parents or what they are told to do and ultimately end up unhappy in their chosen career path. Unschooling is a great way to help a child find their special niche.
Why deviate from the public and private school programs?
There are many reasons why a parent may choose to take their child out of school and turn to homeschooling or unschooling. Some parents choose to do this due to political disagreements, religious reasons, wanting to be closer to their children, or to cater to special needs.[5] Others want to integrate their family’s beliefs and values into the curriculum. Each reason is an individual as the participating families.
Pros to Homeschooling Your Child
The family dynamic may grow stronger with more time together.
Children are likely more protected from bullying.
Parents get the liberty to decide aspects of the curriculum.
Hands-on activities, like field trips, occur more frequently.
Unique content may be integrated into the child’s day, ultimately triggering a unique skill or interest set.
Cons To Homeschooling Your Child
There may be a lack of resources compared to larger schools.
Parents and kids may have less personal time.
There are more potential conflicts due to overworked parents in dual roles.
Kids are likely to have fewer peer-to-peer interactions.
There may be fewer opportunities for exposure to student and teacher diversity.
Elements of a traditional curriculum may be bypassed and cause some challenges later for the child.
While there are many aspects of homeschooling and unschooling that are similar, unschooling also has its set of pros and cons that add to the homeschooling lists above.
Pros to Unschooling Your Child
Children get more freedom to choose what they learn about.
Kids have more opportunities for extracurricular activities.
Parents can choose how to teach.
Cons to Unschooling Your Child
Children are less likely to be learning the same things as their peers.
If a child decides to continue with “regular” education when they are older, they may feel behind or fearful of the rules and regulations.
A lack of structure can cause anxiety in parents and children.
Which is the better option?
Parents must consider not only the best program for their child but also what is best for them since they may be taking on the teacher role. Considerations include your skillset and available time for teaching and mentorship as well as your child’s goals, personality, and learning style and how much peer interaction they need.
We at GKIS celebrate freedom of choice, creativity, and the love of learning! To facilitate close family connection and effective communication, check out our weekly parenting/family coaching videos and other valuable resources from the GKIS Screen Safety Essentials Course.
If you liked this article about unschooling, you may also enjoy Family-Friendly Activity Ideas for inspiration on hands-on activities to do with your child.
Thanks to CSUCI intern, Tara Meizel for researching the different types of homeschooling and co-authoring this article.
I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.
[1] LINES, P. M. (2000). Homeschooling comes of age. Public Interest, 74. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A63856605/AONE?u=csuci&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=a2cf9ae8
[2] Lambert, D. (2021, July 1). Pandemic drives sharp rise in California families opening their own home schools. EdSource. Retrieved October 27, 2021, from https://edsource.org/2021/pandemic-drives-sharp-rise-in-families-opening-their-own-homeschools/657233.
[3] Schooling at Home. Schooling at Home – Private Schools and Schooling at Home (CA Dept of Education). (2020). Retrieved October 27, 2021, from https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ps/homeschool.asp.
[4] School’s out forever. (2012). The Wilson Quarterly, 36(2), 64+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A306514910/AONE?u=csuci&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=5d9f9b5f
[5] Preethi, V., & Lawrence, A. S. A. (2021). Homeschooling: A paradigm shift during COVID-19 crisis. Researchgate.net. Retrieved October 28, 2021, from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Arul-Lawrence-A-S/publication/349477381_HOMESCHOOLING_A_PARADIGM_SHIFT_DURING_COVID-19_CRISIS/links/603239ac299bf1cc26de16be/HOMESCHOOLING-A-PARADIGM-SHIFT-DURING-COVID-19-CRISIS.pdf.
Screen devices are an integral part of most kids’ daily lives. Games are easy to access from their smartphone. They have friends sending messages throughout the day. Notifications from social media draw their attention. And online learning adds extra hours to the approximately 4 to 9 hours kids spent a day before the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] To help achieve screen sanity at your home, enjoy Dr. Bennett’s weekly coaching videos on the GetKidsInternetSafe App. While attending to sensible rules and tools for screen safety, parents cannot overlook the health cost of excessive screen use to our eyes. Visual hygiene may be defined as mindful actions taken to reduce potential harm to our visual system and to keep it working at its best.[2]
What is digital eye strain?
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) or Digital Eye Strain is defined by the American Optometric Association as issues related to the eye or the visual perception as a result of extended screen use. Research in this area indicates that at least 50% of computer users have experienced these symptoms which include dry eyes, blurry vision, strained eyes, and headaches.[3]
While CVS is believed to be temporary, it’s still important to err on the side of caution. Research that attempts to declare causation is a tricky area for scientists, especially when considering the many factors which may come into play such as the subject’s socioeconomic status, genetics, and third contributary variables.
What can cause digital eye strain?
Screen use over an extended period is the primary cause of digital eye strain. Here are some additional considerations:
Blinking Less
When we look at our screens, we are believed to blink around 66% less than we normally do.[4] As a result, we may feel a drying or burning sensation after an extended period of screen use.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is a type of science that studies how to maximize healthy body positioning and movement efficiency. Healthy ergonomics can be broadly applied and specified to functions such as our vision. Some visual ergonomic factors include screen distance, brightness, and posture.
Poor ergonomics may result in digital eye strain if the screen is too bright compared to the surrounding area. And if the screen is too close, our eyes may begin to cross (a normal visual function known as convergence).
Habits to Improve Visual Hygiene
Just as we maintain oral hygiene through brushing at least twice a day, keeping good visual hygiene can avoid strain or injury. Here are a few tips on preventing digital eye strain and improving your visual hygiene:
20-20-20 Rule
The 20-20-20 Rule states that for every 20 minutes of screen use, we should spend at least 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet away. Changing focus prevents visual fatigue. This is a simple and quick task, and you can even make it more fun by playing I-Spy outside the house with your kid!
Night Mode/Red Light Mode
Night mode or Red-light mode is one of the newer options to control the type of light emitted from our screen devices. Blue light is a high-energy type of light that is most commonly emitted from screen devices. Optometrists believe that this type of light is a primary cause of eye strain.[5]
Lens manufacturers have created a protective lens to help. However, research on the benefits of blue light blocking lenses is mixed. Instead of investing in blue light blocking lenses, we can simply switch the high-energy blue light on our screen devices to a lower energy, warmer tone through the brightness or display settings on our screen devices.
Blue light also negatively impacts the production of our body’s sleep regulating hormone, melatonin. Check out our article Why Good Sleep is Critical for Child and Teen Health to explore the factors which impact our sleep, including the emission of blue light.
Maintaining Proper Distance
The American Optometric Association states that we should keep our computer screen 20-28 inches away from our eyes (or about 3/4 of an arm’s length). Additionally, the screen should be around 15-20 degrees below our eyes for an optimized screen experience.[5]
Maintaining Proper Lighting
Be particularly cognizant of how bright your screen is during the daytime versus during the nighttime. Improper lighting will lead to eye strain due to the eyes trying to accommodate the contrasting brightness. Another tip to keep in mind is to keep your screen clean so you can avoid glare from other light sources.[4]
Break Often
While the 20-20-20 rule is a great habit to keep in mind, frequent short breaks are also great to give your eyes a break.
The Pomodoro Technique is a technique for efficient studying which states that for every 25 minutes of work, you take a 5-minute break. Breaks allow you to take a stretch and admire the view outside! If you do decide to take a longer break, try relaxing outside, playing a sport, or walking around the block. The main idea here is to get away from up-close, artificial light sources and to have your eyes adjust to things further away out in the natural world.
Thanks to CSUCI intern, Avery Flower for researching Computer Vision Syndrome and Visual Hygiene, and for co-authoring this article.
I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.
Most of us do not put much thought into reading, but not everybody has this privilege. Dyslexia is a cognitive disability that impacts someone’s abilities to read, write, or spell.[1] Letters that look similar and sound similar—such as n and m, w and m, and p, b, d, and q—are most frequently mixed up. To illustrate this, reading the sentence “Briana went to the park to walk her dog” may be read as “Briana wemt to the dark to malk her bog” for an individual with dyslexia. While some of us may mix these letters up occasionally, individuals with dyslexia chronically mix letters up to the point that it interferes with their daily life.
How common is dyslexia?
The DyslexiaHelp organization at the University of Michigan notes that 7 to 10% of the population have dyslexia. Individuals with dyslexia also represent around 70 to 80% of the population that have reading difficulties.[2] While dyslexia impairs an individual’s ability to read, write, or spell, this impairment does not affect one’s intelligence.
Dyslexia can lead to slow reading, poor language, messy handwriting, and a limited vocabulary. Behavioral issues such as tantrums, crying, and isolation may also manifest due to frustration. With proper treatment, impairment due to dyslexia can be improved. Children are especially adept at responding to treatment due to their remarkable ability to learn and adapt.
