Digital Parenting Workshop: Helping Parents Navigate Young Children’s Digital Worlds
What happens when we explore our feelings about digital media use and examine the evidence behind young children’s screen time?
As part of Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Week, our lab hosted a workshop on parenting in the digital world.
Facilitated by Antje von Suchodoletz and Assia Nait Kassi, the session guided parents from reflection to action by offering practical tools to engage more intentionally with their children’s digital lives.
The workshop centred on four key activities:
1. “Behind the Screen: What’s Your Why?”
Parents reflected on the values and motivations shaping their family’s screen decisions. The activity acknowledged the natural tension between appreciating the convenience of screens and feeling uneasy or anxious about their use.
2. Data Walk
Parents explored findings from an NYU Abu Dhabi research study funded by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) and compared their lived experiences to current evidence on young children’s digital media use.
3. Jenga of Perspectives
In a “reverse Jenga” activity, each block represented a belief or statement from the literature. By discussing the statements, parents stepped outside their own perspective, incrementally building a foundation based on consensus of what works best in each family’s unique context. One participant described the activity as “therapeutic” because it reassured them that many families face similar challenges.
4. Digital Play Simulation
Parents selected a game or video commonly used by young children and spent time playing it themselves. This activity showed how co-engagement supports bonding and helps parents better understand their child’s digital world.
Key Outcome:
The workshop highlighted that young children’s digital media use is shaped by each family’s unique context. Although parents often share similar questions, their approaches differ, and each is valid. It also emphasized that when parents join children in digital activities, it positively shapes their experiences, enjoyment, and connection.
