Family Guides
Browse our evidence-backed guidance for parents and caregivers
Our Family Guides cover a variety of topics with detailed advice based on the latest peer-reviewed scientific research. Here you’ll find practical, real-world steps you can take to help you raise healthy, smart, and kind children in our increasingly digital age.
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Family Guide to Going Back to School with Technology
Sharpened pencils and cool first-day outfits have always been part of the back-to-school fun, but for today’s kids, things aren’t as analog as they used to be. The COVID-19 pandemic…
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Family Guide to Digital Citizenship
Keeping kids safe in the digital world can feel like a full-time job. But it’s impossible to monitor their online activity 24/7, so it’s critical to help kids learn to…
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Family Guide to Teaching Kids and Teens Essential Digital Skills
In a world where toddlers are swiping through screens and tweens are building their online personas, young people need to be equipped…
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Family Guide: 5 Strategies for Setting Digital Media Boundaries and Guidelines for Kids
Digital media have become deeply embedded in our kids’ lives, with screen time often beginning during toddlerhood. These technologies can provide cognitive, social, and emotional benefits, such as expanded learning…
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Family Guide to Cyberbullying
In the United States, 59% of teens report that they have experienced harassment and bullying online. Learn about the possible effects and warning signs of cyberbullying and how you can…
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Family Guide to Disinformation and Misinformation Online
Is that really true?! We’ve all seen the screaming headlines and tempting clickbait. Unfortunately, not all of the information on the internet tells the whole truth, and some of it…
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Family Guide to a Child’s First Cell Phone
If your child is begging for a phone because all their friends have one (or if you want to give your child a phone so you can keep in contact…
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Family Guide to Problematic Interactive Media Use (PIMU)
The world in which young people are growing up today is dramatically different from the world of their parents’ youth. Nearly 100% of teens report having access to a smartphone…
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Family Guide to Video Gaming
A quarter of teens believe they spend too much time playing video games, while a similar share feels they spend too little time doing so. Learn about the effects, both…
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Family Guide to Creating Shared Media Use Agreements
This guide offers strategies and resources for creating effective shared media use agreements with children of all ages.
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Family Guide to Media Literacy & Social-Emotional Learning
What is media literacy, and why is it important? Media literacy is the ability to consume, engage with, and create media critically (e.g., identifying fake information on social media and…
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Family Guide to Video Game Livestreaming
In 2020, there were 18.6 billion hours of video gameplay watched on Twitch, where 41% of registered users are aged 16-24. Learn about the benefits and risks of video game…