Introducing our kids to things like smartphones and social media can feel scary and overwhelming. The Middle School Plugged-in Planner is here to help.

It’s that time of year when the weather is changing, holiday decor is appearing on the shelves and gift-giving may be on the mind. Along with connection, cheer and cups of cocoa, this season can also bring about lengthy shopping lists and overwhelming decisions. If whether or not to buy your child a smartphone is one of those choices, you are not alone!

With today’s smartphones, kids have the world at their fingertips, but they also have the weight of the world on their shoulders. The truth is smartphones can lead to unsafe people and places, so it’s important to consider how you plan to protect them from ending up somewhere on the internet they never intended to be.

We know that change is best implemented in community. Without the support of even just one or two people on your “team,” implementing changes to your family’s tech habits can be really challenging. If you’re feeling alone, it might be time to put your leader hat on.

Summer is here! This season feels like a natural invitation to gather, whether that be around a sprinkler in your front yard or enjoying popsicles on the back porch. In an effort to maximize memory making and minimize screentime, we are giving you a few tips on how to host a device-free gathering. These suggestions can be applied whether it’s the neighborhood kids coming over for a casual hangout, or you’re hosting a big summer birthday bash.

Heath Wilson and Joey Odom, creators of The Aro, join Krista Boan for a conversation about their search for “life uninterrupted.”

The positive effects of participating in youth sports are numbered, yet there is a distracting new teammate causing disengagement among today’s athletes—the smartphone. Instead of focusing on the game, players run to the bench to check their phones for notifications. Instead of practicing drills outside, teens spend hours inside scrolling through social media.

From viral TikTok challenges to the controversial launch of Metaverse, 2021 was filled with big changes in the digital world. In a time where tech trends and news can be overwhelming, we thought we would take this opportunity to summarize the top digital stories for parents in 2021.

Felicia Wu Song is a sociologist at Westmont College who studies the way technology has changed contemporary life. On the Screen Sanity’s final episode of 2021, she joins START co-founder Krista Boan for a conversation about digital fatigue and unpacks how our own lives have been transformed by devices and screens.

In this conversation, Adam and Krista reflect on the “smartphone plunge”—that moment when your kids graduate from a limited device like a Gabb phone to a smartphone. Join us as we unpack the emotions of prepping your kids for this milestone, the process of unboxing a smartphone, and the importance of wisdom, communication, and connection with your kids along the way.