The Healthy Screen Habits
PODCAST
Welcome,
I'm so glad you're here.
We are the first generation to parent while balancing screens, life, and family. Each episode on the Healthy Screen Habits podcast features insights, tips, and takeaways to help parents make informed decisions on how to help their family live a healthy digital life.
Podcast Testimonials
Read what people are saying about the Healthy Screen Habits Podcast
Recent Podcast Episodes
Healthy Screen Habits was founded by a group of 4 moms who find it imperative to practice what we teach! Next week, the podcast will take a break as we enjoy Spring Break with our own families.
During Spring Break, take some time to do some digital spring cleaning! Delete unused apps and revisit memories of the past year by organizing photos. The act of revisiting memories brings about reminiscence which it turns out is one of the best ways to increase language with younger kids and strengthen memory.
Enjoy all of these memories and create new ones this Spring Break.
You know that zombie trance that your kids get when watching Cocomelon or other fast paced “kid shows”? Do you ever experience the epic meltdowns that come with the phrase “turn it off”? Well - I’ve got great news. You can avoid these by using kid podcasts to buy yourself 30 minutes for dinner prep/making the needed phone calls/car rides instead!
Andi Smiley, the host of The Friendly Podcast Guide @friendlypodcastguide, is awesome!! She created a podcast that helps moms find podcasts for themselves and for their kids.
No more zombies!! Build strong imagination muscles by exposing your kids to some of the great kid podcasts out there.
Jo Piazza failed at being a momfluencer. She is a bestselling author, journalist and creator of Under The Influence podcast, Her hilarious, and frankly a little horrifying, take on how social media influences so much of our lives and how the commodification of every single aspect of our lives is driving everyone ( but mostly girls, women and mothers) a little insane is on point. We dive into all of the good things in this episode- including the screen practice that Jo says she’ll never give up…..like, ever.
The mission of the Phone-Free Schools Movement @phonefreeschools is to provide youth the freedom to excel academically and develop socially without the distractions, pressures, and harms of phones and social media during the school day. In this episode meet and listen to all 3 founding members: Kim Whitman, Sabine Polak, and Mileva Repasky recount personal experiences with phones in schools and reasons why a “no phone bell to bell” policy in schools is needed.
Lenore Skenazy is no stranger to doing hard things and sitting in the discomfort of letting your child explore their independence. In 2008 she wrote an article about allowing her 9 year old son to ride a New York City subway all the way home, by himself. The backlash from the public and media was swift…to say the least.
Lenore says our kids are smarter, safer, and stronger than our culture gives them credit for and encourages us to get our kids outside, offline and let them grow.
Catch Up On Past Seasons
Season 8
During Season 8 of the Healthy Screen Habits Podcast, Hillary engages in conversations with different Healthy Screen Habits Heroes. These individuals are leaving a lasting impact, shaping our understanding of what it truly means to be healthy in a digital age.
"Please don’t make the mistake of gifting fully loaded smart phones." ~ Hillary Wilkinson
Since 2013, the Children and Screens Institute @childrenandscreens has been a leading curator of experts in the field of digital media and children's health. This week, I got to talk to the executive director: Kris Perry.
I asked Kris questions like:
- Is digital media enhancing or impairing children's abilities to live happy, healthy, productive lives?
-What does research show regarding the effects of screen use on children's cognitive development or social emotional development?
-What can parents do to help enact legislation enforcing guardrails on tech platforms?
She had insightful, amazing answers. If you use technology, if you have any interaction with children, if you are interested in the effects of digital media, you need to hear this episode!
Season 7
Season 7 of the Healthy Screen Habits Podcast focused on putting plans into action, whether by revisiting old practices or trying something new. This season will explore these practices with guests who have implemented tools and systems and designed legislation for digital wellness in classrooms and homes.
Get your summer kicked off right and remain screen intentional by setting clear boundaries around screen time and scheduling lots of fun! In this week’s episode Hillary shares personal plans and experiences she has used to keep summers tech-intentional.
Julie Lythcott-Haims is the New York Times bestselling author of the anti-helicopter parenting manifesto, How To Raise An Adult, which gave rise to a popular Ted Talk and is also the author of Your Turn - How To Be An Adult. She served as Stanford’s Dean of Freshman and Undergraduate Advising before pursuing opportunities in writing and advocacy. Julie is the mother of 2 and has many real life connections to young adults. She’s got the wisdom and experience that we are all looking for! Listen to this episode to gain insight, compassion, and hope.
Season 6
In Season 6 of the Healthy Screen Habits Podcast, Hillary looks at the effects of screen use on preschool-age children. She looks at the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines and asks WHY such strong restrictions? WHAT should we be doing with our babies and littles to give them the best path of growth? And HOW do we pull all of these things together while working, caregiving, and maintaining a home? Listen to what the experts say about technology's effect on speech development, emotional regulation, and more during Season 6: "Tech, Tots, and Littles".
Healthy Screen Habits was founded by a group of 4 moms who find it imperative to practice what we teach! For the next few weeks the podcast will take a break as we enjoy Spring Break with our own families.
During Spring Break, take some time to do some digital spring cleaning! Delete unused apps and revisit memories of the past year by organizing photos. The act of revisiting memories brings about reminiscence which it turns out is one of the best ways to increase language with younger kids and strengthen memory.
Enjoy all of these memories and create new ones this Spring Break, I’ll be back and learning more healthy screen habits with all of you on Apr 19, 2023.
“My kid can’t have ADHD because he can play video games for 3 hours.”
“Screens help my child focus.”
Both of these statements are ones that we have been told by parents of kids with ADHD. I went to the experts at The Childhood Collective to figure out what’s going on with screens and ADHD. The Childhood Collective is a team of two child psychologists (Lori Long, Ph.D. and Mallory Yee, Ph.D.) and a speech language pathologist (Katie Severson, M.S., CCC-SLP). Most importantly, they are three moms who are dedicated to supporting parents of children with ADHD.
ADHD brains are designed to be hyper focused on novelty, something tech has perfected. We need to equip our ADHD kids with extra skills and tools to learn how to regulate and transition.
In this episode we learn about all of it!
Season 5
Season 5 of the Healthy Screen Habits Podcast takes an in-depth look at social media. Hillary chats with experts about the effects of social media on real-life relationships, body image, and sense of self. Hear stories from mothers who are dealing with the loss of their children from cyberbullying and self-harm. Find out how to prepare your teen for social media use.
It’s the Holiday Season Wrap Up episode!! Listen as Hillary shares tips on how to ask for analog toys, avoid a MAJOR gifting pitfall, and engage the whole family in safe, seasonal tech fun.
