Welcome

I'm a mother and journalist trying to learn what science has to tell us about media and the developing mind. There's a lot to say, and in my blog and newsletter I try to filter through recent research that can help us make sense of it all.

I'm the author of Into the Minds of Babes (2007), which looks at how very young children respond to, and are affected by, what they see on TV. The book has been called "balanced and lucid," (The Wall Street Journal), "fascinating and terrific" (The New York Post), "a gift to parents" (Television Quarterly) and "brilliantly researched and engagingly written" (KidsHealth.org.)

In 2008, I have been giving talks about technology and young children, while also writing about the intersections of education, social science and technology for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Brain,Child Magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education and several other publications. This summer, I wrote the Baby Steps column for babytalk magazine, highlighting new findings by developmental psychologists on how infants and toddlers learn.

Other tidbits, if you're interested:

In June, I blogged daily about the NAEYC professional development institute in New Orleans and the Interaction Design for Children conference at Northwestern University. (Go to the June entries for the full account.)
Video: I moderated a panel in May '08 at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center in New York City about digital technology and new literacy. My introduction can be found here on YouTube.
I had a piece published in The Washington Post's Outlook Section on April 20 and I reviewed a memoir for Brain, Child magazine's Spring issue.
I moderated a panel about "The New Frontier of Play" on January 8 at The Sandbox Summit at CES and made a few opening remarks.
I've been holding discussions about media and young children at many preschools and with parenting groups. (Here's where, if you're curious.) Parents have so many smart questions that still aren't being answered by even the most-cutting edge academic research, like how children respond differently to 3D versus 2D animation and whether different types of children's content will have different impacts on a child's sleep.