Assistive Technology
Assistive technology is a type of device or application designed to ease the symptoms of a disability.[3] In the case of treating symptoms of dyslexia, assistive technology has been refined throughout the years and garnered large satisfaction among users.
Scientists such as Tamik and Latif from the National University of Sciences and Technology are carrying out promising research for the development and accessibility of assistive technology for individuals with dyslexia. Putting the application they developed to the test, they found that their app helps significantly improves the writing for kids with dyslexia.[4] In a study by Draffan and colleagues looking at how assistive technology is used among 455 students with dyslexia, 90% of subjects found it helpful.[5]
Not only can assistive technology make things easier at the moment, but there can also be transfer effects which are benefits generalized to other things. A 2017 study by Lindeblad and colleagues put 35 children with dyslexia in a specialized program utilizing assistive technology applications. A year follow-up indicated that the children’s literacy increased at the same rate as their non-dyslexic peers.[6]
Maximizing Your Child’s Smartphone
Newer smartphones are becoming increasingly sophisticated and accessible for a diverse range of users. With smartphones, assistive technology is at our fingertips!
While a smartphone is easily accessible and can aid with alleviating symptoms of dyslexia, we at GKIS recommend that you consult with a school or private disability program prior to app adoption. Specialized programs will not only help you assess the severity of the learning disability, but they often give you access to specially designed tools that are straightforward and multifunctional.
Here are few steps on optimizing your kid’s smartphone experience:
Text-to-Speech
To have your smartphone read to you, simply highlight a word, sentence, or the entire page. To set this up on your iPhone, go to Settings -> Accessibility -> Spoken Content, then turn on the speech selection. For Android phones, download the Android Accessibility Suite by Google LLC, then go to Settings -> Accessibility -> Installed Services, then turn on Select to Speak.
Speech-to-Text
Simply, dictation is defined as translating spoken word into text. While there are specific disability devices that offer this, the latest smartphones are now equipped for dictation. Click here to learn how to use dictation for iPhone. Click here to learn how to use dictation for Android.
Recording
Recording devices have proven as useful aids for individuals with dyslexia. Not only will they be able to reference the class discussion with full detail, but they can also feel at ease now that they can write notes at their own pace. To access the Voice Memos app quickly on iPhone, go to Settings -> Control Center, then click the green plus button to add the shortcut to the Control Center. On Android, the built-in app “Voice Recorder” is located in the App drawer.
Scanning and Reading
Scanning and reading pens are often distributed through disability services. However, many smartphones are now able to do this. With the application Prizmo, you can scan a typed document which will then translate into text. From here, you can use the text-to-speech functions on your smartphone to have it read out loud to you.
Text Display
With an iPhone, you can go to Settings -> Accessibility -> Display & Text, and from here, you can turn on Bold Text. From this same page, you can also go to “Larger Text” and play around with the sizes to fit one that works best for your child. On Androids, you can go to Settings -> Accessibility -> Font Size, and play with the options from here.
Note: Due to the wide range of Android devices, the provided Android settings may be accessed differently depending on the version.
The Internet is host to an endless stream of potential sources that can help your child, but it is important to be careful of any potential marketing ploys that are from unverified sources or people without credentials. To help provide your child and yourself with a keen-eye on spotting scams, check out our How to Spot Marketing supplement that is the perfect addition to your free Connected Family Agreement.
Thanks to CSUCI intern, Avery Flower for researching assistive technology and dyslexia, and for co-authoring this article.
I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.
[1] Azorín, E. I., Martin-Lobo, P., Vergara-Moragues, E., & Calvo, A. (2019). Profile and neuropsychological differences in adolescent students with and without dyslexia. Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología, 51(2), 83–92.
[4] Tariq, R., & Latif, S. (2016). A mobile application to improve learning performance of dyslexic children with writing difficulties. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 19(4), 151–166.
[5] Draffan, E. A., Evans, D. G., & Blenkhorn, P. (2007). Use of assistive technology by students with dyslexia in post-secondary education. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 2(2), 105–116. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csuci.edu/10.1080/17483100601178492
[6] Lindeblad, E., Nilsson, S., Gustafson, S., & Svensson, I. (2017). Assistive technology as reading interventions for children with reading impairments with a one-year follow-up. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 12(7), 713–724. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csuci.edu/10.1080/17483107.2016.1253116
Thanks to CSUCI intern, Katherine Carroll for researching Ms. Rachel and language development. 