The Podcast team wishes you and your family a very happy holiday season and we look forward to “seeing” you January 4, 2023!!
Chris Stedman is a writer, activist, and adjunct professor who teaches in the Dept. of Religion and Philosophy at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN. Previously the founding director of the Yale Humanist Community, he also served as a humanist chaplain at Harvard University. He is the author of a new book titled, “IRL: Finding Our Real Selves in a Digital World.” In this episode, we discuss why people are leaving religious institutions in pursuit of finding connections online and what it means to be real in a digital space.
Season 4
Hillary explores the idea of bridging online interests with outdoor activities and getting out into nature in Season 4.
Summer is barreling down on us and while some are ready for the lazy mornings and unscheduled days, others are already starting to agitate over how to navigate these coming weeks without succumbing to the allure and ease of too much screen time. This week we get the full collective knowledge of the moms of Healthy Screen Habits– Amy Adams, Jeannie Ondelacy Sprague, Julianna Lorenzen, and me, Hillary Wilkinson– to share our tips, tricks and hacks on how to have a balanced summer with tech.
Summer is coming and how do we teach kids to self-regulate around time spent video-gaming? Tracy Foster from the organization START teaches all about their tool called the “video game decision tree”. In this episode we talk about the founding philosophy and components of START as well as go over this invaluable tool to help parents maintain summer sanity!
Season 3
Learn about what to do when your child is watching porn, see how to recognize Cyberbullying, and find out ways to manage the question of when to give your child a smartphone plus more on Season 3 of the Healthy Screen Habits Podcast.
That's a wrap for Season 3! Join us on April 6th when we return for Season 4 of the Healthy Screen Habits Podcast.
Teens are under assault with a constant barrage of digital media, notifications, and social stress. Help your kids learn how to tame their tech and slay their digital dragons by implementing 3 R’s introduced by Dr. Alex J Packer in today’s episode.
Season 2
Hear from experts like Jean Rogers and Gail Dines on Season 2 of the Healthy Screen Habits Podcast.
We're so glad you've joined us for Season 2 of the Healthy Screen Habits Podcast. We've loved providing content to help you create healthy habits for your screen use. We hope you've found new tips for using tech more intentionally in your life.
We're on winter break here at the Healthy Screen Habits Podcast but we'll be back on January 5, 2022 for Season 3 of the HSH Podcast. Have a wonderful holiday season. See you in the new year!
In early October, a former Facebook employee turned whistleblower. Francis Haugen went public with accusations and internal documents collected during her time of employment. She said that the social media giant had been prioritizing profits over user safety and security. As soon as the formula of screens plus commercialization, plus youth began to reveal itself. I knew who I needed to talk to: Jean Rogers is the Director of the Children's Screen Time Action Network. In this episode Jean translates the data exposed by the Facebook Files and gives us some tips on how to keep our children safe online.
Season 1
Listen to experts like Hilarie Cash, Chris McKenna, and Tiffany Shlain in Season 1 of The Healthy Screen Habits Podcast.
We're on summer hiatus here at the Healthy Screen Habits Podcast. Listen and find out why that's important to us. See you back on August 25, 2021, for the first episode of Season 2!
TechWise Littles is an organization on a mission to help create confident, tech-wise parents raise healthy, tech-wise littles from birth. Co-creators, Kay De Veer and Jennifer Strube, have decades of experience in education and are mothers of littles themselves. Their content is relevant, engaging, and readily applicable in your own home.
Episodes by Topics
If you're looking for specific topics we've covered, the collection below is a great place to begin!
Activism
The mission of the Phone-Free Schools Movement @phonefreeschools is to provide youth the freedom to excel academically and develop socially without the distractions, pressures, and harms of phones and social media during the school day. In this episode meet and listen to all 3 founding members: Kim Whitman, Sabine Polak, and Mileva Repasky recount personal experiences with phones in schools and reasons why a “no phone bell to bell” policy in schools is needed.
KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act) provides families with the tools, safeguards, and transparency they need to protect against threats to children’s health and well-being online. The legislation would require social media platforms put the interests of children first by requiring these platforms to make safety the default. Contact your Senators to urge Senate Majority Leader Schumer to bring KOSA (The Kids Online Safety Act) to the floor for a vote. Do it today!
As the source behind the Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files, Frances Haugen exposed Facebook's awareness, complicity, radicalization in political violence around the world, plus their disregard to users' mental health.
Her new book: The Power Of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook, (available in our Amazon Marketplace) tells the backstory and more.
I had the opportunity to speak with Frances. She was incredibly generous with her time…so generous that I did something I never have before – that is: create a 2 part episode.
Enjoy listening to Part 2 of this fabulous conversation as Frances Haugen talks about ways we can fix social media….not kill it.
S8 Episode 2, Part 1: - Healthy Screen Habits Hero // Frances Haugen, AKA the Facebook Whistleblower
The Facebook Whistleblower, Frances Haugen deserves a seat in the High Court of Heroes in the “Do The Right Thing” Justice League ( I just made that up but it should absolutely be a thing.). A data scientist, Harvard graduate, expert of algorithmic product management and an Iowan daughter of two professors, Frances truly moved the needle for humanity when she recognized wrongdoing and stood up for the world.
The source behind the Wall Street Journal's, Facebook Files, Frances exposed Facebook's awareness, complicity, radicalization in political violence around the world, plus their disregard to users' mental health.
Her new book: The Power Of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook, (available in our Amazon Marketplace) tells the backstory and more.
When I had the opportunity to speak with Frances she was incredibly generous with her time…so generous that I am going to do something I never have before – that is: break this episode into 2 parts.
Emma Lembke is a young adult who is the founder of the Log Off Movement, an activist for better legislation for online protections, and a student at Washington University in St Louis.
Emma is passionate about leaning into the creativity and resourcefulness of other young people who are interested in choosing their best path forward with technology. Her intergenerational work has created space for dialogue between lawmakers and youth for policy changes that favor protection over profit. Her tips on managing screen time and involving teens to take control of their screen use will help all families.
LiveMore ScreenLess is a Minnesota-based organization that uses best practices from education, public health, and positive youth development to engage with family, schools, and organizations to promote balanced, intentional, and effective use of technology.
That is the total trifecta! the best of all possible uses of technology! Listen to this episode as I talk to the co-founders Maree Hampton and KK Myers.
They are dynamic women who are changing the way Minnesota does tech in schools.
Spring forward for a fresh start with Season 7 and digital wellness! Sometimes a fresh start can look like revisiting some old practices; other times it can look like trying something new. This season I will be exploring both of these practices and talking with people who put their plans to action and have developed tools, systems, and even helped design legislation to get digital wellness and healthy screen habits into classrooms and homes. Plus, learn about Screen Free Week 2023 with Jen Kane!
There are 2 major bipartisan bills that need your support! KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act) and COPPA 2.0 (an update of the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act) are making their way through the legislative process and we need your help to get them all the way there! In this episode, members of the legal team at FairPlay, David Monahan and Haley Hinkle, explain both bills and why they are important next steps in keeping our kids safe online. We also talk about how you can contact your Senator to make it happen!
Get ready, get set! Next week is Screen Free Week and Lucy Kidwell, the coordinator is here to teach us all kinds of ways to stay offline and engaged in fun, real world activities. Enjoy listening to this conversation and get a few tips on how to manage your own Screen-Free Week successfully.
Cyberbullying & Cyberharm
Kristin Bride is a mother who has become a FORCE of awareness-building and education on online bullying and the role that social media plays. This is not by choice. Kristin’s life immeasurably changed on June 23, 2020 when her 16-year-old son Carson died by suicide following vicious cyberbullying thru Snapchat and the use of anonymous apps. On this episode we discuss Carson's story and legacy.
Joann Bogard is a parent who did everything right and her son still died participating in a dangerous social media challenge. The “Choking Challenge” is an ongoing killer and Big Tech is failing to put up guardrails. In this episode learn about Mason Bogard, his life, and how we can support legislation that will provide youth protection from being exposed to dangerous online challenges.
Richard Culatta is the CEO of ISTE (International Society for Technology and Education) and author of the book “Digital For Good - Raising Kids to Thrive in an Online World.” In this episode we discuss how the digital citizenship curriculum needs to be updated and how to become an upstander when seeing cyberharm occur.
As the founder of The Center for Online Safety, Lisa Honold is committed to teaching adults how to guide children towards healthy and intentional relationships with technology, all while strengthening offline relationships with family and friends. In this episode, we talk about 5 circles of online safety you can start using today.
For the past 49 years Barbara Coloroso has been speaking, educating and teaching on parenting, creating positive school climates, bullying, explaining nonviolent conflict resolution and more. She has appeared on the BBC, Oprah and CNN just to name a few. Her life work of putting kids first and her organization: Kids Are Worth It! is the cornerstone for many in education and early childhood development. In this episode we discuss cyberbullying, it’s far reaching ramifications and what tools our kids need to have to combat this growing problem.
Bryan Seely is a world-famous hacker, Cybersecurity expert, and former U.S. Marine. His fame sky-rocketed in 2014 when he became the only person to ever wiretap the United States Secret Service and FBI. Shockingly he told the 2 agencies before he was caught. Instead of being sent to maximum security prison, the Secret Service called Bryan a hero and praised his courage and integrity.
Bryan is passionate about fighting for consumers' rights and privacy, and about educating the public on how to stay safe in a constantly changing technology landscape.
Family Connections
Tiffany Shlain was living life online to the fullest when a series of life altering events led her to value time over distraction. As her father lay dying of brain cancer while she experienced a high-risk pregnancy, Tiffany took to turning off all digital connections one day a week. Calling on the ancient observance of Shabbat helped her regain peace, creativity, and connection.
Tiffany Shlain is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, founder of the Webby Awards, creator of Dendrofemonology: A Feminist History Tree Ring, and author of the national bestselling book 24/6: Giving up Screens One Day a Week to Get More Time, Creativity, and Connection.
Those baby days can be rough - everything we see in the media tells you “these are the moments you live for” yet…it’s so lonely. If you have enjoyed other pursuits or had a fast paced career you might find yourself wondering what comes next?Typically - we reach to our device to reconnect with our friends and look for help with the millionth question you have that day. This can get tricky… we can find ourselves spending way more time online than we intended and spiraling down the hole of social media. Alex Fales, found herself struggling with all of the new mom things and was unsatisfied with her relationship with tech so she founded Mindful With Media @mindfulwithmedia. In this episode we talk about screen habit pitfalls and some relatively easy practices you can put in place to design the relationship with tech that you want to have.
You are going to want to listen to this one!!
Andy Murphy founded The Secure Dad in 2016 realizing that every parent is a protector. Andy’s passion is to help families live safer, happier lives. The information Andy provides is based on proven methods, experience, and study.
In this episode Hillary and Andy discuss the Dark Web, what parents should know about it and a current scam that is rumored to use AI duplication of your child’s voice.
Andy provides actionable tips and information that every parent can employ. Listen now!
As the source behind the Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files, Frances Haugen exposed Facebook's awareness, complicity, radicalization in political violence around the world, plus their disregard to users' mental health.
Her new book: The Power Of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook, (available in our Amazon Marketplace) tells the backstory and more.
I had the opportunity to speak with Frances. She was incredibly generous with her time…so generous that I did something I never have before – that is: create a 2 part episode.
Enjoy listening to Part 2 of this fabulous conversation as Frances Haugen talks about ways we can fix social media….not kill it.
S8 Episode 2, Part 1: - Healthy Screen Habits Hero // Frances Haugen, AKA the Facebook Whistleblower
The Facebook Whistleblower, Frances Haugen deserves a seat in the High Court of Heroes in the “Do The Right Thing” Justice League ( I just made that up but it should absolutely be a thing.). A data scientist, Harvard graduate, expert of algorithmic product management and an Iowan daughter of two professors, Frances truly moved the needle for humanity when she recognized wrongdoing and stood up for the world.
The source behind the Wall Street Journal's, Facebook Files, Frances exposed Facebook's awareness, complicity, radicalization in political violence around the world, plus their disregard to users' mental health.
Her new book: The Power Of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook, (available in our Amazon Marketplace) tells the backstory and more.
When I had the opportunity to speak with Frances she was incredibly generous with her time…so generous that I am going to do something I never have before – that is: break this episode into 2 parts.
Emma Lembke is a young adult who is the founder of the Log Off Movement, an activist for better legislation for online protections, and a student at Washington University in St Louis.
Emma is passionate about leaning into the creativity and resourcefulness of other young people who are interested in choosing their best path forward with technology. Her intergenerational work has created space for dialogue between lawmakers and youth for policy changes that favor protection over profit. Her tips on managing screen time and involving teens to take control of their screen use will help all families.
