UW-Health Kids offering free online tools for managing digital habits

MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) - UW-Health Kids teamed up with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to launch two free online tools to help families set up digital use management plans.

The first tool is the Family Media Plan, which was revamped after launching in 2016. Dr. Megan Moreno, an adolescent health expert with UW Health Kids, said the tool is now more user friendly.

“Families can make individual plans for each kid within the family with the platform. Now, they can also save their data and come back to it and change the plan,” she said.

According to Dr. Moreno, this flexibility works better for families switching their summer media rules to school year rules. The update comes from research to improve the online tool.

“We did a study that tested the older version of the Family Media Plan. One of the things that we found is that families and their kids, in particular, get really excited when they were on the platform. They would select all of the rules, but then what he heard, was there always wasn’t a plan to set those rules into place,” she said.

The updated tool helps families narrow down rules while offering tips on keeping up with the plan.

The second free tool is a 10 question quiz to help parents determine if their child is ready to receive their first phone. Dr. Moreno said that is a common question her patients have. The questionnaire was designed with the help of scientific research.

“It doesn’t tell a parent whether a kid should or shouldn’t have a phone, but it helps you think through it with the kid on what might be some of the issues that come up if you get one now,” she said.

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