Claire Christensen, PhD

i collaborated with Scouting America to create social media videos about research on parenting.

The US Surgeon General recently released an advisory: Parents are STRESSED OUT. (Speaking for myself - OH HECK YES.) Among parents' biggest stressors are the influence of media and technology. Here are three quick, research-backed takes for parents…

Mr. Rogers is the reason I got into children's media research, and his words continue to keep me going. No matter how spicy your day is, you're good stuff, my friend.

How do YouTube videos teach young kids? In this episode of 🍦Double Scoop of Research🍦, actor Brandon Kirk and I talk about how important STORY is, and what happens when it's missing!My recent report with Madeline Cincebeaux shows that very few…

🍦 Join me and my dad for an ice cream break and discover how AI is revolutionizing parenting in the digital age! In this episode of Double Scoop of Research, we delve into APPROVE, a groundbreaking invention by SRI/SRI Education that automatically…

🍦 Join me and my bestie, Zen, for an ice cream chat as we dive into the fascinating world of parenting and mobile messaging! In this quick 3-minute video, we'll share the surprising findings from a recent SRI Education research study: Can texting…

What makes an educational story really stick with kids? My bestie Zen transforms into a 6-year-old to participate in a research study about teaching values through stories. We'll cover which plot points were associated with the greatest learning. And…

Fewer fights at the end of screen time, the lazy way. Setting session time limits in YouTube kids takes seconds, and research shows kids have fewer problems ending screen time when technology does the dirty work.

Screen time is not the enemy. Screen time does a lot of good for families! It can provide quality time, down time, babysitting when you have to get things done. I want to encourage you to think less about **how much** screen time your child is…

Don’t get me wrong - I’m a huge fan of talking with your child about the videos they watch and the games they play. Research shows it can help them learn and reduce negative effects of exposure to inappropriate content. BUT if you are working…

I know how easy it is to hand your kid your smartphone in a pinch! There is NO SHAME in handing your kid a screen when you need to. But if your circumstances allow, try to make that screen something other than your smartphone. Your kid sees you on…

I know, a lot of people love the background noise of a TV! I’m not here to make you live in silence! How about background music, podcasts, or radio instead? The idea is to use something that won’t draw your child back in to screen time. For more tips…

If you give screen-time-ending warnings and they work for you, that’s great! I think families should do what works and ditch what doesn’t. If you give warnings and your child still gets frustrated, see what happens if you drop the warnings for a…

There is NO SHAME in using social media while parenting. Sometimes a few minutes of scrolling is the break you need to make it to bedtime. If your child’s requests for screen time are driving you up a wall, cutting back on your own social media time…

If your kids can’t resist online videos, who can blame them? YouTube videos are designed to pack as much gratification as possible into a few minutes. We all want to watch more! Your parenting ISN’T to blame for your kid’s fascination with screens,…

Did you watch Little Bear as a kid? Does your kid watch Little Bear now? Let me know in the comments!Free checklist to choose educational videos: Bit.ly/EduVideoCheck

Screen time guidelines for kids are based on low-quality evidence, according to researchers who examined all the evidence. Free screen time stats: https://bit.ly/m/MediaExpertClaireSource:Ophir, Y., Rosenberg, H., & Tikochinski, R. (2021). What are…

Research shows that inconsistent screen time rules are a major contributor to tantrums and other problematic screen use behaviors. What is problematic screen use in kids? It’s when screen use interferes with their daily social, emotional, physical,…

My honest review of a video on the Tiny Cakes channel. This is part of a series in which I review the first video YouTube Kids recommends each time I open it. Who am I? I'm a PhD children's media researcher. I consult with children's media developers…

Make the tablet your scapegoat! Leave a comment: Do you use in-tablet screen time limits or the end of an episode as a way to transition off the device? For more screen time tantrum solutions, here’s a free guide:…