The Mediatrician's Guide
A Joyful Approach to Raising Healthy, Smart, Kind Kids in a Screen-Saturated World
- Marriage, Family & Relationships
- Publisher: Harper Horizon (HarperCollins Focus)
- Published: 2024
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Publisher's Description
A Whole-Child Approach to Digital Wellness and Healthy Media Use "...a godsend for the parent whose child is glued to their smartphone or laptop." –Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D., psychologist, author of Raising Cain In this holistic approach, Dr. Michael Rich empowers you to guide your children toward smart and healthy digital choices with straightforward instructions and actionable advice that you can customize for your family's specific needs. Known as the "Mediatrician" due to his acclaimed work as a pediatrician, child health researcher, and children's media specialist, Dr. Rich presents a compassionate and realistic look at the reality of growing up in a screen-saturated world—and how you can help your kids emerge from a technology-rich environment as happy, well-informed, empathetic adults. Backed by scientific evidence and decades of professional and personal practice, The Mediatrican's Guide will give you the tools to: Combat toxic media influences and virtual addiction. Train your family toward digital wellness. Understand what your child is learning from media. Rise above the anxiety of digital inundation and find a healthy, happy medium. "...offer[s] seasoned and sensible guardrails as we all enter this brave new world together." –Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent, CNN "…[A] thoughtful, timely, and entertaining overview of what it means to grow up immersed in a world of digital ubiquity." –John Battelle, Cofounder of WIRED
Endorsements (17)
“Praise for The Mediatrician’s Guide “When my wife and I were trying to navigate the digital world of devices and social media alongside our three teenage daughters, all roads led to the wonderful Dr. Michael Rich. Drawing on his experiences as a pediatrician and former filmmaker, he has the rare ability to offer seasoned and sensible guardrails as we all enter this brave new world together. This book is a must-have and will soon become your best friend, full of daily tips and long-lasting wisdom.”
“Dr Rich offers all of us ‘caring but confused’ adults—parents, caregivers, educators, and media makers alike— a positive and proactive way to think about the value of today’s digital media in our kids’ lives. . . . For over fifty years, we have deeply valued research like this and the role it plays in ensuring the media we make helps children grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.”
“An instant classic, a book where people who fret and worry about what screens are doing to us, especially our children, can find the guidance that truth alone can provide, as well as the authoritative responses they seek. . . . Truly an exceptional piece of work, a genuine gift to all.”
“Finally! A caring, wise, and joyful guide to the possibilities and the perils of our increasingly more digital existence. As a producer and performer on screens large and small, I am deeply aware of their power to reflect our authentic selves and direct our relationships with others. Just as Free to Be . . . You and Me reminded us of our shared humanity, in this book, you will meet young people and their parents as they work with the Mediatrician to optimize their health and development in a constantly evolving world. Dr. Rich’s compassion, imagination, and warm humor serve as a compass for us all as we teach and learn from the next generation.”
“Raising a child in an age of constant screens requires thoughtfulness navigating not only our own digital use but also our children’s. We didn’t know how to find a balance within it. Dr. Rich has taken his experiences and given us a road map to find that balance!”
“This is the essential guide we’ve been waiting for! . . . This timely, extraordinarily well-written, and thoroughly researched book is the indispensable guide to learn how to stand by your child as they learn to navigate their world. . . . Trust Dr. Rich’s guidance here. I do—he is my go-to expert in the digital landscape.”
“Michael Rich is the Dr. Spock of the digital >age. In >his practice and in this book, Dr. Rich helps parents help their children—from young tots to late teens—navigate the ever-changing world of connected technology. He does it with compassion and understanding and deep respect for both parents and young people.”
“On the must-read list for all product developers and policy writers working in big tech. It provides evidence-based insights that media companies can leverage to mitigate and prevent potential harms against youth. The book also highlights media opportunities for entertainment and education—critical for anyone invested in understanding how to nurture the well-being of young people growing up in a media world.”
“A practical and heartfelt path forward for navigating the media landscape. Through the voice of a parent, owning his own successes and failures, the Mediatrician provides explanations and practical approaches. . . . This book can help parents and children reconnect IRL while simultaneously teaching us all how to harness the good in our digital world.”
“Parents, educators, and, yes, even teenagers will all benefit from Dr. Rich’s thoughtful, timely, and entertaining overview of what it means to grow up immersed in a world of digital ubiquity. His work . . . demonstrates empathy, deep understanding, and strong prescriptions for what ails us all.”
“As parents and grandparents, and as citizens of the world, we have a critical role to play as children learn about healthy media use. The most important message that Dr. Rich gives is to always be present for your child. This book can reinforce the most important work we do, nurturing and guiding the next generation.”
“A brilliant, insightful, and scientific guide that we all need to stay sane and human in today’s screen-filled world.”
“Through his honest and down-to-earth approach, Dr. Rich takes away the fear and guilt, empowering parents and caregivers with the knowledge to navigate the digital world with their children. He offers guidance backed by research, not sensationalized news headlines, and genuinely provides a sense of relief for parents of digital natives—truly a comfort to read!”
“A joyful road map to healthy child development, a clarion call to me and my many tech educator colleagues to listen deeply to the young people we serve, empower them with media literacy skills, and follow them into the future of digital citizenship.”
“Required reading for parents, educators, pediatricians, and technologists. More than a simple prescription for limiting screen time, it’s a call to action for collaboration. Dr. Rich has created a framework, based on academic research and firsthand experience as a pediatrician and parent, for all grown-ups to work with their kids or students to create a plan for healthy use of technology and media.”
“The right book at the right time. . . . Thoughtful rather than reactive, nuanced rather than naive, strength-based rather than fear-focused, and empowering rather than overwhelming. . . . I am grateful for this remarkable guide, my new go-to reference.”
“Dr. Rich has launched a critically needed new movement that every creator and tech innovator must consider: how to design for evidence-based, human-centered digital wellness. His wise guidance and practical tips for caregivers define a new, more sensible digital diet that attacks the current epidemic of loneliness among our kids, with a caring community at the center. His prescription is one that every responsible decision-maker should consider, starting right now!”
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