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.

When Brandi Kenney, a member of the Johnson County 24 Hour Crisis Line team, shared this testimony at the annual Kansas Behavioral Health Conference, we were moved. It is so inspiring to hear how a simple question is making a huge impact for families in crisis. START is proud to be partnering with Johnson County Mental Health, and many other community stakeholders, to educate our kids about digital health and wellness.

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.

“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.

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…

One of our START Rules of Thumb is: Ride. Practice. Drive… use a driver’s ed approach to tech training. The idea is that before your kid is ready to drive a smart device independently, there is a learner’s permit season—where you log hours in the passenger seat, coaching them for the road. Not sure where to start coaching? We loved these tips from Melissa Griffin, also known as “HR Mom.”

We’re not gonna lie: during the summertime chaos, a little screentime can be such a gift—helping everyone in the family to mentally reset. But we were recently reminded by Lin-Manuel Miranda of another good old fashioned trick that might be worth sprinkling into the summer chaos—time alone.

We know that there are many factors that contribute to your family’s mental wellness.  But this summer, we invite you to journey with us as we ask a question about one of them:  How do our digital habits impact our mental health and wellness?  Together we’ll be looking at how our screens are impacting our minds when it comes to human connection, self-image, and rest…and considering how more sunsets–and less Netflix–might be just what the doctor orders when it comes to supporting your family’s mental health. 

As mental health professionals, the staff at Johnson County Mental Health Center are hyper aware of how unhealthy tech use can negatively impact the families they serve—oftentimes creating a barrier in relationships, which are essential for recovery. This week, we were given the privilege of bringing our START program to their staff, and together we considered the role technology has played in exacerbating the side effects they are seeing…

“For our family of four kids, screens are an easy fallback.  The kids are happy being entertained by videos and games. And I get moments of peace and quiet and a chance to accomplish some work. That’s a win/win situation. But last summer, we tried something new. We decided to make a plan to help us be more intentional regarding our summer screen time…”