It’s not easy raising a child in the 21st century. Not only are there so many competing demands for parents, kids are facing stressors that are new to them and, by extension, their parents. In addition to the onslaught of troubling news stories that kids can’t avoid, their understanding of their own environment deepens. They struggle with concepts they have always taken for granted. Kids are often more connected to media and technology than their parents. Therefore it is up to parents and childcare professionals to know how to engage their kids in meaningful ways. Here are some of our favorite resources for raising healthy children in the digital age.

These sites provide excellent information about children’s technology use and help to find the best tools and to understand the neuroscience of digital play.

Common Sense Media – A great source for well-thought-out reviews of video games, movies, apps, websites, television, and other media.

Parents Choice – An unbiased selection of products that helps children grow “imaginatively, physically, morally, and mentally.” The focus is a bit more on reading than on technologies.

Center on Media and Child Health – Provides parents, educators, clinicians, and researchers with information on the effects of media on children. Has an excellent set of resources for research in this field.

Neuroscience and Technology – An article from Futurelab, one of the best sources for information about technology and learning.

Kaiser Family Foundation – The best source of information about what children are actually doing with media in their daily lives.

Of course, the blog right here at LearningWorks for Kids is a fantastic resource for raising kids in the digital age. Our founder and president, Dr. Randy Kulman, has authored a book aptly titled: Playing Smarter in a Digital World: A Guide to Choosing and Using Popular Video Games and Apps to Improve Executive Functioning in Children and Teens. You can buy it on Amazon.