Can You Raise a Teen Today Without a Smartphone?
Yes, you can. We did and this is what we learned. We made it! My
ScreenStrong Team
June 15, 2026
Yes, you can. We did and this is what we learned. We made it! My
We know the harms of social media for girls. What about boys and video games?
Parents, It’s Time to Get Real About Minecraft This game is not as innocent as
51 Suggestions For a (Not-So-Lame) Family Movie Night With Your Teens Let’s be honest: when
Are You Losing Your Child to Video Games? Have you ever lost something that you
Are Classroom Screens Quietly Hurting Your Child’s Ability to Learn? When I first read The
The Best Way to Destroy Your Child’s Love of Reading Every parent wants to raise
When my daughter Melissa was in middle school, I had a conversation with another parent
“I just want to play one more game,” he says. “Please?” “Well, it is the
Give Your Kids a Real Childhood Screen overuse is a major problem. Give your kids
Start Your New Year Off Right When It Comes to Screen Time Did you loosen
10 Reasons Parents Cave And Give Kids Smartphones I recently got a phone call from
by Melanie Hempe, BSN, with Psychiatrist Dr. Adriana Stacey, MD Speaking to BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg
Part 2 of the Screenstrong Lifestyle Course You’ve had your defining moment. You know in
Part 1: Kids’ Brains and Screens Hi. This is Melanie Hempe and I’ve been
Let’s face it, technology is here to stay. And it’s useful. We watch YouTube videos
Reclaim Your Kids From Screens So They’ll Find Joy in Real-life Activities Again “I don’t
Games and Social Media Trigger Excitement and Fear in a Way that can Alter a
It is easier than you think to bypass the screen holiday blues this season Every
Screen toys are not real toys. In fact, they are not toys at all. The
Parents across the globe are struggling with what some call the biggest parenting challenge of
This sample letter to your child’s teacher may help. All parents understand the struggle of
By Dr. Leonard Sax, originally published on ThePublicDiscourse.com The record-smashing success of WAP is a
So, we decided to become a screen-free family. I removed our Wii, took away my
All parents have strong biases when it comes to managing their kids’ screen use. What
Could a break from screens give relief to my daughter with autism who was suffering
What happens when our kid’s only childhood memory is a screen? One of our jobs
“My kids have already watched 3 hours of TV today and it is only 9:30
Throw out Fortnite and Tiktok and dive into real-life activities this summer. The full effects
Stop second-guessing yourself. Don’t be the last to know what your teen is posting online.
Parents Need Community To Help Kids Escape Screen Addiction “Never underestimate the ability of a
We have overlooked the underlying causes of social media stress and our kids are paying
I’ve been a ScreenStrong parent for more than four years, and during that time, I’ve
Some Parents are Blind When it Comes to Teen Pornography Addiction Because of my work
In this post, we continue our Book of the Month series with an interview between
“Your family is stronger than screens.” —Cynthia Johnson ScreenStrong started the 2021 Book of the
Smartphones Provide Fuel for Helicopter Parents Want independent kids? Disconnect their phones. Sarah pulled
Why Smartphones Make Horrible Holiday Gifts Considering giving your child a smartphone this holiday season?
