Have we been asking the wrong questions about screen time all along? S9 | Ep227

<p>Technology is everywhere in family life, but does that mean it has to be all-or-nothing?</p><p>In this episode, Meg speaks to <strong>Rachel Barr, researcher at Georgetown University</strong>, about what 25 years of research tells us about young children, technology and learning. They unpack why not all technology is created equal, the impact of <strong>technoference</strong> on parent-child connection, how algorithms are designed to keep us watching and why some screen experiences can be more supportive of learning than others.</p><p>Rachel also shares practical ways parents can use technology more intentionally, from creating family media plans and finding natural “off-ramps” to using <strong>joint media engagement</strong> to support language and learning.</p><p>Most importantly, this conversation moves away from rigid rules and parenting guilt towards something more realistic: <strong>making a plan that works for your family and revisiting it as your family changes.</strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>IN THIS EPISODE YOU&#39;LL LEARN</strong></p><ul><li><p>Why <strong>not all technology is created equal</strong></p></li><li><p>What <strong>technoference</strong> is and how phones, notifications and background TV can interrupt parent-child interactions</p></li><li><p>How background television can disrupt children&#39;s play, even when they aren&#39;t actively watching it</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>What an <strong>“off-ramp”</strong> is and why natural stopping points can make transitions easier</p></li><li><p>Whether using screens to calm a child can affect their developing self-regulation skills</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>How to create a flexible <strong>family media plan</strong></p></li></ul><ul><li><p>What <strong>joint media engagement</strong> is and why parental involvement can make such a difference</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>What to look for when choosing content for young children</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>Rachel&#39;s one guiding principle for technology during the first 1 000 days: <strong>make a plan and revisit it</strong></p><p><br></p></li></ul><p><strong>CHAPTERS</strong></p><p><strong>02:59 Is all technology created equal?</strong></p><p><strong>05:28 What is technoference?</strong></p><p><strong>07:18 How phones and background TV can disrupt play</strong></p><p><strong>13:10 Designing technology with an “off-ramp”</strong></p><p><strong>15:04 Screens, tantrums and using technology to calm children</strong></p><p><strong>19:47 Do tech detoxes ac