The Upside of Digital Devices by Nicole Dreiske

Author:Nicole Dreiske
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.
Published: 2018-07-17T16:00:00+00:00

Storytelling and narrative research have undergone a massive renaissance in recent years. Social scientists are studying the stories told by groups and communities, and psychologists study the connection between “stories of self” and the way individuals form their identities. Plus, the field of “organizational” storytelling is daily gaining traction in the business world.

Looking at the stories that people tell is an illuminating and powerful tool for coordinating and generating understanding. Sharing stories connects us and shapes us into communities. Stories are cultural engines whose motors drive the development of individual consciousness. Stories provide frameworks for interpretation, understanding, and meaning. Most important for children, stories are aspirational and motivational. But stories, especially those intended for very young children, don’t and shouldn’t operate in a vacuum or do all the developmental heavy lifting by themselves. Your interactions with children “around” (before, during, and after reading) story time add powerful new dimensions to the story and its effect on them. There is extraordinary potential to be realized from interacting with children while reading, telling, or watching stories.

As I’ve said before, reading a book to a child takes you both on an interactive odyssey and helps build your relationship. Questions are asked, opinions are shared, and both parties draw enjoyment from commenting on different parts of the story. Watching screen-based stories with children holds the same potential, provided we omit instructions to watch passively and quietly. And the sooner the better!

What I call Mindful Viewing is designed to capitalize on children’s love of stories, screens, and sharing. In the next chapter I’ll explore that further, but Mindful Viewing starts by elevating children’s awareness of the story within the movie and their own responses to that story. As children continue to practice Mindful Viewing, they begin to notice, explore, and comment on the values and messaging reflected by the stories. Then they can start to make new meaning by offering new and different interpretations of the same story.

The earlier you introduce your children to critical thinking skills and Mindful Viewing, the better prepared they will be for the mesmerizing onslaught of news, games, stories, and social media.

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