Note: This episode was recorded and finalized prior to the new iOS 12 release by Apple, which includes "Screen Time." According to Apple "Screen Time also gives parents access to their child’s Activity Report right from their own iOS devices using Family Sharing in iCloud, and allows them to schedule times to limit when a child’s iOS device can be used, such as during bedtime." Because this feature is such an important addition to the screentime limits and controls parents have available, I will be producing a follow up to this episode to discuss setting up and using Screen Time on Apple devices. For a quick-reference guide to get started now, visit this post by Wait Until 8th.  

***

As unmillennials, many of us vividly remember our first cell phones because we were adults or darn-near-it by the time we got one. But our children came into the world with access to hand-held technology at their fingertips day or night. As parents, we find ourselves in the unique position of parenting a generation of digital natives and navigating -- without a guide -- when and how to tell them to turn it off and tune it out. 

So what happens when the folks who made all of this technology possible -- the movers and shakers of the tech world -- find themselves making those same decisions with their kids? Do they handle it differently than we do? What limits do they place or not place in their own homes?

In today's episode, NBC News writer Elizabeth Chuck shares with us what she learned when asking just these very questions to leaders in the tech field in researching this recent article. What she found may surprise you. In this episode we discuss:

• The reality that tech parents in many ways struggle as much as the rest of us to find the right balance
• The wide range of tactics and limits tech execs use in their homes
• The balance of wanting kids to embrace and master technology while avoiding the pitfall of being a slave to the cell
• How parenting kids in a world filled with screen requires more than simply saying "NO"

To end the show, I'm following up on another new series I'm loving these days on Amazon -- Jack Ryan. As a follow up to the show's sponsorship with Audible (and my recommendation to grab a copy of a Jack Ryan book from Audible for free by signing up at audibletrial.com/unmillennial), I'm recommending you either consider reading or watching... either way ... enjoy a bit more Jack Ryan. The storyline is that good (and I'm acknowledging I am perhaps the last human on Earth who hasn't read a Tom Clancy book!) 

If you have feedback on this or any episodes, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Please tag or message me on social media (Instagram, Twitter or Facebook) or email me at [email protected]. You're also always invited to join the This Unmillennial Life Facebook Group or connect by leaving me a voicemail.

If you haven't checked out the new Fan Shop, please do! It's the only place where listeners can order merchandise to show off their "unmillennialness" to friends and family.

And as always, I hope you find this show helpful. If you have a show idea you'd like to hear about, let me know and submit a show idea here! 

Thank you for listening and for subscribing. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review! And if you've been listening to the show for a while or are a new listener and have thoughts about what you like/don't like, I'd love for you to share them with me through this very brief LISTENER SURVEY. Thanks for your feedback! 

Until next time,

~Regan

This week's episode is brought to you by Audible, who is offering a free trial and free audiobook download to This Unmillennial Life listeners who visit audibletrial.com/unmillennial.

This Unmillennial Life is available each week via iTunes, NPROne, Libsyn, and Spotify. Each full-length show is also now available via ReganJonesRD on Facebook making it easier than ever to share with a friend. 

Musical support provided by Ben Williams at Kudzu Studio. Website support provided by Katy Widrick at MakeMediaOver.com. Additional support provided by Robin Plotkin of RobinsBite.com.

 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reganjonesrdn.substack.com