Screenwise ─ Helping Kids Thrive and Survive in Their Digital World

Screenwise offers a realistic and optimistic perspective on how to thoughtfully guide kids in the digital age. Many parents feel that their kids are addicted, detached, or distracted because of their digital devices. Media expert Devorah Heitner, however, believes that technology offers huge potential to our childrenif parents help them. Using the foundation of their own values and experiences, parents and educators can learn about the digital world to help set kids up for a lifetime of success in a world fueled by technology.

Screenwise is a guide to understanding more about what it is like for children to grow up with technology, and to recognizing the special challengesand advantagesthat contemporary kids and teens experience thanks to this level of connection. In it, Heitner presents practical parenting "hacks": quick ideas that you can implement today that will help you understand and relate to your digital native. The book will empower parents to recognize that the wisdom that they have gained throughout their lives is a relevant and urgently needed supplement to their kid’s digital savvy, and help them develop skills for managing the new challenges of parenting. Based on real-life stories from other parents and Heitner’s wealth of knowledge on the subject,Screenwise teaches parents what they need to know in order to raise responsible digital citizens.

Devorah Heitner, PhD is the founder and director of Raising Digital Natives, a resource for parents and schools seeking advice on how to help children thrive in a world of digital connectedness. An experienced speaker, workshop leader, and consultant, Dr. Heitner serves as a professional development resource for schools wishing to cultivate a culture of responsible digital citizenship. In addition to Screenwise, she is the author of Connecting Wisely in the Digital Age, a curriculum used widely by students across the country to help them navigate the common social and emotional challenges of the digital age. Heitner has a Ph.D. in Media/Technology and Society from Northwestern University and has taught at DePaul University, Street Level Youth Media, and Northwestern University. She is delighted to be raising her own digital native, too.