Madi is an 18 year old girl who is passionately spreading awareness about LDS women struggling with pornography. As a young woman growing up, developing a bad habit of porn consumption, and living as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as LDS, Madi felt shame and loneliness. Part of her healing came through consulting members of her faith. She hopes to help others find their own path forward and develop new, healthy screen habits.
In this episode we talk about her path to recovery, various approaches to stop viewing porn, as well as an on-campus organization seeking to help others connect.
LiveMore ScreenLess is a Minnesota-based organization that uses best practices from education, public health, and positive youth development to engage with family, schools, and organizations to promote balanced, intentional, and effective use of technology.
That is the total trifecta! the best of all possible uses of technology! Listen to this episode as I talk to the co-founders Maree Hampton and KK Myers.
They are dynamic women who are changing the way Minnesota does tech in schools.
Healthy Screen Habits was founded by a group of 4 moms who find it imperative to practice what we teach! For the next few weeks the podcast will take a break as we enjoy Spring Break with our own families.
During Spring Break, take some time to do some digital spring cleaning! Delete unused apps and revisit memories of the past year by organizing photos. The act of revisiting memories brings about reminiscence which it turns out is one of the best ways to increase language with younger kids and strengthen memory.
Enjoy all of these memories and create new ones this Spring Break, I’ll be back and learning more healthy screen habits with all of you on Apr 19, 2023.
Habits & Lifestyle
Summer is barreling down on us and while some are ready for the lazy mornings and unscheduled days, others are already starting to agitate over how to navigate these coming weeks without succumbing to the allure and ease of too much screen time. This week we get the full collective knowledge of the moms of Healthy Screen Habits– Amy Adams, Jeannie Ondelacy Sprague, Julianna Lorenzen, and me, Hillary Wilkinson– to share our tips, tricks and hacks on how to have a balanced summer with tech.
Summer is coming and how do we teach kids to self-regulate around time spent video-gaming? Tracy Foster from the organization START teaches all about their tool called the “video game decision tree”. In this episode we talk about the founding philosophy and components of START as well as go over this invaluable tool to help parents maintain summer sanity!
Teens are under assault with a constant barrage of digital media, notifications, and social stress. Help your kids learn how to tame their tech and slay their digital dragons by implementing 3 R’s introduced by Dr. Alex J Packer in today’s episode.
As the founder of Smart Digital Kids, Dr. Beverly Pell is committed to empowering parents and educators to raise kids who use tech in smart ways, intentionally, responsibly, and creatively. She also wants to teach how to use tech to promote purpose and wellbeing. In this episode, we talk about her method in which we all learn how to TAME our tech and increase our connection as a team.
Dr. Nina Shapiro has been taking care of children for nearly 25 years. One of the things she has learned along the way is: The more you empower kids with knowledge surrounding their own health, the better they apply healthy habits! In this episode, we tackle the ever present question, “Why Can’t I Have More Screen Time?”
Julianna Lorenzen is a co-founder and the Executive Director of Healthy Screen Habits and a whole lot of fun! In this episode, learn about the most popular tool accessed at our website, The Family Tech Plan, and unlock your family’s potential in the New Year.
Chris McKenna is the founder and CEO of Protect Young Eyes, an organization committed to helping families, schools and churches create safer digital spaces. He employs a 4 layer method to controlling digital access and encourages all families to have multiple conversations surrounding pornography and internet overuse.
In this episode, Chris discusses the benefits of becoming your child’s digital coach and chooses his favorite candy.
Mental Health & Technology
The mission of the Phone-Free Schools Movement @phonefreeschools is to provide youth the freedom to excel academically and develop socially without the distractions, pressures, and harms of phones and social media during the school day. In this episode meet and listen to all 3 founding members: Kim Whitman, Sabine Polak, and Mileva Repasky recount personal experiences with phones in schools and reasons why a “no phone bell to bell” policy in schools is needed.
Lenore Skenazy is no stranger to doing hard things and sitting in the discomfort of letting your child explore their independence. In 2008 she wrote an article about allowing her 9 year old son to ride a New York City subway all the way home, by himself. The backlash from the public and media was swift…to say the least.
Lenore says our kids are smarter, safer, and stronger than our culture gives them credit for and encourages us to get our kids outside, offline and let them grow.
Kris Harrison, PhD is an expert in the relationships families have with media. As the Richard Cole imminent professor in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, she studies children and media in a family context.
Recently, she's focused on children's use of media devices and content for sensory regulation and how this is connected with parent-child conflict around the child's media use.
Our conversation in this episode centers around neurodivergent children and how their needs for sensory input can vary hugely from their siblings and friends. Many ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) adults and children are finding success with using technology as a portable control device for overwhelming environments.
It’s a really good conversation - one that changed the way I see restaurants and other public areas. I hope you’ll listen!
As the source behind the Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files, Frances Haugen exposed Facebook's awareness, complicity, radicalization in political violence around the world, plus their disregard to users' mental health.
Her new book: The Power Of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook, (available in our Amazon Marketplace) tells the backstory and more.
I had the opportunity to speak with Frances. She was incredibly generous with her time…so generous that I did something I never have before – that is: create a 2 part episode.
Enjoy listening to Part 2 of this fabulous conversation as Frances Haugen talks about ways we can fix social media….not kill it.
S8 Episode 2, Part 1: - Healthy Screen Habits Hero // Frances Haugen, AKA the Facebook Whistleblower
The Facebook Whistleblower, Frances Haugen deserves a seat in the High Court of Heroes in the “Do The Right Thing” Justice League ( I just made that up but it should absolutely be a thing.). A data scientist, Harvard graduate, expert of algorithmic product management and an Iowan daughter of two professors, Frances truly moved the needle for humanity when she recognized wrongdoing and stood up for the world.
The source behind the Wall Street Journal's, Facebook Files, Frances exposed Facebook's awareness, complicity, radicalization in political violence around the world, plus their disregard to users' mental health.
Her new book: The Power Of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook, (available in our Amazon Marketplace) tells the backstory and more.
When I had the opportunity to speak with Frances she was incredibly generous with her time…so generous that I am going to do something I never have before – that is: break this episode into 2 parts.
Emma Lembke is a young adult who is the founder of the Log Off Movement, an activist for better legislation for online protections, and a student at Washington University in St Louis.
Emma is passionate about leaning into the creativity and resourcefulness of other young people who are interested in choosing their best path forward with technology. Her intergenerational work has created space for dialogue between lawmakers and youth for policy changes that favor protection over profit. Her tips on managing screen time and involving teens to take control of their screen use will help all families.
Teaching body boundaries and online safety is what We Stand Guard does best.
We Stand Guard is a training program designed to educate everyone about preventing child sexual abuse and exploitation in all its forms, whether that be physical or non-physical contact abuse.
Kimberly Perry is the brains behind the program. Author and elementary school educator, with over 15 years experience working with children across the country, Kimberly has a master of arts and teaching and has taught boundaries and personal safety to over 1000 elementary school students.
In this episode she teaches us about body boundaries and online safety for kids
LiveMore ScreenLess is a Minnesota-based organization that uses best practices from education, public health, and positive youth development to engage with family, schools, and organizations to promote balanced, intentional, and effective use of technology.
That is the total trifecta! the best of all possible uses of technology! Listen to this episode as I talk to the co-founders Maree Hampton and KK Myers.
They are dynamic women who are changing the way Minnesota does tech in schools.
Chris Stedman is a writer, activist, and adjunct professor who teaches in the Dept. of Religion and Philosophy at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN. Previously the founding director of the Yale Humanist Community, he also served as a humanist chaplain at Harvard University. He is the author of a new book titled, “IRL: Finding Our Real Selves in a Digital World.” In this episode, we discuss why people are leaving religious institutions in pursuit of finding connections online and what it means to be real in a digital space.
Nature & Technology Connections
Sarah Szuminski runs the wonderfully fun and helpful Instagram channel and website called Simplifying Play. She is a wife, mom of two, and an advocate of play for all children. Sarah is passionate about the power of play and helping parents discover their role in playful learning.
She advocates “less for more” when it comes to toy management and organization. Keeping it simple will result in longer periods of independent play and deeper learning. Listen to this episode for tips on simplifying play, life, and enjoying the results.
Jesse Hildebrand is the VP of Education at Exploring By The Seat of Your Pants, an organization committed to bringing exploration, travel, and adventure into your home and classroom! With live opportunities to talk to astronauts, Arctic explorers, and more, Jesse is at the forefront of bridging offline experiences and online learning and it’s all FREE! Listen and learn more!
Sandi Schwartz is the founder and director of the Ecohappiness Project, author of the parenting book “Finding Ecohappiness: Fun Nature Activities to Help Your Kids Feel Happier and Calmer,” and journalist specializing in parenting, environmental, and wellness topics. Her mission is to inspire and educate families to build a nature habit to feel happier and calmer. In this episode, we discuss how to create a nature habit and support a healthy balance of screentime and greentime.
Temple Grandin has the distinction of being named one of Time Magazine's most 100 influential people as well as an author, educator, and inventor. Her life’s work of understanding her own autistic mind and sharing that with the world has led her to a uniquely qualified position in which to explore technology, autism, and behavior.
In this episode we explore things all families can do, both on and offline, to provide educational, enriching experiences. Temple discusses personal experiences with video gaming, lessons from her childhood surrounding engagement with others, and shares a pandemic plumbing frustration.
In this episode, we explore parallel behaviors affected by the neurotransmitters cortisol and dopamine. In animals, we see behaviors that result from these two neurotransmitters being released during moments of stress and anticipation, and in humans, those same behaviors are also seen but as a result of those biochemicals being released during technology overuse. The evidence is clear that we won't be able to just reason our way out of these biochemicals in our brains. These biological blueprints are here to stay. Understanding what triggers these neurotransmitters can be helpful in deciding how much time you want to spend on screens.
Neurodiversity
“My kid can’t have ADHD because he can play video games for 3 hours.”
“Screens help my child focus.”
Both of these statements are ones that we have been told by parents of kids with ADHD. I went to the experts at The Childhood Collective to figure out what’s going on with screens and ADHD. The Childhood Collective is a team of two child psychologists (Lori Long, Ph.D. and Mallory Yee, Ph.D.) and a speech language pathologist (Katie Severson, M.S., CCC-SLP). Most importantly, they are three moms who are dedicated to supporting parents of children with ADHD.
ADHD brains are designed to be hyper focused on novelty, something tech has perfected. We need to equip our ADHD kids with extra skills and tools to learn how to regulate and transition.
In this episode we learn about all of it!
Note: this post is a rerun of the episode, "Technology, Autism, & the Outdoor Scientist," which aired on May 5, 2021 in Season 1.
Temple Grandin has the distinction of being named one of Time Magazine's most 100 influential people as well as an author, educator, and inventor. Her life’s work of understanding her own autistic mind and sharing that with the world has led her to a uniquely qualified position in which to explore technology, autism, and behavior.
In this episode we explore things all families can do, both on and offline, to provide educational, enriching experiences. Temple discusses personal experiences with video gaming, lessons from her childhood surrounding engagement with others, and shares a pandemic plumbing frustration.
Jenifer Joy Madden is a Certified Digital Wellness Instructor (CDWI) and a cheerleader for humanity. She believes that durability, rather than resiliency, is the key to leveling up in life. Learn how to create healthy habits as well as increase your durability, longevity and happiness in this episode.
Temple Grandin has the distinction of being named one of Time Magazine's most 100 influential people as well as an author, educator, and inventor. Her life’s work of understanding her own autistic mind and sharing that with the world has led her to a uniquely qualified position in which to explore technology, autism, and behavior.
In this episode we explore things all families can do, both on and offline, to provide educational, enriching experiences. Temple discusses personal experiences with video gaming, lessons from her childhood surrounding engagement with others, and shares a pandemic plumbing frustration.
Pornography & How to Talk About It
Dr. Gail Dines has been researching and writing about the harms of pornography for over 30 years. Using scientific studies and data as the backbone to her organization; Culture Reframed, Gail explores behavioral and mental problems that arise with early/ongoing exposure to pornography. On this episode, Gail shares parenting tips on how to talk about pornography with children and shares resources to combat this huge public health crisis.
Teaching body boundaries and online safety is what We Stand Guard does best.
We Stand Guard is a training program designed to educate everyone about preventing child sexual abuse and exploitation in all its forms, whether that be physical or non-physical contact abuse.
Kimberly Perry is the brains behind the program. Author and elementary school educator, with over 15 years experience working with children across the country, Kimberly has a master of arts and teaching and has taught boundaries and personal safety to over 1000 elementary school students.
In this episode she teaches us about body boundaries and online safety for kids
Madi is an 18 year old girl who is passionately spreading awareness about LDS women struggling with pornography. As a young woman growing up, developing a bad habit of porn consumption, and living as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as LDS, Madi felt shame and loneliness. Part of her healing came through consulting members of her faith. She hopes to help others find their own path forward and develop new, healthy screen habits.
In this episode we talk about her path to recovery, various approaches to stop viewing porn, as well as an on-campus organization seeking to help others connect.
