Break Brick Needs a
DigitalChildren
Storiesby
Illustrated by Phoebe Zeng
Written by Jayden Choi (Age 5) & Kim Maslin
First published in 2023
Stories by Digital Children: A storytelling competition for 5-12 year olds is a Digital Child competition. Children aged 5-12 across Australia were asked to submit story ideas for the 2023 theme ‘Fun with digital media: Getting the balance right.’
This book was co-authored by the winner of the 5-6 age group category, Jayden Choi, and Kim Maslin. The book was illustrated by Phoebe Zeng.
The project team consisted of Dr Amanda Levido, Prof Annette Woods and Prof Michael Dezuanni of QUT.
© 2023, Copyright resides with the authors and illustrator/s of this book.
This project was supported by the Australian Research Council through their Centre of Excellence scheme. The Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child (CE200100022) brings together national and international experts and partners to investigate children’s digital experiences across birth to eight years old.
Brick Needs a Break
Written by Jayden Choi (Age 5) & Kim Maslin
Illustrated by Phoebe Zeng
This is Brick.
Brick is a tablet.
Now this is Brick with a face. Brick is making some beeping noises.
Can you make beeping noises like Brick?
This is Jayden.
Jayden likes to use Brick to play, read, and talk to family.
But LOOK!
Brick is running out of battery.
Jayden needs to plug him in so he can recharge.
Can you find the power point for Brick?
There it is, well done.
Brick is now plugged into the wall. Let’s leave Brick to recharge.
But LOOK! Jayden is still trying to play with Brick.
Brick is tired and grumpy.
Brick is starting to huff and puff.
Can you huff and puff like Brick?
Brick is huffing and puffing so much that he is about to blast off all the way into space.
Let’s help him count down...
3, 2, 1...
Brick is happy to have some space in space.
But LOOK! Jayden is sad that Brick is not in the house.
Jayden’s mum helps Jayden write Brick an email.
Can you help Jayden’s Mum write the email?
LOOK! It’s the moon. Brick wants to stop and jump in all the moon craters.
But LOOK! Jayden has found some toys to play with. And a book to read.
And his dad to talk to.
Brick has come back home now. He is ready to play with Jayden.
But LOOK! Jayden is having so much fun with his toys, his book and his dad.
“You go recharge, Brick. I need some space. I will play with you later.”
Brick
Jayden is playing, reading and talking. He is happy.
is recharging. He is happy.
What makes YOU happy?
Fun with digital media: Getting the balance right
For children
We hope you liked this story about Brick and Jayden. As Jayden knows, it can be tricky to turn off technology when you are having so much fun! We do all need a break sometimes. We can’t jump into space like Brick, so what do you do to take a break from technology?
For educators and families
We often hear that families and educators are concerned about the amount of time children spend using digital media technologies. We think it is great that families and educators are talking about this issue and are searching for resources. Also, it is important to recognise that what might be appropriate will be different for different children and families. There may not be any one ‘right’ answer to the question of how to have media balance, but we can have conversations with children about this issue.
We hope you find the Stories by Digital Children series of children’s picture books, including this one, Brick Needs a Break, useful in starting or continuing these conversations.
You might ask children:
• What does a fun day look like to you? What kinds of activities do we do?
• What are our favourite things to do with technology?
• How do you know when it’s time to put technology away?
• How do you feel when a grown up asks you to put technology away?
Further information about children and the digital world is available at the eSafety Commissioner website. The eSafety Commissioner is a partner in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.
Children:https://www.esafety.gov.au/kids
Parents:https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents
Educators:https://www.esafety.gov.au/educators
Learn more
The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child provides evidence-based transdisciplinary research related to children and digital technologies with a focus on positive outcomes for all children. We aim to enhance public understanding, inform policymakers and provide guidance for families, educators and technology creators to support children to be confident growing up in a rapidly changing digital world.
Brick is a tablet. Jayden is a boy.
Brick loves joining Jayden on adventures, helping him play, read, and talk with family.
But sometimes, even tablets need a little rest.
Join Jayden and his family as they discover the magic of giving Brick a break, and what can happen when your tablet has some space.