It’s Okay to be Different How we learned to be a ScreenStrong Family in a
What’s the Best Age to Give My Teen a Smartphone? Finally, a simple answer that
A Real Life: What Childhood Once Was and Still Should Be by Dawn Poulterer Woods, ScreenStrong
A Call to Parents: The Screen Effect by Jennifer Ruisch, screenwriter & ScreenStrong Ambassador
How Fortnite Makes Your Son Aggressive Three reasons his “harmless game” may be making him
Sleepovers: Should Parents Allow Them? Three things to consider before your kids pack that sleepover
The Video Game Addiction Test How to know if your child is developing an unhealthy
New film, Screened Out, explores how we can regain control of our screen time. We
Spoiler Alert: Your Child is Not a Virtual Angel Tips on how parents can avoid
5 Reasons to Disable Your Teen’s Smartphone Why quarantine is the perfect time to wean
5 Reasons to Uninstall Video Games Is your son binging on video games during the
50 suggestions for a (not-so-lame) family movie night with your teens. By ScreenStrong Movie nights
How to Reduce Screen Time in One Week Give your family a new perspective on
How Much Screen Time Is Okay During the Quarantine? What to do when our routines
How Hand-Me-Down Phones Are Hurting Our Kids Three reasons why giving your teen your old
Should I Worry About My Kids’ Screen Time During the Pandemic? How one crisis can
Five Keys to Avoid a Screen Crisis During Quarantine By Melanie Hempe, BSN, Founder of
Why The Tech Talk Doesn’t Work | ScreenStrong How you can help your teen dodge
Out With the Negative and In With the Positive By Melanie Hempe, BSN, Founder of
Why Smartphones Make Horrible Christmas Gifts Considering gifting your child a smartphone for Christmas? Think
Yesterday, our kids were dressing up in princess costumes and digging in the sandbox. Today,
Rethinking School Screens: Why Our Kids Can’t Focus By Melanie Hempe, BSN, Founder of ScreenStrong
Silence Really is Golden By Dawn Poulterer-Woods, ScreenStrong Ambassador Years ago, before the iPhone was
Middle School Misfortunes Then and Now, One Teacher’s Take By Benjamin Conlon Let’s imagine
Open Letter to a Ninth-Grade Boy Screen Tips for High School By Melanie Hempe, BSN,
Photo: Halo, Dead Rising 3, Call of Duty: WWII, Fortnite We all know of [the]
Sometimes in the of act of giving our kids smartphones, we need to step back
Are you ready to throw the video games and smartphones out the window? This is
Are you happy with the amount of time your child spends on a screen? Are
Has your child ever thrown a controller when playing a video game? Has he ever
Wondering if your kids should be on social media? Let’s start by examining what social
How Video Gaming Can Sabotage Sports By Melanie Hempe, BSN, Founder of ScreenStrong Why
Why Every Boy Is An Athlete: Even Your Gamer | ScreenStrong By Melanie Hempe, BSN,
By Melanie Hempe, Founder of ScreenStrong – January 15, 2019 PHOTO CREDIT: iStock Parents no longer
Many parents struggle over the perfect time for their child to have a smartphone, but
“The contract experiment was a failure at our house… She has proven that she can’t
When it comes to kids and screens, we hear the myth of the forbidden fruit
Will Your Gamer Survive in College? Stop the gaming addiction before you throw away college
Take control of the latest gaming drug before it goes too far. Four moms
Rethinking Personal Laptops in the Classroom Are classroom computers making kids smarter or more distracted?
We made it! My daughter made it to her 18th birthday without a smartphone. She
Remember when kids used to have too many books and toys? Now their lives are
“I think back to how I might have done things differently… I probably would have
It’s the end of the day and everyone is getting home from school and work.
Lately you’ve noticed that it takes your tween son twice as long to write a
Let’s be honest. Video games (and screens in general) can make great babysitters. They are
When you hear the word “vacation,” what comes to mind? Perhaps a break from routine,
How real play helps your child learn much-needed real-life skills. Pre-game jitters. They have hit
Building strong “digital citizens” does not begin with a smartphone contract. You (nervously) just gave
Start organizing your home today for a successful low-tech summer Contributor: Jennifer Harvey, Interior Designer A
Give your child the gift of outdoor memories they will never forget! Another summer camp
Why video games don’t prepare a young boy for real baseball or real life. The
I really love middle school kids, I have two of them! If you have been
“You will never be able to achieve anything truly great if you spend all of
The Myth of the Over-Scheduled Child Is your under-scheduled child becoming obsessed with his screen?
How to Protect Your Child from Online Porn 7 steps parents can take at home to
How to Make Hard Work Family Fun | ScreenStrong Remember when your parents told you
Can Doing Chores Save Your Child’s Summer? When we think of the ideal summer for
Caution! Teen Brain: Still Under Construction Even for the savviest parents, teen development can be
Is Video Game Addiction Real? “I just have a feeling deep down that my son
How to Destroy Your Child’s Love for Reading Did you know that 80% of U.S.