After helping Mesa County Valley School District 51 implement a new cell phone policy, the Western Colorado Community Foundation (WCCF) is turning its attention to parental phone use.
Earlier this month, WCCF launched the Heads Up Parenting initiative, an awareness campaign for parents of children ages 0 to 3. The campaign centers around information about how much time parents of young children spend on their mobile phones and the impact this has on their children’s development.
“The goal is to conduct a public education campaign that raises awareness that distracted parenting actually affects children,” said Teddy Gillespie, WCCF Grants and Community Outreach Director. “These are critical years. You can’t take them back. When a child turns 3, 4, 5, they either already have that foundation or they’re missing it.”
Gillespie pointed to statistics compiled by groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, including that 80 percent of a child’s social, emotional and cognitive development occurs in the first three years of life.
According to the campaign website wc-cf.org/headsup, the average working millennial parent spends 4 hours and 37 minutes per day on their cell phone, and phone use reduces the amount of communication between parents and their children by 39 % may also decrease.
To raise awareness, WCCF is promoting campaigns on social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok, but Gillespie said the most effective support is at health care providers such as pediatricians, primary care physicians and social services. He said this would be done through pamphlets and other materials distributed to parents. provider.
The foundation has also begun rolling out Heads Up Parenting billboards in Mesa County, with more billboards promoting the campaign expected each month through February. WCCF also plans to roll out promotional materials at Mesa Mall.
These materials include tips on how parents can reduce screen time around their children. This includes turning off non-human notifications, establishing device-free zones, using screen time limits, and replacing screen time with playtime.
“I think we’re all coming to the realization that we don’t know what we don’t know. We don’t know what impact this has had on children’s development in the long term, but now We’re starting to understand and we want to spread the word,” Gillespie said.
“We started doing research and found that not only do babies coo and look and do all these other things, but babies actually acquire those skills. In the realm of pediatrics. , Activities that involve eye contact, such as patty cake, are called “catch and serve.” It’s about developing an attachment with your baby, and your baby is developing an idea of what attachment is. ”
This effort is centered around Mesa County. Gillespie said if it’s successful enough, the Heads Up Parenting campaign will spread across the Western Slope to address the issue on a broader scale.
Gillespie said Mesa County is getting the state’s attention for efforts focused on healthier technology use. Mr. Gillespie, along with WCCF Program Officer Sarah Fuller, spoke with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser during a recent visit to Grand Junction High School to celebrate the district’s new cell phone policy of disconnecting students from their cell phones during class. I had a meeting with It is generally well received by students.
“We’ve been talking with the attorney general’s office and they’re very focused on Mesa County and looking at it as a great example. Other districts in the state have cell phone policies, but “We’re taking a hard look at how Mesa County has implemented policy with community partners and support,” Gillespie said.
“They’re actively looking at, ‘How can we share best practices with school districts that are thinking about this?'” For those who aren’t thinking about this, what are they doing to address this? Are you doing it? ” AG has had a particular focus on youth mental health and wellness. I think they’re trying to pull out every tool in their toolbox to address these issues. ”
