Resource Roundup #2:

Resources for Promoting Effective Smartphone Use and Digital Wellness

Author

Lisa Golds
March 04, 2025

Let’s Connect

Welcome to Let’s Connect: A newsletter from Dr Lisa Golds, Innovation Fellow at The University of Edinburgh, that brings you up-to-date information about effective smartphone use, positive device habits, and digital wellness!

Smartphone use can be a sensitive topic and a number of stories have recently been seen across the media discussing both the benefits and drawbacks of our relationship with our phones. Whatever your opinion on smartphone use, one thing we know is these devices are here to stay! As smartphones become more necessary to our everyday lives, empowering people to engage with healthy device use habits and digital wellness is critical. Parents, and especially new parents, are often reliant on their phones for accessing information, support, and every now and then, a chance to recharge. As an Innovation Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, my research focuses on empowering parents to foster positive device habits for themselves and their newborn babies.

In this newsletter, I have brought together a number of resources, including open access research, podcasts, and exciting event opportunities focusing on digital wellness and effective device use.

I am also excited to announce a new research study focusing on first time parents’ experiences of using their smartphone around their baby, and how becoming a parent has influenced their technology use. In this study, we want to amplify the voices of parents, and to explore their needs and opinions on this important topic. See the events section below for more information!

If you would like to contact me for a chat, or to share any resources in the next newsletter - please do get in touch!

✉️ Email: [email protected]

Spotlight on Science 🔦

Our recently published article focused on the relationship between maternal mental health, infant development, maternal smartphone use, and mother-infant responsiveness.

Findings suggest that mothers who experienced lower responsiveness with their infant were more likely to use their phones more during certain critical parenting moments throughout the day.

These mothers were also more likely to perceive their infants as having more social emotional difficulties, were more likely to feel unsupported, and were more likely to have other children to care for.

These results are useful for understanding the complex risk factors that parents experience when raising their babies, and reinforce calls for greater support for parents with young infants.

This article is open access

Information and Resources 📚️ 

There is a wealth of information around effective smartphone use - almost to the point of overwhelm! In this newsletter, I aim to bring you a catalogue of useful resources, including podcasts and websites specifically informing parents about the benefits of digital wellness, for both themselves and their babies.

In this Screen Deep podcast episode from the Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, Dr Brandon McDaniel discusses ‘technoference’ - the everyday interruptions caused by device use.

Across 40 minutes of balanced discussion, this podcast explores how technoference might impact children when their parents use phones in their presence.

The Butterfly Baby Clinic provides educational resources to parents throughout the perinatal period.

Often, parents will want to take some time to themselves. Finding time to relax is critical and for many parents, this might look like scrolling through their phone. Mindful meditations are an alternative way to take a break and recharge while parenting.

Events and Opportunities 🎉 

The University of Edinburgh are looking for first time parents to join an exciting new research project. This project focuses on first time parents’ experiences of using their smartphone around their baby, and how becoming a parent has influenced their technology use. Parents will be invited to join a 30-60 minute focus group, where they can share their experiences and opinions on using tech as a parent in the modern world.

This month, Fathers Network Scotland will host their exciting event DADx: Time With Dad. This event will discuss the results of the Dads Survey 2024, including insights into dads’ attitudes to digital use, and how they are spending time with their children.

Digital Mental Health ☁️ 

Quick and easy access to mental health resources can be beneficial to parents. Digital mental health services can provide ease of mind to parents who are looking for help and support.

We are happy to be able to share with you a number of resources for parents, collated by Dr Marie-Claire Shankland (Programme Director; NHS Education for Scotland).

Please spread the word if you think that colleagues would benefit from the resources shared in this newsletter:

Or subscribe to our newsletter here: