ScreenStrong Families

Originally Aired: April 12, 2023

Your child’s school may be the biggest source of screen time in your home, and it’s the one you feel least able to control.

In this episode of the ScreenStrong Families Podcast, Melanie Hempe and Dr. Stacey take on one of the most common topics in the ScreenStrong parent forum: school-issued laptops, online homework, and the screens in classrooms. They walk through real posts from parents and give practical ways to take charge of your child’s learning habits.

Melanie shares what she saw when her oldest was in high school, and why unlimited laptop use at school is a bad idea. Dr. Stacey names three main problems with screens in school:

• Lack of learning. Kids with a device in front of them are often gaming or messaging instead of learning, then come home to hours of homework.
• Kids don’t study anymore. Constant distraction means they never practice studying or memorizing.
• Cheating. From ChatGPT to photographed tests to answers looked up on a phone or watch, even good kids cheat when personal screens are in the room.

They also respond to parent questions about homework that lives entirely online, a teacher who plays content in class that you disagree with, a 14-year-old who felt like an outsider in driver’s ed without a smartphone, and a school trip where a busload of kids stared at their phones.

Then come the solutions. For homework, they cover:

• a set homework spot and sitting with your child
• paper textbooks and printouts
• asking teachers for paper assignments
• locking down a school device or getting your own, with parental controls
• starting a ScreenStrong group at your school

They also cover what to do outside school hours, such as playdates, Friday fun nights, sports and jobs. And they cover what to say to your school’s administrators, including ScreenStrong’s core values for using technology in the classroom.

If you’ve ever felt defeated by your child’s school, this episode will help you act.

Support the show

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong!

• Get your copy of the Adventures of Super Brain book!
• Start your ScreenStrong Journey today!
• Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products.
• Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador!

ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations

• Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount)

Production Team:

• Host: Melanie Hempe
• Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

How are screens changing the way children learn, connect, and develop—and what can schools do about it?

In this episode, Melanie Hempe, RN, founder of ScreenStrong, shares a powerful presentation originally delivered to school principals and educational leaders. Drawing from her personal experience raising a son who struggled with video game addiction and more than a decade of research and work with families, Melanie explains what happens when interactive screens begin to compete with real-life experiences.

You'll learn:

• The difference between passive educational technology and highly stimulating interactive screens.
• How persuasive design and dopamine keep kids coming back for more.
• Why screen overuse can affect attention, motivation, emotional regulation, and social development.
• How excessive screen use can interfere with the biology of learning, including focus, empathy, productive struggle, and knowledge transfer.
• Practical ways schools can create more human-centered classrooms and phone-free lunchrooms.
• How educators can partner with parents to build healthier technology habits and protect childhood.

Technology is part of our world, but it doesn't have to take over childhood. It's time to rethink how we use screens in schools and put human connection, attention, and healthy development back at the center of education.

Support the show

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong!

• Get your copy of the Adventures of Super Brain book!
• Start your ScreenStrong Journey today!
• Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products.
• Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador!

ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations

• Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount)

Production Team:

• Host: Melanie Hempe
• Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

What does it look like to raise ScreenStrong kids for 10 years—and stick with it all the way through high school?

In this episode, Melanie reconnects with Jodie, a mom who attended a ScreenStrong workshop a decade ago and has been putting these principles into practice ever since. Now, her daughter is in high school and is just getting a flip phone—not a smartphone!

Jodie shares what it has been like to raise both her daughter and son with a different approach to technology, navigate the pressures of a screen-saturated culture, and stay committed to her family's values as her kids have grown. She reflects on the challenges, the lessons she's learned, and what she wishes more parents understood about raising kids who can thrive without constant screen access.

If you've ever wondered whether it's possible to raise teenagers without handing them a smartphone—or felt like you're swimming upstream trying to do things differently—this conversation offers encouragement, perspective, and a glimpse of what the long game of ScreenStrong parenting can look like.

You don't have to follow the crowd. You can raise your kids differently—and you don't have to do it alone.

Support the show

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong!

