Live Webcast Of Conference To Feature Experts in Child Psychology and Media
WASHINGTON — Few transformations of the environment in which children grow and develop have been as dramatic as the last decade's rise in interactive technologies. At what age, for how long, and for which children does engagement in specific technologies promote healthy development? In what circumstances, if any, can technology compromise the attainment of child development goals? These are some of the questions that will be explored during Digital Childhood, an invitation-only, working conference. The conference marks a new partnership between the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Communication Association. Other sponsors include the National Science Foundation, The Center for Media Education, Decade of Behavior, The Markle Foundation, and the Society for Research on Child Development.
The conference will be held on October 23, 2000 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC and a portion of the meeting (8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.) will be webcast live through the Decade of Behavior website at http://www.decadeofbehavior.org.
The conference will bring together key constituencies - academe, industry, foundations, federal agencies, advocacy groups, and the press - to address three main objectives, which include: developing a collaborative research agenda on children and interactive technology, developing funding resources for this agenda, and raising public awareness of the crucial needs and opportunities in this area. The panel discussions will include experts in cognitive, social and emotional child development, communication, and human/technology interactions.
Due to space limitations, reporters planning to attend the conference are requested to make advance arrangements by Thursday, October 19 with David Partenheimer of the APA Public Affairs Office at (202) 336-5706 or at dpartenheimer@apa.org.
The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world’s largest association of psychologists. APA’s membership includes more than 159,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 53 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 59 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare.