This week I was talking to my oldest son. He’s a recent university grad and cycling through graduate school application season to become a mental health therapist. He thinks about relationships and systems in his work and life and is often someone I talk to about tech and its impact on society — particularly children and families. I was sharing with him how the families with whom I work have been overwhelmed by screentime-related research, contraindications, and guidance lately. Screens feel imperative in society right now, but we’re also made to feel scared and cautioned about the risk. It evokes anxiety and second-guessing, which can bring real tension to at-home dynamics.
I go on to tell him when I’m in a conversation about screens and digital parenting with various communities and caregiver groups, they are really begging for a prescription or fixated on “right” and “wrong” use of screens. It can be a challenging part of my job because I believe it is more nuanced than that. And deeper. I tell my son that I want to give them tools to set boundaries and engage with tech, but mostly I want to ease their mind. He asks me what…
