School may be out, but summer reading is just heating up. I often get asked by kids in Screenagers’ audiences whether reading on an e-reader counts as screen time. While a screen is a screen, I highly encourage kids to read, whether it’s paper or electronic.
Let me say first and foremost I am still a paper book lover—for me and for my family. Just this week I took Tessa to the library to stock up on summer books. She went to the biography section and picked out a bunch.
Even though I am personally partial to paper books, I know that e-readers are incredibly convenient—they can store many books, and you can borrow books from the library, as well. They are so light and, often, the cost of an e-book is far less than a paper book.
All e-readers come with WiFi, but only some, like the Kindle Fire, are designed to double as a tablet. An e-reader with tablet-capabilities makes switching from the book to games too easy and tempting for kids to pass up. To keep your kids’ eyes on the words instead of the games this summer, I recommend only using e-readers that do not have tablet functionality.
True e-readers like Kindle, Nook, and Kobo make the reading experience the main focus. Each brand has several models ranging from the low end with lower resolution and no backlight to the top of the line with reduced blue light, touch screens, and lighter weights.
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
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School may be out, but summer reading is just heating up. I often get asked by kids in Screenagers’ audiences whether reading on an e-reader counts as screen time. While a screen is a screen, I highly encourage kids to read, whether it’s paper or electronic.
Let me say first and foremost I am still a paper book lover—for me and for my family. Just this week I took Tessa to the library to stock up on summer books. She went to the biography section and picked out a bunch.
Even though I am personally partial to paper books, I know that e-readers are incredibly convenient—they can store many books, and you can borrow books from the library, as well. They are so light and, often, the cost of an e-book is far less than a paper book.
All e-readers come with WiFi, but only some, like the Kindle Fire, are designed to double as a tablet. An e-reader with tablet-capabilities makes switching from the book to games too easy and tempting for kids to pass up. To keep your kids’ eyes on the words instead of the games this summer, I recommend only using e-readers that do not have tablet functionality.
True e-readers like Kindle, Nook, and Kobo make the reading experience the main focus. Each brand has several models ranging from the low end with lower resolution and no backlight to the top of the line with reduced blue light, touch screens, and lighter weights.
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School may be out, but summer reading is just heating up. I often get asked by kids in Screenagers’ audiences whether reading on an e-reader counts as screen time. While a screen is a screen, I highly encourage kids to read, whether it’s paper or electronic.
Let me say first and foremost I am still a paper book lover—for me and for my family. Just this week I took Tessa to the library to stock up on summer books. She went to the biography section and picked out a bunch.
Even though I am personally partial to paper books, I know that e-readers are incredibly convenient—they can store many books, and you can borrow books from the library, as well. They are so light and, often, the cost of an e-book is far less than a paper book.
All e-readers come with WiFi, but only some, like the Kindle Fire, are designed to double as a tablet. An e-reader with tablet-capabilities makes switching from the book to games too easy and tempting for kids to pass up. To keep your kids’ eyes on the words instead of the games this summer, I recommend only using e-readers that do not have tablet functionality.
True e-readers like Kindle, Nook, and Kobo make the reading experience the main focus. Each brand has several models ranging from the low end with lower resolution and no backlight to the top of the line with reduced blue light, touch screens, and lighter weights.
The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the country, just approved districtwide screen time limits starting in the 2026–27 school year. Students through 1st grade won't use school devices, grades 2–5 will move from 1-to-1 iPads to shared laptop carts, and older students will face screen time limits with YouTube blocked. Devices also won't be allowed during passing periods, lunch, or recess. Credit goes to the parent- and teacher-led group Schools Beyond Screens, whose organizing and advocacy work helped make it happen.
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This year, millions of students are experiencing a major shift: school days without phones, smartwatches, or other personal devices. Today we explore the wins, hurdles, and solutions helping schools succeed. We also share our resources that you can use to support technology policy changes in your schools.
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I recently sat down with middle school principal Zach at his school in Washington State. We talked about the challenges Zach and his team faced in his early years as principal when students used phones during school, and how he brought about a powerful transformation by having phones and smartwatches put away in locked pouches for the whole school day. In today’s blog, to raise awareness of the challenges, I share five real examples from Zach of the troubling ways students use phones at school to be unkind.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
