Has March Madness struck your house yet? When you live in a college town and your university made it to the Final Four, the excitement is hard to miss. But what does screen time have to do with the Final Four? It's an ingredient that helped one college team take their game to the next level. According to ​Time Magazine, basketball players at Texas Tech University started limiting their screen time use each night during away games - screens go off at 11 p.m. and players collec

Screen time has been a pretty big buzz word the past few years among parents, teachers, SLPs, and the general public. Roughly speaking, screen time is the time that a person spends using screen-based devices. It's easy to think that this is confined to newer forms of technology, like smartphones and tablets, but it also involves time spent using other screen-based devices such as televisions, computers, laptops, movie screens, smart watches, GPS, etc. You get the picture. Scr

It's that time of year - when new goals meet reality! We all have good intentions, whether that be to eat healthier, exercise more, or spend more time with those we love. For many, new goals also include limiting, reducing, or even eliminating screen time - the time we spend using screen-based technology (e.g., smartphones, tablets, computers, televisions, etc.). Media content and technology use is a complex subject. It doesn't come in shades of black and white with clear and

Every year, I find myself doing something exciting, something that resonates deep within me and captivates my thoughts and energy. This year was no different. This was the year that I dove farther into the media world, blending my interests in media processing research and educational media (especially as it impacts those with communication impairments). This was the year that I earned a Master's Degree in Media and Communication. This was the year that I published my first j

As busy as this time of year is, I love it! I love listening to the songs of the season as I drive around town. I love how they fill the car with the catchy melodies I heard as a kid, melting the end-of-semester, holiday stress away! But the more I learn about media effects and processing, the more I find myself thinking about older, more traditional media this time of year. Have you noticed that at Christmastime, the holiday classics from the 40s, 50s, 60s, etc. live on over

These days it's hard to escape the constant intrusion of screens and media content on our daily life. We frequently encounter news stories warning us of the harmful effects associated with prolonged media use. So how do we begin to find balance in a technologically saturated society? That's where media literacy comes into play. But what is it? As you can see, media literacy involves a broad spectrum of media-based skills. Media literacy starts with its availability within our

Benjamin Franklin and his printing press in downtown Philadelphia. Did you know that the invention of the printing press is considered to be the origin of media technology (Bryant & Pribanic-Smith, 2010)? This revolutionary invention shifted the power to share knowledge and information from the control of a few select rulers into the hands of the people. As a result, the printing press has played a significant role in advancing human communication. In their position statement

As a speech-language pathologist, content selection is a key element in clinical practice. Content is selected for a variety of reasons, such as student interest; specific speech and language models contained within it; and opportunities for communicative involvement. Whether it's a traditional activity or a digital one, such factors are always considerations. When selecting digital content, it's important to consider (1) how specific content helps address an individual's nee

In today's world it's easy to find yourself between a tablet and a hard place. As SLPs, educators, and parents, we want kids to use screens in educational and beneficial ways. However, digital media isn't always associated with quality, communicative interactions and educational experiences. It's easy to feel that the struggle between people and media regularly ends with technology declaring a victory, imprisoning everyone involved. What about wordless media? Why not? Wordle

When it comes to apps, we live in a world where it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of apps on the market. To make things more complicated, app markets vary by the type of device you use. So, when it comes to app selection, it’s only natural that we gravitate towards and rely on word of mouth. After all, SLPs look at apps with an SLP eye. But when it comes to using those recommended finds in therapy, a stranger on social media can’t tell you the best app to use wi

Summer is a time for adventures. Whether they are big or small, adventures transform our daily life as we step away from the ordinary into the unknown. It is in these moments that we open our eyes to new things and ways of looking at the world around us. Our travels spark our curiosity and a natural need to learn new things (including new vocabulary and language skills). Kids love seeing the world through the lens of a camera, so grab your camera or smartphone and head to the

Now that we’ve figured out what a technological ecosystem looks like and how such an ecological system cultivates and shapes technology use, there’s one last piece to the puzzle missing. Who are the key players and professionals participating within the technological ecosystem? Technology use is bigger than one individual. We are all key players in shaping technology use, within our families, our jobs, our communities, and within broader society. We all share a role and play

When we live in a world where technology is embedded within our everyday lives, the idea of a technological ecosystem is an important one to consider. We often focus on the individual user when we talk about technology. However, like so many other things in life, what we do as an individual does not exist in a vacuum. Instead, our thoughts, ideas, beliefs, actions, and behavior are shaped within the larger context of our environment. Is it possible to separate the individual

From time to time, people sometimes use the word ‘ecosystem’ when talking about technology. But what does technology have to do with an ecosystem? Surprisingly, more than you might think. I haven’t thought about ecosystems since elementary school. I remember that they have something to do with a lot of living creatures, living together within a balanced and sometimes fragile environment. And there was always art work involved, illustrating forests, streams, tide pools, coral

As you finish purchasing your ticket, you hear the distant tumble of tens of letters and numbers rumbling on a nearby schedule board, reminiscent of a time long passed. A green Union Pacific train car sits in the station, awaiting passengers arriving to the station. Visitors to New Orlean's WWII Museum are ushered aboard the passenger train, embarking on their journey through the history and stories of WWII. Once seated, the sounds of the train station dissipate as the train

Last week, I had the opportunity to volunteer in New Orleans through our university’s service-based learning program. Our group of ten, nine students and a staff advisor, spent the week living at a local volunteer camp, volunteering each day at a different organization within the city. Each day’s project focused on a different issue within New Orleans – education, housing and homelessness, neighborhood revitalization, environmental sustainability, and arts and culture. This t

Think back to a time when cowboys sat around campfires telling stories from yore. While storytelling is still a part of our cultural fabric, today it often accompanies various media forms. During your childhood, you probably participated in story experiences around media too, such as a sing-along or read-along. Given the range of media experiences available today, why not an app-along? I’d like to think of an app-along as the opportunity to engage in a shared and memorable ex

Technology should enhance our communication & engagement with the world around us, not detract from it. #postcards #technology

Remember Frank? You know...the guy convinced that "the end of western civilization as we know it" was near. Who begged the question to Meg Ryan's Kathleen Kelly, "Name me one thing that we have gained from technology?" You know..."that nut from the Observer...Frank something or other, the one that is so in love with his typewriter." Specially, the Olympia Report Deluxe Electric that embodies "the gentle soothing lullaby of a piece of machinery so perfect." You remember...the