[3-30] Clean vs Toxic Tech Habits: Spotting the Difference

When raising kids in the digital age there is no escaping the question about screens. Actually, it’s a long list of questions. How much screen time is ok? Does it depend on the activity? When should my child get their own tablet, device, or smartphone? What’s healthy? What’s not? And what is meant by clean vs toxic tech habits? The answers may just shock you. 

This week I talk with Melanie Hempe, founder and executive director of ScreenStrong, a US-based nonprofit organization that offers a unique approach to eliminate childhood screen dependency. Together, we take a closer look at society’s acceptance of toxic screen use and discuss how to help parents and children reject the pressure to engage early with gaming, social media, and smartphones.

Clean vs Toxic Tech Habits

Melanie comes to the conversation with a wealth of knowledge that stems from her background in nursing, years of study and personal research, and the life-changing experience of parenting a young adult child out of severe gaming addiction.

In this episode:

• Warning signs. How to recognize when a child may be struggling with screen addiction.
  
• Learn the science. 5 crucial facts about the adolescent brain’s response to technology.
  
• Test the science. Evaluate if there are positive behavioral changes when the tech is removed for a week.
  
• Myth-busting. Melanie answers the most common concerns that keep families tethered to toxic screens. 

Episode challenge

Looking for a way to start over and reset your family’s approach to screens. Melanie and the team at ScreenStrong are ready to walk you through the steps with their Seven Day Digital Detox for Kids. This program teaches you how to safely remove video games and smartphones from your child’s life. Not sure this if you’re ready? Not to worry, you can also follow their Facebook group for advice, tips, and practical support. Try it for one week. See what happens.

Download our FREE guide

Want help creating healthy boundaries around screen time and devices in your home? Download your FREE Quick Guide to Safer Screen Habits in this week’s show notes. Click here.  https://bit.ly/Quick-Guide-to-Safer-Screen-Habits

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the show, please leave a positive review or tell a friend!

More about today’s guest

Melanie Hempe educates parents on the negative consequences of excessive screen use and teaches them how to incorporate healthier alternatives that rebuild relationships between their child, their family, and the real world.

Through her many speaking engagements at local workshops and conferences around the country, Melanie brings together her compelling personal story and her command of the emerging research on childhood screen addiction to provide practical solutions to struggling families. Her work has been featured in local and national media including Psychology Today, Thrive-Global, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and CBS. 

Melanie holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Emory University and is the author of three books. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and their four children. 

Links/Resources

The ScreenStrong Challenge – 7 Day Digital Detox for Kids

FORTIFY – Is your teen struggling with pornography? Click here to check out Fortify – FREE for youth!

BARK – Want help monitoring your kids’ apps and social media? Click here for a FREE 30-day trial of the Bark App or download it at the app store and use our promo code: MEDIASAVVY

COVENANT EYES – Need great filtering software for your internet and devices? Click here to check out Covenant Eyes.

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means, at no additional cost to you, Parents Aware/Media Savvy Moms receives a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thanks for helping to support us in our mission to protect families from the harms of pornography.

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Media Savvy Moms Podcast

Who knew honest conversations about parenting and pornography could be so approachable? Join Marilyn for a series of contemplations, chats, and interviews as she helps fellow parents tackle this challenging topic with their kids.

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