(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- On Friday, May 29, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) and Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD), members of the Congressional Task Force on Digital Citizenship, will host a roundtable on screen addiction, a phenomenon where adults and children exhibit addictive-like behaviors to technology screens, and the pressures felt by many to be part of virtual communities. The roundtable will explore this growing concern and discuss key portions of the new documentary, “Screened Out,” which examines how social media, smartphones, tablets and a range of platforms and devices have fundamentally changed the way we communicate and operate in the world. Wexton and Raskin will be joined by Jon Hyatt, Director of “Screened Out”; Jim Steyer, founder of Common Sense Media; Dr. Michael Rich, Director of the Center on Media and Child Health (CMCH) at Boston Children’s Hospital; and Dr. Jenny Radesky, M.D., a pediatrician and expert on children and media at the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
The roundtable takes place during Mental Health Awareness Month, at a time when families and individuals are spending more time online and on social media as a result of COVID-19. Participants will also discuss why Congressional action is needed to support research that would help parents, teachers, and health experts better understand how technology and media are affecting children’s cognitive and physical development. As Americans are confronted by an increasingly digital world, understanding healthy online behaviors and how to manage screen time has become vital
Last month, Wexton founded the Congressional Task Force on Digital Citizenship, which seeks to equip Americans with tools and resources to use technology and engage online responsibly. In April, Wexton hosted a virtual roundtable to discuss digital citizenship during COVID-19 and ways to stay safe and healthy as many people work and learn from home.
Congressman Jamie Raskin is the sponsor of the bipartisan and bicameral Children and Media Research Advancement (CAMRA) Act to study the effects of technology and media on the mental and physical health of children by authorizing a comprehensive research program under the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Press interested in joining the roundtable live should RSVP to both amir.avin@mail.house.gov and Samantha.Brown2@mail.house.gov for logistical instructions. The Roundtable will be recorded and broadcast on Congresswoman Wexton’s Facebook page following its conclusion.
WHO: Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton
Congressman Jamie Raskin
Jon Hyatt, Director of “Screened Out"
Michael Rich, MD, MPH, Director, Center on Media and Child Health (CMCH) at Boston Children’s Hospital
Jim Steyer, founder of Common Sense Media
Dr. Jenny Radesky, M.D., University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital
WHAT: Virtual Roundtable on Families and Screen Time in our Digital Age
WHEN: Friday, May 29, 2020, 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Held over Zoom and later broadcast on Rep. Wexton and Raskin’s Facebook pages
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