Podcast appearances and mentions of Alex J Packer

Teens are under assault with a constant barrage of digital media, notifications and social stress!  Help your kids learn how to tame their tech and slay their digital dragons by implementing 3 R's introduced by Dr. Alex J. Packer in today's episode.

Technology use, for both kids and adults, is in uncharted territory. With ‘sticky' algorithms, misleading information, and the tracking capabilities of technology companies, it's becoming more and more difficult to know where it's safe to go, and how much exposure is too much. Emily Kircher-Morris talks with Dr. Alex Packer, author of Slaying Digital Dragons, about how to navigate the murky waters of the digital dark side, and how to involve your kids in setting their own healthy limits. ABOUT THE GUEST - Alex J. Packer, Ph.D., is an educator and psychologist. A recognized expert on adolescent development, parenting, and substance abuse prevention, Alex served for 14 years as President and CEO of FCD Educational Services, the leading nonprofit provider of onsite K-12 drug education and substance abuse prevention services for schools throughout the United States and in over 60 countries abroad. Alex is the author of 11 books for parents, counselors, teachers, and teenagers, including Slaying Digital Dragons: Tips and Tools for Protecting Your Body, Brain, Psyche, and Thumbs from the Digital Dark Side, and How Rude!: The Teen Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior, and Not Grossing People Out. Alex graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy. He received undergraduate and Master's degrees from Harvard University and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Ph.D. in Educational and Developmental Psychology from Boston College. He served as headmaster of Parkmont School in Washington, D.C., and was the Director of Education for the Capital Children's Museum. You can support the podcast and receive subscriber-only benefits at www.patreon.com/neurodiversity. The Neurodiversity Podcast is available on Facebook and Instagram, and on Twitter @NeurodiversePod. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com

Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episodeFor parents, technology can be quite the headache. We want kids to stay connected to the world, but is their iphone distracting them from school? Is all the time spent on social media making them depressed or anxious? Should we be limiting their screen time, blocking websites or supervising them while they're scrolling through Tik Tok? At this point, it's tempting to just throw their phones in the trash and forbid them from going on the computer at all!But if we try to set rules or even just tell them to put the phone down, they're suddenly slamming the door in our faces or rolling their eyes. Even when we have the best intentions, trying to monitor teen's tech use can turn into a cycle of nagging and arguing. If we're going to escape all the bickering, we've got to convince teens to make the change for themselves, instead of trying to force them to budge.Our guest this week is not only an expert on how screens are affecting budding minds, but also has some seriously smart tips for talking to teens about it all. Alex J. Packer spent 14 years as President and CEO of FCD Educational Services, the leading nonprofit providing drug education and substance abuse prevention services for schools across the world. His new book, Slaying Digital Dragons: Tips and Tools for Protecting Your Body, Brain, Psyche, and Thumbs from the Digital Dark Side, touches on a new kind of addiction–the compulsive use of screens in our society, particularly amongst young adults.In our interview, we're diving deep into the harmful effects of tech on teens, and getting into how to help kids cleanse themselves of toxic tech habits.Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episode

40-50% of teens say that they feel addicted to their phones. 90% of teens admit that too much time online is a problem for their peers. In this episode I interview Alex J. Packer PhD. His newest book Slaying Digital Dragons: Tips and tools for protecting your body, brain, psyche, and thumbs from the digital dark side will be released October 2021. . Without avoiding the dark side of technology, this comprehensive reference book empowers young adults to take charge of their digital life and improve their mental health and well-being. Quizzes and exercises guide readers through the process of evaluating their relationships with their screens, social media, and tech in general. Alex J. Packer PhD. is an educator, psychologist, and award winning author of numerous books for parents and teenagers including How Rude! The Teen Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior, and Not Grossing People Out. Alex is sought after by the media for his provocative commentary on manners, child-rearing, and substance abuse prevention, and has led workshops and lectured widely across the United States and around the world. He received his Ph.D. in educational and developmental psychology from Boston College and his master's degree in education from Harvard. We discuss... Signs that screen time is affecting young adults' bodies, brains, and relationships Tips for protecting their privacy, safety, and reputation Ways social media and algorithms can distort their reality and sense of self Tools for finding life balance and resetting their screen scene You can contact Alex at https://www.alexjpacker.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices