The home of "Tech Talk Tuesdays"
“Having calm, consistent conversations has greatly improved screen balance in my home and I have written hundreds of articles to help others through my weekly Tech Talk Tuesdays newsletter and blog.”— Delaney Ruston, MD Physician/Filmmaker"
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The FDA's 2023 Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey shows that over 400,000 U.S middle and high school students used nicotine pouches in the last year. In today's blog I share excepts from my conversation with Dr. Robert Jackler of Stanford University, who is an expert on tobacco advertising. We discuss how ZYN seem to be reaching and influencing teens, via social media, to use nicotine pouches by following the same playbook as JUUL
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Understanding just how much insufficient sleep affects our children is a motivator to help them get the best sleep possible. As kids return to school, resetting sleep habits and rules around tech in the bedroom is hard but imperative. I share why sleep is so important and what you can do to help make a tech-free bedtime less painful. Most importantly, I share some of my favorite ways to set and maintain rules around sleep time - They might surprise you!
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I’m thrilled to share some exciting news with you - our fourth Screenagers movie is set to release at the beginning of September! The film SCREENAGERS: Elementary School Age Edition, is tailored specifically for parents, students, and educators involved with elementary school-age children. We made this film because I believe we can change the trajectory of youth mental health if we address the impact of screen time as early as possible.
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We have created a table that compares the 4 most common social media platforms and the specific ways they are similar and different. Spoiler alert, they are way more similar than different. It makes perfect sense since companies see what young people use on other apps and incorporate such features into their own apps.
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We launched the Away For The Day movement in 2017 because we could see back then the detrimental impact of smartphone use in schools, not just on academics but also on the emotional wellbeing and social development of youth. The fact is research shows that Away For The Day is the way to go. This week we introduce our significantly updated Away For The Day campaign website to help you support cellphone bans at your schools or your kids’ schools.
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We released a new Screenager’s Podcast episode which is my candid interview with 3 teenage girls about Instagram. And it is, in my unbiased opinion, an awesome interview :). In today's blog, I highlight some key points we discussed and encourage you to listen to the podcast with the youth in your life and use the discussion questions at the end of this blog.
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I thank my daughter, Tessa, for this guest blog where she discusses TikTok and, most importantly, links to 7 TikTok posts that came into her feed. When watched with your child, these clips provide a unique, and I would add an awesome, way to have a conversation about TikTok and related media without having to look directly at your child’s feed (if they have TikTok).
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Yesterday, I released a new Screenagers Podcast episode titled "From Junk Food to Social Media: How Teens Get Manipulated" In it, David Yeager, PhD, discusses a study on youth social media use and manipulation. Today's blog also features an excerpt on his intervention, reducing kids' sugary food intake by 30% for months.
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Summer is here, and you may be going on a car trip, so having a list of interesting podcasts to listen to as a family can be helpful. All of these are excellent to listen to as an adult, whether you want to discuss the topic with youth in your life or not. I thoroughly enjoyed all of these episodes and am delighted to share them with you today!
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The topic of our traumas and our parenting is such an important one because when things set us off due to our own hard experiences, whether in childhood or later, our potentially effective responses get hijacked, and we can respond in ways that make things worse. For this TTT, I am sharing a snippet of my conversation with Johnson from this week’s episode of The Screenagers Podcast, titled: How Our Own Trauma Impacts Our Parenting
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A Warning Label for social media? The US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S., is urging Congress to enact legislation for a tobacco-like warning on social media. It's a significant step in the right direction. I’m a supporter of it!
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Our latest podcast features social psychologist and best-selling author Jonathan Haidt, discussing his book "The Anxious Generation." Haidt, a New York University professor and "Let Grow" co-founder, talks about the impact of social media and smartphones on the sharp rise of anxiety in youth since their introduction. For today’s blog, I have chosen a section of the podcast that I think you will find insightful.
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I often talk about using tech (laptops, phones, etc.) as a tool, treat, or talking device. An effective way to model screen-time choices is to say out loud in front of your kids when you are using a device as a tool, treat, or talking device. As we enter summertime, I have been reflecting on the creation of family memories and that when we shake up things, we stack the cards in favor of lasting memories. Using tech in clever ways can help make memories. Today, I share some fun ideas for summer activities.
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In today's TTT, I have an excerpt from a new Screenagers Podcast episode where author Peggy Ornstein discusses the trend among teens of choking during sexual encounters, also known as sexual strangulation. Today's youth are exposed to highly sexualized material that previous generations never encountered. From online pornography to intense sex scenes in movies and shows like “50 Shades of Grey,” “Euphoria,” and "The Idol" as well as explicit content pushed to them on social media. This exposure has repercussions.
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This blog explores how children often perceive parental love as conditional, linked to their achievements. It offers insights on fostering unconditional love, with reflections and practical questions to help parents ensure their children feel valued for who they are, not just for what they accomplish.
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In today’s blog, you’ll learn how Positive Discipline can transform your approach to parenting screen time. You’ll learn about this potentially transformative parenting technique from renowned Positive Discipline expert Casey O’Roarty. Learn to navigate challenges, foster connection, and empower your child’s self-regulation.
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How much money would we need to pay students to leave social media for a month? How about if none of their peers had access to it either? Would they even pay to have social media removed from their whole peer group?! Researchers who are experts in behavioral economics recently conducted a fascinating set of experiments with college age students to explore these questions.
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In today's blog, I delve into the darker side of gaming, from the aggressive exchanges and trash-talking in first-person shooters like Call of Duty and even Minecraft and Roblox. This discussion is featured in my latest podcast episode, where I interview a gamer and Dr. Kishonna Gray, an assistant professor in digital studies at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Gray, who explores the human dynamics in video games and assists parents in navigating challenging aspects of gaming culture, provides valuable insights and solutions.
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