Blog | Page 10 of 14 | Screen Sanity

Blog

Welcome to the Screen Sanity blog! Here you'll find the latest tips and trends related to screentime, smartphones, social media and video games, as well as real-life stories from Screen Sanity families.

Teams + Screens: Pause before you Post

When Tim McCoy, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania West Soccer Association, reached out to share some side effects of how technology is changing the world of youth sports, we were all ears. But then, an incident happened that he could not ignore. We are thankful for his willingness to share it with the START community, in hopes that by standing together, we can rethink ways to keep our kids safe and healthy on the field—and beyond.

Letter to My Grandsons

We love it when grandparents and caregivers attend our START Parent Program, and were especially touched when one grandmother shared with us how she was so encouraged by our START Family Pillars that she wrote a letter to her grandsons, promising to raise them to be digitally healthy. We often share how important it is to not just call our kids away from excess screen time, but to invite them in to something better.

Bringing Screentime To Life

At START, we know screens play a big role in our kids’ lives, and we are passionate about helping families use their kids’ digital world as a way to connect. If your kids love the epic YouTubers Dude Perfect, sit next to them and enjoy watching their amazing stunts. Then go out in the backyard and have a bottle flipping contest. Ultimately, these are the moments that will help your kids keep their eyes on what matters most—the life right in front of them.

Camp Unplugged

When 18 year old Tatum Oakley packed her bags for summer camp, she knew that she would be expected to check in her phone. But what she didn’t expect was how much she would learn and grow in her summer of unplugging. At START, we often hear from families who are overwhelmed by helping our teens find balance in their social media lives, so our ears perked up when Tatum shared a powerful secret: one of the best ways to help your teens find digital balance is to offer them rich offline experiences.

The Days Are Long

“Five breakdowns and four fruit snack packs into the morning, I find myself checking out and looking for something to numb the frustration that I feel building from the inside out. This is about the time I grab my phone and get on Instagram. Immediately my feed is flooded with filtered squares that deliver a message before I even read the caption…” START parent Cierra Karson shares five fresh ideas on how to handle social media fatigue as a young parent.

START Program for Teachers

Teachers like Kathryn Sanfle are on the front lines of the mental health epidemic, seeing some of the harshest sides of our kids’ digital reality—and at START, we think she’s spot on: how powerful would it be if parents and teachers could speak the same language when it comes to adopting healthy screen habits? That’s why we’re here. This fall, based on requests from multiple school administrators, START is releasing a program specifically for teachers and administrators…