Marshall - The Tech Diet for your Child & Teen

Contents

Brad Marshall may well have seen and treated more problematic internet use cases than anyone else in the country. His timely and accessible book is packed with useful ideas and tips, and numerous vividly drawn case vignettes based on clinical experience. It is informative, down-to-earth, often very funny and, most importantly, contains lots of practical suggestions for the time-poor, but device-rich, modern family struggling to achieve a healthy digital balance.

Every concerned parent should get a copy. Then they should get their teenager to read it also.

Dr Philip GE Tam

Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

This easy-to-read, step-by-step guide will be invaluable to parents trying to manage digital device use within their families because the methods Brad Marshall provides are based on thousands of hours of successful clinical treatment. Importantly, Brad doesnt sidestep the thorny issues around children and teens with addictive levels of screen use. He gives concrete advice on how to manage kids who become difficult or even violent when asked to reduce screen use, how to respond to common screen-use justifications, and how to set up a workable plan for digital device use that takes into account key developmental needs.

Dr Wayne Warburton PhD

Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology, Macquarie University

The Tech Diet for Your Child & Teen is not simply a timely and practical book it is a necessary book. Readers will be the beneficiaries of the authors vast experience treating countless young people and families affected by technology. The numerous tips will not only help parents feel empowered but will also, in all likelihood, work!

Professor Garry Walter AM

Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatrist

HarperCollinsPublishers

First published in Australia in 2019

by HarperCollinsPublishers Australia Pty Limited

ABN 36 009 913 517

harpercollins.com.au

Copyright Brad Marshall 2019

The right of Brad Marshall to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000.

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

HarperCollinsPublishers

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Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive, Rosedale 0632, Auckland, New Zealand

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1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF, United Kingdom

Bay Adelaide Centre, East Tower, 22 Adelaide Street West, 41st Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4E3

195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007, USA

ISBN: 978 1 4607 5801 4 (paperback)

ISBN: 978 1 4607 1176 7 (ebook : epub)

A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia

Cover design by Hazel Lam, HarperCollins Design Studio

Cover image by shutterstock.com

Internal design by Rene Bahr @Post Pre-press

To my wife and daughter, who always support me

when new projects and adventures seek me out.

I want that you are always happy.

Contents

Before we begin, lets set the record straight.

My Unplugged Steps should not be taken literally.

Im not suggesting you should pack your kids in the car and go off-grid like theres a zombie apocalypse upon us. For anyone scoffing, thats been suggested as a solution by parents on more than one occasion in my office.

At the same time, we cant just put our hands up, let our kids have free rein and hope their underdeveloped brains will be able to resist the allure of screens.

The word balance is thrown around a lot when discussing this topic.

This book provides tangible measures of balance for children and teenagers, and real-world strategies to bring their Tech Diet back to a good place.

Terminology...

I use the terms children, kids and teenagers interchangeably at times. Dont get too bogged down in age brackets. My approach is relevant to help kids of any age anyone currently having problems using technology and to set up a solid foundation before things get too out of hand for younger kids, who may not yet have reached the slippery slope.

If youre an adult reading this book to reflect on your own Tech Diet, then welcome. If youre an adult reading this so you can make notes on all the points you disagree with dont waste your time. As an adult, youre free to make your own decisions and live your life. You do you.

In psychology, we sometimes like to use fancy words that make us sound important. In this book, Ill provide a commonsense, no bullsh*t opinion on how to implement a Tech Diet for your child.

If at any time youre pulling out your phone to look up a definition on the internet, then Ive failed.

What am I signing up for?

Im not pushing a magical cure.

This will be hard work.

If youre just dipping your toe in the water, this is a good starting point.

This book will take you through a journey of three stages:

Ill explain the research and literature in a way that wont put you to sleep.

I wont go too deep. Ive refined this from being invited to speak at countless parent talks where I get instant feedback, creating a plan that has the right amount and type of research that parents can take in on this topic. Many of my parent talks start at local schools at 6 pm or 7 pm prime time for work-weary parents to have a quick kip while I speak. I think Ive found the point where I no longer get napping parents in my talks. The research is a necessary evil. Ill give it to you straight.If you dismiss, dont understand or skip this part, youre far less likely to succeed with implementing the practical strategies.

Ill address the burning question: when should parents panic?

In other words, Ill go into detail about the warning signs that your child or teenager is on the path to Internet or Screen Addiction, and a way to grasp just how far down that path you are. This will help you weigh up how hard you want to go in implementing the Tech Diet.

Well talk turkey.

If youve read other books or interviews with experts, they typically suggest you write up a plan or contract with your child to encourage a healthy balance. In my experience, these are light on detail or you get a general proforma. Some books include a few pages on this area and thats it an afterthought.

That should work, right? No.Ive negotiated so many tech plans in my clinic Ive lost count.

There are some core elements that are the basis of every good Tech Diet. I call them the Unplugged Steps. Followed by a whole host of other variables, factors, curve balls and troubleshooting that need to be considered.

With this book, I provide you with a comprehensive guide to a realistic Tech Diet.

My story

Im not an accomplished author. Heck, I didnt even do very well in HSC English.

Im not an academic. While Im largely across the research in my field, I certainly dont claim to be an expert in the nuances of neuropsychology and statistical analysis that litter most journal articles.