If you've ever found yourself yelling "put the phone down!" while simultaneously scrolling your own device, you're not alone. Intentional parenting in a digital world is one of the biggest challenges families face today — and most of us are figuring it out as we go.

On a recent episode of The Screen Guardians Podcast, host Katie Longhauser sat down with Kori Bloom — founder of Conscious Not Crazy, author of The Business of Parenting, and a mom of two teenagers — to talk about what it really looks like to lead yourself first as a parent, communicate without fear, and stay connected to your kids in a world full of devices.

This conversation was packed with practical wisdom. 

 

If you've ever handed your toddler a tablet just to get through dinner — or noticed your teenager retreating to their room for hours on end, scrolling and silent — you're not alone. Most of us feel it. Something is off. But connecting the dots between our kids' screens and their emotional wellbeing can feel murky, even overwhelming.

In Episode 27 of the Screen Guardians Podcast, host Katie sits down with Tessa Stuckey — licensed family therapist, parenting coach, author of For the Sake of Our Youth, and founder of nonprofit Project Look Up — to talk about the social media effects on teen mental health that she's witnessed firsthand in her therapy office since 2014. What she discovered changed everything.

 

Parenting kids in the digital age is incredibly hard. We are the first generation to raise children in the most digitally saturated environment in human history. With teens averaging more than seven hours of recreational screen use per day, many parents worry about sleep disruption, anxiety, and attention fragmentation. You might be wondering how to protect your kids without completely isolating them. The good news is that you do not have to figure it out alone.

Kids Digital Health Hub and Screen Guardians have officially launched our Parent Portal. In this guide, we will show you how this digital library equips you with the knowledge to create a safe digital home.

https://kidsdigitalhealthhub.com/parent-portal-digital-health-at-home/

In an era where our lives are intertwined with screens, the concept of a digital detox has emerged as both a necessity and a revelation.

Have you ever wondered how stepping away from your devices might reshape your emotional landscape? This is the journey that students at Loyola University embarked on, guided by the insightful Dr. Shreya Hessler.

Her groundbreaking course, "Digital Detox: Doing Nothing and Doing Well," challenges the status quo, offering students a chance to reconnect with themselves and their peers in meaningful ways.

Join us as we explore how this innovative approach is cultivating emotional resilience, redefining engagement in a screen-saturated world, and uncovering the profound benefits of intentionally unplugging.

  https://kidsdigitalhealthhub.com/digital-detox-for-emotional-resilience/

An in-depth conversation with a veteran superintendent on why digital safety isn't optional—and how a rural Kansas district is leading by example.

 

When I first sat down with Paul Larkin, superintendent of Syracuse USD 494 in Western Kansas, I wasn't expecting a conversation that would stay with me for days.

There was no script. No sweeping rhetoric. Just truth—clear, steady, and hard-won.

Paul has served in public education for more than 30 years—as a teacher, coach, principal, and now as superintendent for nearly a decade. He's seen technology arrive and evolve in classrooms. He remembers the time before cell phones. He was there when the "one-to-one device" model was first celebrated as a tool for equity.

And now?

Now, he's watching kids fall asleep in class after scrolling on school-issued devices until 3 a.m.

Now, he's listening to kindergarten teachers say: "We're done—we don't want iPads in our classrooms anymore."

Now, he worries—not because he's anti-tech, but because he's honest about what's happening.

Full shownotes - https://kidsdigitalhealthhub.com/digital-safety-in-schools/

 

In a world where likes and comments feel like lifelines, where digital conversations unfold faster than emotions can catch up, our kids are navigating a reality we never had to. If you've ever wondered why your child seems more anxious than you were at their age—or why they retreat behind a screen when the world feels too much—you're not alone.   We recently sat down with licensed professional counselor Morgan Lee for an honest conversation about what anxiety looks like in today's youth, how technology is part of the picture, and what parents can do to help. This episdode is grounded in that conversation, gently unpacking some of the most pressing mental health concerns facing families today.   And maybe most importantly—it's a reminder that none of us are doing this alone.   https://kidsdigitalhealthhub.com/kids-anxiety-and-screen-time-what-helps/

I want to start with a story. Not one from my childhood—but from today.

Last week, I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a group of parents, educators, and advocates at the Kansas State Capitol. It wasn't a polished, pretty press moment. It was real and gritty—honest words in wood-paneled hearing rooms, the air thick with both urgency and hope. In front of lawmakers, we made the case for something simple, but increasingly rare: classroom spaces where kids can learn, connect, and grow without the constant hum of a phone in their pocket.

That's the heart of Senate Bill 302 here in Kansas—a bill that supports bell-to-bell phone-free school days.

And in this week's episode of The Screen Guardians Podcast, I had the honor of discussing this moment, and the bigger movement it belongs to, with my friend and fellow advocate, Kim Whitman.

Kim isn't just a voice in this space—she's a leader. She's helped launch the Phone-Free Schools Movement, co-leads the nonprofit Smartphone Free Childhood U.S., and is helping districts and families across the country imagine something better: schools where real connection and real learning take priority.

 

https://kidsdigitalhealthhub.com/bell-to-bell-phone-free-schools-report/

 

In one of the most grounded and deeply human conversations we've had the honor to be part of, Kevin and I sat down with Dr. Currie Myers—America's Criminologist—for an episode that reached well beyond crime statistics and research papers.

It reached into the heart of why we do this work.

Because behind every warning about online risk, behind every school training or digital wellness tool we design, there are stories. Family stories. Police reports that start with a parent's voice cracking on the phone. Classroom moments when a child sheepishly confesses something they've seen but wish they hadn't.

There's the stillness in a teacher's face when they realize how much they didn't know they were supposed to protect kids from—the kind of dangers that don't show up in textbooks.

And that's what we talked about with Dr. Myers.

Not just the "what" of digital safety. But the "why."

 

In recent years, the conversation around reducing screen time in schools has moved from quiet concern to active policy change. Educators, parents, and mental health professionals are paying closer attention to how constant tech use impacts student focus, emotional regulation, and classroom engagement.

At the heart of this shift is a deeper question: Are our current digital practices truly supporting learning—or simply becoming the norm without reflection? At McPherson Middle School in Kansas, one principal decided to pause, reassess, and lead with intention. What followed was a bold reimagining of how—and when—technology should serve students.

  https://kidsdigitalhealthhub.com/reducing-screen-time-in-schools/

This episode explores the powerful connection between digital learning and brain development, featuring insights from neurotherapist Susan Dunaway. From screen-based reading to educational apps in early childhood, we examine how technology in schools may be reshaping cognitive growth, memory, and emotional regulation in ways parents and educators can no longer afford to overlook.

  https://kidsdigitalhealthhub.com/digital-learning-and-brain-development-behind-screens/