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Teens and Technology
Below are resources hand selected by me. Please enjoy my absolute favorite content.
-Kriya
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Ripe Stuff!
Atlantic Article: End the Phone-Based Childhood Now - March 13th, 2024
IMPORTANT article!
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General​
AWESOME resource that includes tips for parents of all-aged kiddos, an "Ask the Experts Webinar Series" on every screen-related issue that matters to us parents. All past webinars live on their YouTube channel.
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A clearinghouse of constantly updated helpful tips and resources about all things social media: app pros and cons, parental controls, online teens-peak. Videos, blog, newsletter, lives. A low-cost VIP membership unlocks another slew of great resources and supports! Including the Ultimate App Guide. They also have an APP and great YouTube channel!
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Dr Tracy Bennett has an incredible blog, 3 online courses (see below), a free Family Screen Agreement, provides coaching and workshops, and has an App.
Provides reviews of media and technology, and ratings about the extent of language, sex, drugs and violence. Their "Parents Need to Know" section has rich sources of information and supports for parenting in our digital age.
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This popular on-line safety service also has an awesome blog chocked full of helpful intel for parents and schools.
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A Parents Age-by-Age Guide to Screen Time
Parentmap provides parenting tips for cell phones, apps and tech for kids, tweens and teens
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The Screentime Consultant: Emily Cherkin
Emily provides parent & family coaching on screen-time agreements and interventions into problematic screen use, and has a course on Being a Tech-Intentional Parent and some great short YouTube videos w/tips. Emily also does school presentations.
The mom who created the famous "iPhone contract heard around the world" has developed
iRules Academy with free digital resources & video content, and her "Slow Tech Living" Blog.
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FREE Family Tech Guide online parent education module! Covers boundaries and agreement re: tech, and smartphone readiness.​
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From the makers of the acclaimed "Screenagers" documentary series, Dr. Delaney Ruston has some great resources on her website, and a "Tech Talk Tuesday" blog/newsletter with great weekly information and coaching.
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Documentaries
This fantastic free documentary by the folks at BARK (on YouTube) gives adults insight into the world our children are navigating growing up in the digital age, and the cost of replacing free play, autonomy and real life engagement with screens. It features parents and kids talking about their experiences, as well as industry-leading experts in child safety and development. A great discussion-sparker about cyberbullying, online predators, mental health, body image and more.
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Another powerful documentary to watch with our older kids exploring how social media, smartphones, and other devices have fundamentally changed the way we communicate and operate in the world, and how to create healthy relationships with today's technology. Also features interviews with teens, parents and experts, and covers intense but important issues surrounding mental health, porn, relational consequences and more. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon.
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Online Courses
Social Media Readiness Course from Tracy Bennett for tweens and teens that's like a "driver's license for the internet" plus 2 parent courses re: safety & family guidelines.
Phonewise Bootcamp for Parents 4 week digital course from Devorah Heitner at Raising Digital Natives. ​
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Digital Detox Roadmap for Screen Addiction intensive courses for parents of screen-addicted children, with a one-on-one coaching option, from the folks at Reset Summer Camp.
Cell Phone & Technology Family Contracts
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Josh Shipp's Teen Cell Phone Contract
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The famous “iphone contract heard around the world” (Janelle Burley Hoffman)
Technology Contract:
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Family Screen Agreement from Dr. Tracy Bennett
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Downloadable Ethics Manual for Your Teens Electronics from ADDitude
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Social Media Contract:
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Social Media
Positive Impact of Social Media
22 experts (including ME!) weigh in on the lesser-discussed positive potentials of social media for our kiddos if conscientiously guided.
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Award-winning documentary-drama hybrid reveals the devious strategies used by social media, and the consequences of our growing dependence on social media. An impactful watch with your 8th+ grade kids, as it helps them be armed with internally motivated reasons to keep their use in check.
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The Science Behind Social Media's Hold on Our Mental Health (Teen Vogue)
Great article to share and talk about with your teens about the impact social media can have on mental heal
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Social Media and Mental Health: How to Make Your Relationship Healthier (Teen Vogue)​
Another good one to share with your teen to help them create healthy boundaries with social media.
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Video/Computer Gaming
Teaching Kids the Brain Traps of Video Games May Break the Spell!!!!
This article is THE most helpful resource I've used with tweens & teens to help THEM understand the psychological workings that make gaming addictive.
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Overcoming a Fortnite Addiction
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Parents Guide to Fortnite Addicionhttps://gamequitters.com/parents-guide-to-fortnite-addiction/
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40 audio lessons bring older teens/young adults through therapeutic lessons to overcome gaming addiction and maintain non-use or responsible gaming.
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12-week online parent coaching program
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Porn Education & Response
Culture Reframed
FREE online course - one for Parents of Tweens and one for Parents of Teens - designed to help our kids develop resilience and resistance to hypersexualized media and porn. Step-by-step modules Including educational videos, conversation scripts, and resources for parents. A FANTASTIC YouTube channel!!!! And heaps of research and info re: the impact of prn on youth.
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Parental Controls ​
What I love about Bark is that it alerts us to online content and even conversations our kids are engaging in vs blocking or screening them. Including monitoring social media, text messages, & other activities for signs of cyberbullying, depression, sexual content, drug messages, etc. Thus serving as a springboard to valuable conversations vs just a gatekeeper.
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The only customizable parental control search! REALLY helpful.
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PC Mag: Best Parental Control Software
Objective reviews of various parental control software, updated annually.
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Parental Control Software and Cell Phone Monitoring Comparison Guide
Pros and cons to dozens of the top parental control and cell phone monitoring apps on the market from SmartSocial.
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Talking About Online Predators ​
Social Media Dangers Exposed by Mom Posing as 11-Year-Old
THIS VIDEO IS A MUST-WATCH with your middle and high schoolers!! A real-live experiment where a false tween and teen social media account was created, horrifically surfaces the dangers of online predators for our kids. They have to see it to understand.
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Bark
AWESOME CRUCIAL articles to help us steer our kids through the scary world of online predators.
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Problem Use & Addiction
Expert on technology addiction, has helped developed clinical treatment programs all over the country for older teens/young adults.
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Provides consultation and counseling on addictive technology use, has a lot of video content about virtual addictions. His website has free virtual questionnaires to assess addictive technology use:
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Find a Video Game Addiction Therapist
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Our country's first and foremost inpatient teen residential treatment program (age 13-18) for all technology-related addictions (Gaming, social media, phones etc). They also provide coaching, therapy and treatment for young adults.
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Summer program in Pennsylvania focusing on changing teen online behavior: smartphone, video game, internet or social media overuse.
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One-month therapeutic summer programs in the U.S. and Canada for ages 12-19. Also includes Life Skills and Aftercare support.
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Books​
The Screentime Solution: The Judgment-Free Guide to Becoming a Tech-Intentional Family - Emily Cherkin
Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive & Survive in their Digital World - Devorah Heitner
Screentime in the Meantime: A Parenting Guide To Get Kids & Teens Internet Safe - Dr Tracy Bennett
Screentime in the Meantime: GKIS Home Starter Workbook - Dr Tracy Bennett
Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids - and How to Break the Trance - Dr Nicholas Kardaras
Digital Madness: How Big Tech is Driving Our Mental Health Pandemic-and the Ancient Prescription for Sanity - Dr Nicholas Kardaras
Parenting in the Screen Age: A Guide for Calm Conversations - Delaney Ruston, MD (of the "Screenagers" films)
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Research
Pew Research Center: Teens, Social Media & Technology 2023
Researchers surveyed 1,453 13- to 17-year-olds on social media, internet use and device ownership.
ABCD Study: Pros & Cons of Adolescent Screen Use - 2023
This video summarizes findings re: screen health related to the ABCD Study in progress. The epic study is following nearly 12,000 diverse 9-10 yr old kids in 21 locations around the country over 8 years, and studying how childhood experiences, including screen use, are affecting brain development, and social, emotional, mental and physical health.
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