• Get your copy of the Adventures of Super Brain book!
• Start your ScreenStrong Journey today!
• Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products.
• Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador!

ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations

• Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount)

Production Team:

• Host: Melanie Hempe
• Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

What if one of the best ways to help your teen spend less time gaming and scrolling is to give them something meaningful to do in the real world?

In this episode, Melanie Hempe and Dr. Stacey explore why teens may benefit from having a part-time job—and what the research says about structured activities, screen use, executive function, confidence, responsibility, academics, and long-term outcomes.

You'll learn:

• Why structured time may protect teens from problematic technology use
• What fewer teens working today may mean for adolescent development
• How a job builds responsibility, confidence, independence, and real-world skills
• What the research says about working and school performance
• Why age and hours worked matter
• Why working more than about 20 hours a week during the school year can become problematic
• How to help a screen-focused teen find a job they can actually get excited about
• How a job can become part of a bigger goal: less screen time and more real life

The goal isn't simply to keep your teen busy or take away their screens.

It's to help them build a life they don't want to escape from.

Listen in—and then start the conversation with your teen about getting a job.

Support the show

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong!

• Get your copy of the Adventures of Super Brain book!
• Start your ScreenStrong Journey today!
• Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products.
• Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador!

ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations

• Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount)

Production Team:

• Host: Melanie Hempe
• Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

In Part 1, Andrew Hempe explained what he gained from growing up without smartphones or video games. In Part 2, he answers the questions parents and teens ask him most.

Andrew starts by admitting the obvious: he did miss out on some things—easy access to pornography, the anxiety and depression tied to social media, and screen addiction itself. His point: not all missing out is bad, and there's a real difference between protecting a child from permanent harm and sheltering them from healthy difficulty.

He also walks through what happened when he finally got a smartphone after high school, on his own terms, as a tool rather than a "toy." No social media. No gaming console. Because the habits, hobbies, and delayed-gratification mindset were already in place, the phone never became a crutch.

From there, Andrew tackles the arguments parents hear constantly:

• Why can't my kid just have screens and sports, music, and friends? 
• Won't my child resent me forever? 
• Don't confuse intelligence with maturity, and don't confuse access with preparation.

He closes with a direct message to teens listening—that the friendships worth keeping don't depend on a screen—and a reminder to parents that conversations alone won't solve a screen problem; only removing access will.

Support the show

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong!

• Get your copy of the Adventures of Super Brain book!
• Start your ScreenStrong Journey today!
• Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products.
• Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador!

ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations

• Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount)

Production Team:

• Host: Melanie Hempe
• Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

What if growing up without a smartphone or video games didn’t mean missing out—but actually meant gaining more?

In this episode of the ScreenStrong Families Podcast, 22-year-old Andrew Hempe shares what it was really like to grow up without the addictive screens that are now considered a normal part of childhood. After seeing his older brother struggle with severe gaming addiction, Andrew’s parents made the difficult decision to raise their younger children without smartphones or video games.

Andrew explains why he believes he didn’t miss out at all. Instead, he gained four things that have shaped who he is today: strong family relationships, the ability to be comfortable with boredom and discomfort, real-world skills, and deep friendships.

He shares personal stories about family dinners, sports, music, school, and friendships—and explains how having more time away from screens gave him the opportunity to develop communication skills, creativity, confidence, perseverance, and meaningful relationships.

Andrew also addresses one of parents’ biggest fears: What if my child is the only one without a smartphone or video games? Will they be left out? Will they have friends?

His experience offers a powerful perspective for parents who wonder whether protecting childhood from addictive technology means their kids will miss out. Andrew's answer is clear: there is so much more to gain when screens aren't taking up the space meant for childhood.

This is Part 1 of a two-part series. In Part 2, Andrew answers the questions he hears most often about growing up this way—including what he actually missed out on, what happened when he eventually got a smartphone, and why some things are worth missing.

Support the show

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong!

• Get your copy of the Adventures of Super Brain book!
• Start your ScreenStrong Journey today!
• Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products.
• Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador!

ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations

• Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount)

Production Team:

• Host: Melanie Hempe
• Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

How much technology should kids really be using at school? In this episode of the ScreenStrong Families Podcast, Melanie Hempe and Dr. Stacey explore the growing use of screens, Chromebooks, tablets, educational apps, and AI in schools—and ask the question every parent should be asking: Is technology actually helping our children learn?

You’ll learn why the issue isn’t simply “technology is good or bad,” but what technology is replacing. Are screens replacing books, handwriting, play, movement, teacher interaction, conversation, or creative problem-solving?

Melanie and Dr. Stacey discuss:

• Healthy screen time and technology use at school
• Why teacher interaction and relationships matter
• Technology use and young children
• What kids need to learn before AI does the work for them
• How parents can ask schools better questions about classroom technology
• Practical ways to create a more human-centered learning environment

Technology is a tool—not the foundation. The child is the foundation.

If you're concerned about kids and screens, technology in schools, digital learning, or AI in education, this episode will give you practical insights and questions you can take to your child's school.

Support the show

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong!

• Get your copy of the Adventures of Super Brain book!
• Start your ScreenStrong Journey today!
• Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products.
• Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador!

ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations

• Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount)

Production Team:

• Host: Melanie Hempe
• Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

Originally aired: March, 2022

Melanie welcomes back Dr. Richard Freed, author of Wired Child and a practicing Clinical Psychologist and supervisor studying the effects of technology on children. He is on the advisory board of ScreenStrong and is a contributor to many well-respected publications. A link to Dr. Freed’s article, The Tech Industry’s War on Kids, is included in the show notes. 

Melanie asks Richard to provide our listeners his perspective on frequently asked questions from parents related to screens in the classroom, how to modify and/or request help with reducing screen use for homework, how to request a support letter for an in-school accommodation for your child, and one of the most difficult questions to answer, what to say to your child that is struggling with addictive behaviors. 

Their discussion addresses how technology has changed the school experience and learning opportunities for our children, which have significantly impacted children's development of Social Emotional Learning (SEL), which encompasses the growth of personal identity, communication, empathy, and healthy connections with parents, teachers, and coaches within the overall community setting. Lastly, Melanie and Richard provide an overview of tips pulled from their conversation today with an emphasis on strong parenting, reducing screens in schools, and re-establishing the strong guidance and love our kids need from us from elementary through high school and beyond. 

REFERENCES: The Tech Industry’s War on Kids by Dr. Richard Freed

Support the show

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong!

• Get your copy of the Adventures of Super Brain book!
• Start your ScreenStrong Journey today!
• Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products.
• Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador!

ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations

• Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount)

Production Team:

• Host: Melanie Hempe
• Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

In this episode, Melanie and Dr. Stacey explore how teachers and parents can collaborate to create a phone-free school environment. Teachers can support the policy by using research-backed education, setting an example with their own phone use, and staying alert to signs of phone overuse, like distracted behavior and declining grades. Parents play a crucial role by supporting the school’s efforts, limiting contact with kids during school hours, and encouraging phone-free days.

For parents wanting to go further, we’ll also discuss becoming a Phone-Free Champion in your school, organizing fun, tech-free activities that encourage socializing and new hobbies.

Tune in to learn how phone-free schools can help students stay focused, build friendships, and feel more connected.

Download our Phone-Free School Resource Guide.

Support the show

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong!

• Get your copy of the Adventures of Super Brain book!
• Start your ScreenStrong Journey today!
• Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products.
• Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador!

ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations

• Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount)

Production Team:

• Host: Melanie Hempe
• Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

Originally aired November 8, 2023.

In this episode, Melanie has a very special guest—her daughter, Melissa! In this episode, we will hear how Melissa feels about growing up without social media or a smartphone. They discuss an overview of teen brain science, what makes social media irresistible for teens, the risks for teen girls, and end with some practical tips for parents. You will enjoy the candid nature of this conversation and will be inspired to make some changes in your home!

Support the show

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong!

• Get your copy of the Adventures of Super Brain book!
• Start your ScreenStrong Journey today!
• Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products.
• Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador!

ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations

• Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount)

Production Team:

• Host: Melanie Hempe
• Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin