What role do professionals play in guiding parents in media education?
“Professionals can encourage parents to engage in media education. But in practice, we see that many professionals feel unsure about how to act. Like many parents, they often find the digital world complicated. They do not really know how to deal with it, and feel that they need to know more about it in order to guide parents. As a result, they often avoid the subject.”
Is that feeling of uncertainty justified?
“Certainly not. Media education largely requires the same from parents as the rest of parenting. Compare it with the way parents deal with sleeping or sweets. There are rules and boundaries, it is important to be consistent and clear, and parents need to be on the same page. All those elements also apply to media education. So you really do not have to be a media specialist to guide parents in this. Professionals already have most of the expertise they need.”
What is the main piece of advice you can give parents as a professional?
“Media education is not about right or wrong. Above all, it is about parents dealing with media in a relaxed way and creating balance in media use. As a professional, your role is to talk to parents about that balance. How do you ensure a good balance at home between media use and other activities? Such as playing outside, sports, sleep and school. And how do you guide your child in media use? For example: do you let your child do a lot on their own, or do you also use media together?”
What do parents themselves think about media education?
“We see roughly two sides. One parent is actively engaged with it and looks for ways to guide their child in media use. The other parent does not really consider media education and is not aware of its importance.”
Should you guide these parents in different ways as well?
“With parents who do not think about media education, you mainly want to raise awareness. With the other group, it is primarily about creating openness, so that parents feel free to share their concerns and questions. Sometimes parents feel ashamed to talk about it because they think they are doing it wrong. For example, because their child has a lot of screen time. Many people have the idea that media are mainly bad for children. As a professional, you can ease concerns and look for ways to deal with media effectively.”
What is the best way to talk about media education?
“It often works well to make it a joint exploration with parents. Above all, ask lots of questions. Which media do you use frequently as a family? At what times? Do you mainly use them individually, or also together? You can then explore together ways to use media more consciously. If children mainly watch YouTube by themselves on a smartphone or tablet, for example, you can advise parents to watch along sometimes.”
Does parents’ own media use also play a role in parenting?
“Definitely. We see that many parents are still not sufficiently aware of their own media behavior. Children need their parents’ attention. That means parents need to be sufficiently available. Screens often get in the way of that availability. It is important for parents to be aware of this. Here too, it is not about right or wrong. It is really not a problem if parents occasionally check their phone while they are with their child. But they should do so in moderation. Children look to their parents in everything they do. Their parents are their role models. They observe their emotions and how they respond to others. A screen literally stands between parent and child. In this way, it can hinder children’s development.”
Are there also things you should avoid doing as a professional?
“Avoid passing judgment on the way parents deal with media. Also, do not lecture them about how they should do it. That creates a barrier, whereas you want to encourage parents to speak freely. So let go of your own judgment and talk to parents from a position of interest. If you start from restriction and repression, you are missing the point.”
How can I guide parents in media education as a professional? Three tips.
1. Compare media education with learning to ride a bicycle
Children learn a great deal with guidance. Think of falling asleep independently, learning to ride a bicycle and walking to school alone. But when it comes to media use, children are often left entirely to their own devices. If you make this comparison, it becomes easier to understand the importance of media education. You can then discuss with the parents how they can and want to guide their child in dealing with media.
2. Do not focus on screen time, but on media moments
Many parents are looking for concrete advice about screen time. As a professional, it is more important to look at the role media play in the family. At what times are media used? And when is there time for other things? If you spread one hour of screen time throughout the day, that is not necessarily a long time. Certainly not if parents use media together with their child. It is different when a child sits alone behind a screen for an hour. As a professional, therefore, do not focus on screen time, but on the media moment.
3. Emphasize the importance of boredom and discomfort
Parents often use media when their child is tired or bored. Or when their child whines while there are visitors. Media are then used as a kind of digital pacifier. Sometimes that can be convenient. But negative emotions naturally also serve a purpose. When a child is bored or frustrated, they learn from it. For example, they have to practice being patient. Using media can therefore offer benefits in the short term, but parents miss opportunities and learning moments that benefit their child in the long term.