Sean Clifford is the founder of Canopy, an organization committed to empowering families to enjoy a customized and healthy internet experience. On this episode we speak specifically about how to talk to kids about sexting and pornography.
Teens are under assault with a constant barrage of digital media, notifications, and social stress. Help your kids learn how to tame their tech and slay their digital dragons by implementing 3 R’s introduced by Dr. Alex J Packer in today’s episode.
What should we do if we find out our child has been viewing pornography? Marilyn Evans is committed to helping parents understand their unique role in preparing children and teens against online harms surrounding pornography and exploitation. In this episode we discuss how to have age appropriate talks about porn.
At 11 years old, Ashlee Ayre discovered pornography. She shares her journey through the process of addiction and recovery in the hope that it might help others. Ashlee’s mission is to help parents understand that screen and pornography addiction can happen to anyone.
Dr. Gail Dines has been researching and writing about the harms of pornography for over 30 years. Using scientific studies and data as the backbone to her organization; Culture Reframed, Gail explores behavioral and mental problems that arise with early/ongoing exposure to pornography. On this episode, Gail shares parenting tips on how to talk about pornography with children and shares resources to combat this huge public health crisis.
Chris McKenna is the founder and CEO of Protect Young Eyes, an organization committed to helping families, schools and churches create safer digital spaces. He employs a 4 layer method to controlling digital access and encourages all families to have multiple conversations surrounding pornography and internet overuse.
In this episode, Chris discusses the benefits of becoming your child’s digital coach and chooses his favorite candy.
Parenting Tech-Use for "Littles"
You know that zombie trance that your kids get when watching Cocomelon or other fast paced “kid shows”? Do you ever experience the epic meltdowns that come with the phrase “turn it off”? Well - I’ve got great news. You can avoid these by using kid podcasts to buy yourself 30 minutes for dinner prep/making the needed phone calls/car rides instead!
Andi Smiley, the host of The Friendly Podcast Guide @friendlypodcastguide, is awesome!! She created a podcast that helps moms find podcasts for themselves and for their kids.
No more zombies!! Build strong imagination muscles by exposing your kids to some of the great kid podcasts out there.
Those baby days can be rough - everything we see in the media tells you “these are the moments you live for” yet…it’s so lonely. If you have enjoyed other pursuits or had a fast paced career you might find yourself wondering what comes next?Typically - we reach to our device to reconnect with our friends and look for help with the millionth question you have that day. This can get tricky… we can find ourselves spending way more time online than we intended and spiraling down the hole of social media. Alex Fales, found herself struggling with all of the new mom things and was unsatisfied with her relationship with tech so she founded Mindful With Media @mindfulwithmedia. In this episode we talk about screen habit pitfalls and some relatively easy practices you can put in place to design the relationship with tech that you want to have.
You are going to want to listen to this one!!
"“Technologies change, children’s developmental needs do not.” ~Screen Aware Action Tool Kit
TechWise Littles is an organization on a mission to help create confident, tech wise parents raise healthy, tech wise littles from birth. Co-creators, Kay De Veer and Jennifer Strube, have decades of experience in education and are mothers of littles themselves. Their content is relevant, engaging and readily applicable in your own home.
In this episode we talk about how to put boundaries around screens, enjoy video chatting with full benefits and put the safest, healthiest screen habits into place with your littles!
You don’t drop off kids at the mall, park or bowling alley without accompanying them the first few times and then laying out groundwork for how to keep themselves safe.
The internet is a PLACE. It needs the same amount of teaching and monitoring that we give to offline spaces. In fact, knowing that predators go where kids are and online they can hide behind fake personas - it can be argued that online gaming needs MORE safety building!
This is where Protect Me from Kidas comes in. Protect Me is the first of its kind monitoring platform for online PC gaming. The best part is that the reports that are provided to parents provide conversation starters - you get to ask your child age appropriate questions and have a discussion around various areas of concern. The next steps are then also provided to give support.
Enjoy learning more about this platform by listening to this week’s episode!
Patricia Parker is the founder of Tools for Children, an organization whose mission is to help parents reduce passive screen time by encouraging creative play and opportunity. Originally from the Washington DC area, she holds a BS from LaSalle University and was deeply entrenched in corporate America before starting her family. Tools For Children provides actionable suggestions for families of all ages and stages.
Susan Linn is a psychologist, and award-winning ventriloquist, and a world-renowned expert on creative play and the impact of tech, media, and commercial marketing on children. She was founding director of the children’s advocacy group Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (now called Fairplay), and is currently Lecturer on Psychiatry at Harvard Medical school.
On this episode we discuss her newly published book, Who’s Raising the Kids? Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children, reminisce about her time spent working with Mr. Rogers, and dive into understanding why our kids are targeted by big tech.
Carly Tulloch and Katie Sterbenz are pediatric speech language pathologists and the founders of Wee Talkers, a developmentally based program for speech and language development. Through courses, memberships, and social media, they share parent-friendly tips that families can put into use during their daily routines to help their toddlers talk and communicate more.
In this episode we explore the role of tech in the increasing rates of speech therapy referrals as well as what an overuse of screen time can look like with behavioral issues.
Kailan Carr is a former teacher with a Masters in Literacy. She founded Quiet Book Queen & Crafts in Between to help parents and grandparents provide screen-free activities for their little ones in an easier, more cost effective way. She loves to encourage independent play, share easy and engaging activities, and help you create memory-making moments to connect as a family.
Kailan believes in promoting play in a screen-free way. Sound like fun? Listen to this episode to learn how to start today!
Social Media
KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act) provides families with the tools, safeguards, and transparency they need to protect against threats to children’s health and well-being online. The legislation would require social media platforms put the interests of children first by requiring these platforms to make safety the default. Contact your Senators to urge Senate Majority Leader Schumer to bring KOSA (The Kids Online Safety Act) to the floor for a vote. Do it today!
Since 2013, the Children and Screens Institute @childrenandscreens has been a leading curator of experts in the field of digital media and children's health. This week, I got to talk to the executive director: Kris Perry.
I asked Kris questions like:
- Is digital media enhancing or impairing children's abilities to live happy, healthy, productive lives?
-What does research show regarding the effects of screen use on children's cognitive development or social emotional development?
-What can parents do to help enact legislation enforcing guardrails on tech platforms?
She had insightful, amazing answers. If you use technology, if you have any interaction with children, if you are interested in the effects of digital media, you need to hear this episode!
As the current National Advisor for Health Education and Media Literacy at Media Literacy Now @medialiteracynow, Tamara Sobel is deeply committed to helping parents and schools gain healthy screen habits. The founder of the Girls Women and Media Project, she led one of the first organizations focused on activism and education to raise awareness and improve images of girls and women in the media. She's a certified sexuality educator and a regular columnist for Psychology Today. ( Maybe you've already read some of her work!) Our conversation covers a variety of topics surrounding Media Literacy and a great healthy screen habit.
Aniko Hill made a career of mastering marketing and social media. Fast forward to pandemic times when we all were living online and she recognized that the same techniques she used professionally were keeping her son hooked on tech. Aniko took a deep dive into the digital wellness pond and co-founded DopaMind, an upcoming non-profit whose mission is to educate kids about brain science and let them be their own heroes.
Listen now to learn about the science behind the “turn it off” meltdowns and more!
Those baby days can be rough - everything we see in the media tells you “these are the moments you live for” yet…it’s so lonely. If you have enjoyed other pursuits or had a fast paced career you might find yourself wondering what comes next?Typically - we reach to our device to reconnect with our friends and look for help with the millionth question you have that day. This can get tricky… we can find ourselves spending way more time online than we intended and spiraling down the hole of social media. Alex Fales, found herself struggling with all of the new mom things and was unsatisfied with her relationship with tech so she founded Mindful With Media @mindfulwithmedia. In this episode we talk about screen habit pitfalls and some relatively easy practices you can put in place to design the relationship with tech that you want to have.
You are going to want to listen to this one!!
Andy Murphy founded The Secure Dad in 2016 realizing that every parent is a protector. Andy’s passion is to help families live safer, happier lives. The information Andy provides is based on proven methods, experience, and study.
In this episode Hillary and Andy discuss the Dark Web, what parents should know about it and a current scam that is rumored to use AI duplication of your child’s voice.
Andy provides actionable tips and information that every parent can employ. Listen now!
As the source behind the Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files, Frances Haugen exposed Facebook's awareness, complicity, radicalization in political violence around the world, plus their disregard to users' mental health.
Her new book: The Power Of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook, (available in our Amazon Marketplace) tells the backstory and more.
I had the opportunity to speak with Frances. She was incredibly generous with her time…so generous that I did something I never have before – that is: create a 2 part episode.
Enjoy listening to Part 2 of this fabulous conversation as Frances Haugen talks about ways we can fix social media….not kill it.
S8 Episode 2, Part 1: - Healthy Screen Habits Hero // Frances Haugen, AKA the Facebook Whistleblower
The Facebook Whistleblower, Frances Haugen deserves a seat in the High Court of Heroes in the “Do The Right Thing” Justice League ( I just made that up but it should absolutely be a thing.). A data scientist, Harvard graduate, expert of algorithmic product management and an Iowan daughter of two professors, Frances truly moved the needle for humanity when she recognized wrongdoing and stood up for the world.
The source behind the Wall Street Journal's, Facebook Files, Frances exposed Facebook's awareness, complicity, radicalization in political violence around the world, plus their disregard to users' mental health.
Her new book: The Power Of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook, (available in our Amazon Marketplace) tells the backstory and more.
When I had the opportunity to speak with Frances she was incredibly generous with her time…so generous that I am going to do something I never have before – that is: break this episode into 2 parts.
Emma Lembke is a young adult who is the founder of the Log Off Movement, an activist for better legislation for online protections, and a student at Washington University in St Louis.
Emma is passionate about leaning into the creativity and resourcefulness of other young people who are interested in choosing their best path forward with technology. Her intergenerational work has created space for dialogue between lawmakers and youth for policy changes that favor protection over profit. Her tips on managing screen time and involving teens to take control of their screen use will help all families.
Tech in Education
Since 2013, the Children and Screens Institute @childrenandscreens has been a leading curator of experts in the field of digital media and children's health. This week, I got to talk to the executive director: Kris Perry.
I asked Kris questions like:
- Is digital media enhancing or impairing children's abilities to live happy, healthy, productive lives?
-What does research show regarding the effects of screen use on children's cognitive development or social emotional development?
-What can parents do to help enact legislation enforcing guardrails on tech platforms?
She had insightful, amazing answers. If you use technology, if you have any interaction with children, if you are interested in the effects of digital media, you need to hear this episode!
Julie Lythcott-Haims is the New York Times bestselling author of the anti-helicopter parenting manifesto, How To Raise An Adult, which gave rise to a popular Ted Talk and is also the author of Your Turn - How To Be An Adult. She served as Stanford’s Dean of Freshman and Undergraduate Advising before pursuing opportunities in writing and advocacy. Julie is the mother of 2 and has many real life connections to young adults. She’s got the wisdom and experience that we are all looking for! Listen to this episode to gain insight, compassion, and hope.
Cece Hawley is the president of the Live More Screen Less Youth Council. She’s a Gen Zer who has a passion for digital wellness and change. Cece has an inside perspective of growing up with social media and the tricky relationship between tech and teens. On this episode we talk about what it’s like to grow up with tablets in school, and what makes an influencer.
Jesse Hildebrand is the VP of Education at Exploring By The Seat of Your Pants, an organization committed to bringing exploration, travel, and adventure into your home and classroom! With live opportunities to talk to astronauts, Arctic explorers, and more, Jesse is at the forefront of bridging offline experiences and online learning and it’s all FREE! Listen and learn more!
As founder of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center, Elizabeth Englander, PhD is committed to helping children find best practices for connecting with others. Technology has created new ways to navigate the already tricky world of social norms and it’s important that parents have lots of discussion to provide guidance with all kinds of conflict resolution. In this episode we talk about technology, conflict resolution and parenting in a tech age.
Founder of the top parenting site, Better Screen Time, Andrea Davis is committed to helping parents worry less about technology and connect more with their kids. Better Screen Time is the place for parents who want technology to hold an intentional place in their household. In this episode we talk about a 4-step plan to teens getting a cell phone.
Julie Lythcott-Haims is the New York Times bestselling author of the anti-helicopter parenting manifesto, How To Raise An Adult, which gave rise to a popular Ted Talk and is also the author of Your Turn - How To Be An Adult. She served as Stanford’s Dean of Freshman and Undergraduate Advising before pursuing opportunities in writing and advocacy. Julie is the mother of 2 and has many real life connections to young adults. She’s got the wisdom and experience that we are all looking for! Listen to this episode to gain insight, compassion, and hope.
