ScreenStrong is a non-profit organization that believes in keeping the benefits of technology for kids while empowering parents to delay toxic tech—video games, smartphones, social media. We educate parents on the medical science behind childhood screen use in order to focus on healthy hobbies and family connections. To be ScreenStrong is to make a countercultural choice to move your child’s entertainment and social life from the online world back to the real in-person world.
Yes, you can. We did and this is what we learned. We made it! My daughter made it to her 18th birthday without a smartphone. She is alive and well and, might I add, a very happy teen. I didn’t start with a plan to delay her smartphone use through high school; it just unfolded […]
We know the harms of social media for girls. What about boys and video games? After nearly a decade, progress is finally being made in the conversation about how smartphones and social media are fueling a teen mental health and academic crisis. More parents and school leaders are now standing up and saying no—no more […]
Parents, It’s Time to Get Real About Minecraft This game is not as innocent as many believe. Hear this parent’s cautionary tale. As someone who frequently speaks to parents about the scientific risks of gaming on young, developing brains, I’ve heard all kinds of questions. When I explain the addiction science and recommend avoiding video […]
51 Suggestions For a (Not-So-Lame) Family Movie Night With Your Teens Let’s be honest: when you say “family movie night” to your teen, expect an eye-roll so dramatic it could register on the Richter scale. But here’s the thing—they still show up. And that’s a win in the parenting playbook. Watching movies together as a […]
Are You Losing Your Child to Video Games? Have you ever lost something that you didn’t even know was lost? As a mom of four children, I’ve become a good detective. I can find the missing baseball cleat, the lost homework, and even the missing dog—all in a day’s work. Like most moms, I don’t […]
Are Classroom Screens Quietly Hurting Your Child’s Ability to Learn? When I first read The Digital Delusion, I felt something I don’t often feel in this fight anymore: relief. For years, parents have been saying something is off. Screens keep multiplying, yet outcomes keep declining. Kids aren’t learning the way they used to—or even what […]
The Best Way to Destroy Your Child’s Love of Reading Every parent wants to raise a reader. So why aren’t we? You’ve heard the saying, “Readers are leaders.” It’s not just a clever rhyme—it’s backed by reality. A five-year study of self-made millionaires found that 88% spent at least 30 minutes a day reading and […]
When my daughter Melissa was in middle school, I had a conversation with another parent that completely changed the path we would choose when it came to social media. I was talking with a mom of two older daughters about what to expect in high school: the social pressure, the drama, and when she had […]
“I just want to play one more game,” he says. “Please?” “Well, it is the only thing he enjoys,” you rationalize as you reset the kitchen timer. “At least I know where he is.” And so the pattern continues. No parent is blind to the shift: a son pulling away from sports and becoming more […]
Give Your Kids a Real Childhood Screen overuse is a major problem. Give your kids a real childhood and get them out into the great outdoors. I often speak to parent audiences in school settings about screen addiction warning signs and prevention. On the way to the auditorium for a recent parent talk, I found […]