As the founder of Smart Digital Kids, Dr. Beverly Pell is committed to empowering parents and educators to raise kids who use tech in smart ways, intentionally, responsibly, and creatively. She also wants to teach how to use tech to promote purpose and wellbeing. In this episode, we talk about her method in which we all learn how to TAME our tech and increase our connection as a team.
As the founder of The Center for Online Safety, Lisa Honold is committed to teaching adults how to guide children towards healthy and intentional relationships with technology, all while strengthening offline relationships with family and friends. In this episode, we talk about 5 circles of online safety you can start using today.
Tweens, Teens, and Tech
You know that zombie trance that your kids get when watching Cocomelon or other fast paced “kid shows”? Do you ever experience the epic meltdowns that come with the phrase “turn it off”? Well - I’ve got great news. You can avoid these by using kid podcasts to buy yourself 30 minutes for dinner prep/making the needed phone calls/car rides instead!
Andi Smiley, the host of The Friendly Podcast Guide @friendlypodcastguide, is awesome!! She created a podcast that helps moms find podcasts for themselves and for their kids.
No more zombies!! Build strong imagination muscles by exposing your kids to some of the great kid podcasts out there.
Jo Piazza failed at being a momfluencer. She is a bestselling author, journalist and creator of Under The Influence podcast, Her hilarious, and frankly a little horrifying, take on how social media influences so much of our lives and how the commodification of every single aspect of our lives is driving everyone ( but mostly girls, women and mothers) a little insane is on point. We dive into all of the good things in this episode- including the screen practice that Jo says she’ll never give up…..like, ever.
The mission of the Phone-Free Schools Movement @phonefreeschools is to provide youth the freedom to excel academically and develop socially without the distractions, pressures, and harms of phones and social media during the school day. In this episode meet and listen to all 3 founding members: Kim Whitman, Sabine Polak, and Mileva Repasky recount personal experiences with phones in schools and reasons why a “no phone bell to bell” policy in schools is needed.
Lenore Skenazy is no stranger to doing hard things and sitting in the discomfort of letting your child explore their independence. In 2008 she wrote an article about allowing her 9 year old son to ride a New York City subway all the way home, by himself. The backlash from the public and media was swift…to say the least.
Lenore says our kids are smarter, safer, and stronger than our culture gives them credit for and encourages us to get our kids outside, offline and let them grow.
Kris Harrison, PhD is an expert in the relationships families have with media. As the Richard Cole imminent professor in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, she studies children and media in a family context.
Recently, she's focused on children's use of media devices and content for sensory regulation and how this is connected with parent-child conflict around the child's media use.
Our conversation in this episode centers around neurodivergent children and how their needs for sensory input can vary hugely from their siblings and friends. Many ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) adults and children are finding success with using technology as a portable control device for overwhelming environments.
It’s a really good conversation - one that changed the way I see restaurants and other public areas. I hope you’ll listen!
KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act) provides families with the tools, safeguards, and transparency they need to protect against threats to children’s health and well-being online. The legislation would require social media platforms put the interests of children first by requiring these platforms to make safety the default. Contact your Senators to urge Senate Majority Leader Schumer to bring KOSA (The Kids Online Safety Act) to the floor for a vote. Do it today!
"Please don’t make the mistake of gifting fully loaded smart phones." ~ Hillary Wilkinson
Since 2013, the Children and Screens Institute @childrenandscreens has been a leading curator of experts in the field of digital media and children's health. This week, I got to talk to the executive director: Kris Perry.
I asked Kris questions like:
- Is digital media enhancing or impairing children's abilities to live happy, healthy, productive lives?
-What does research show regarding the effects of screen use on children's cognitive development or social emotional development?
-What can parents do to help enact legislation enforcing guardrails on tech platforms?
She had insightful, amazing answers. If you use technology, if you have any interaction with children, if you are interested in the effects of digital media, you need to hear this episode!
As the current National Advisor for Health Education and Media Literacy at Media Literacy Now @medialiteracynow, Tamara Sobel is deeply committed to helping parents and schools gain healthy screen habits. The founder of the Girls Women and Media Project, she led one of the first organizations focused on activism and education to raise awareness and improve images of girls and women in the media. She's a certified sexuality educator and a regular columnist for Psychology Today. ( Maybe you've already read some of her work!) Our conversation covers a variety of topics surrounding Media Literacy and a great healthy screen habit.
Video Gaming (Videogaming/Gaming)
Summer is coming and how do we teach kids to self-regulate around time spent video-gaming? Tracy Foster from the organization START teaches all about their tool called the “video game decision tree”. In this episode we talk about the founding philosophy and components of START as well as go over this invaluable tool to help parents maintain summer sanity!
Note: this post is a rerun of the episode, "Technology, Autism, & the Outdoor Scientist," which aired on May 5, 2021 in Season 1.
Temple Grandin has the distinction of being named one of Time Magazine's most 100 influential people as well as an author, educator, and inventor. Her life’s work of understanding her own autistic mind and sharing that with the world has led her to a uniquely qualified position in which to explore technology, autism, and behavior.
In this episode we explore things all families can do, both on and offline, to provide educational, enriching experiences. Temple discusses personal experiences with video gaming, lessons from her childhood surrounding engagement with others, and shares a pandemic plumbing frustration.
Hilarie Cash is a pioneer in the field of digital addiction and one of the nation’s leading clinical experts in internet and gaming disorders. As a co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer of ReStart Life, the first-of-its-kind residential treatment facility in the U.S. and Canada, she has been studying technology and its effects upon mental health since the 1990s.
Learn how to recognize problematic behaviors and when to ask for help by listening to this episode.
Temple Grandin has the distinction of being named one of Time Magazine's most 100 influential people as well as an author, educator, and inventor. Her life’s work of understanding her own autistic mind and sharing that with the world has led her to a uniquely qualified position in which to explore technology, autism, and behavior.
In this episode we explore things all families can do, both on and offline, to provide educational, enriching experiences. Temple discusses personal experiences with video gaming, lessons from her childhood surrounding engagement with others, and shares a pandemic plumbing frustration.
About the podcast host, Hillary Wilkinson
Hillary found the need to take a big look at technology when her children began asking for their own devices. Quickly overwhelmed, she found that the hard and fast rules in other areas of life became difficult to uphold in the digital world. As a teacher and a mom of 2 teens, Hillary believes the key to healthy screen habits lies in empowering our kids through education and awareness.
Parenting is hard. Technology can make it tricky. Hillary uses this podcast to help bring these areas together to help all families create healthy screen habits.
Want to be a guest on the podcast?
If you have a message that you or your organization thinks aligns with the mission of the Healthy Screen Habits Podcast, we'd love to have you on our show.