As we wrap up another season of Healthy Screen Habits, it’s the perfect time to unplug and recharge for Spring Break! This season, we’ve learned so many great ways to balance screen time with real-world activities. Whether you’re exploring the outdoors, diving into a new hobby, or simply enjoying time with loved ones, now’s the chance to create memories away from the screen. Here’s to taking the lessons from Season 12 and bringing them to life this Spring Break! Let’s step outside, breathe in the fresh air, and make the most of our time away from screens.

Overcoming a challenging childhood in the South, Michael was inspired by a transformative teacher to unlock his potential. He served 22 years in the U.S. Navy, developing advanced cybersecurity algorithms. With over 25 years of cybersecurity experience, Michael is now a Ph.D. candidate in Cyberpsychology at Capitol Tech University. He created MindfulBytes.io, a groundbreaking K-5 curriculum enhancing digital well-being. The program boasts an 85.7% student engagement rate and a 40% reduction in cyberbullying incidents. His mission is to safeguard the digital well-being of the youngest generation, ensuring every child can thrive in our increasingly digital world.

Erin Walsh is a parent, speaker, and author who helps families and educators navigate the complexities of adolescents, parenting, and technology. As co-founder of Spark and Stitch Institute, she translates research into practical strategies. She is also the author of It's Their World Teens, Screens, and The Science of Adolescence, a great new book. In this episode, we talk about ways to reduce friction and create happy boundaries for our teens.

When Devon Kuntzman started Transforming Toddlerhood with the mission to dispel the myth that toddlerhood is terrible and empower parents and caregivers to overcome the challenges while nurturing their little ones' development. She does this by creating confidence in parenting skills and embracing this magical time period. In this episode, we talk about the additional challenge that technology can bring, how to get your toddler off of a screen, and how to find better screen options for your toddler.

Jack Hughes is an expert in talking to parents about tech support because he has literally grown up in this digital age. As the president of Parent Tech Support, an organization whose mission is to help parents protect their kids online. He does that by providing free, straightforward content that educates parents. By using videos and establishing a personal connection, he can help parents set up parental controls and provide support. In today’s episode, he shares informative tips and provides explanations for all of us who are trying to figure it out.

Kathleen Barlow is a mom of 6 and grandmother of 3, as a former middle school and high school French teacher she had a front row to watch the increasingly negative impact of phones in schools and their effects on connection. She has dedicated her time to helping schools develop better cell phone policies and families build better connections. Kathleen has created a great tool and resource for families looking to participate in screen free fun. It has 52 ideas, one per week for a whole year! She shares some of these ideas and so much more in this episode.

Richard Freed is a psychologist and author of the new book "Better Than Real Life: How Silicon Valley's Secret Science of Persuasive Design Is Stealing Childhood." Dr. Freed has devoted his career to revealing how Silicon Valley industry is using psychology—a discipline that we associate with healing—as a weapon against kids in order to pull them online and keep them there. This is achieved through the virtually unknown science of persuasive design, which is concealed in social media, video games, and online video. Freed believes that the knowledge of persuasive design should no longer be the domain of a handful of tech elite but should be put in the hands of all parents and others who care for kids. In this episode we talk about this and the 2 things kids need most to grow and succeed.

Sam Chapman is the father of Sammy Chapman (forever 16) and CEO of The Parent Collective Inc., a California non-profit operating in the areas of social media harm and fentanyl poisoning education and activism. The Parent Collective also provides grief support for those left behind. Sammy Chapman died the night he took a counterfeit pill that was laced with fentanyl. He bought this pill on Snapchat. More and more drug dealers are using Snapchat as their preferred platform to sell. The conversation has never been more critical - talk to your kids about only using medication prescribed by their own doctor and purchased from a licensed pharmacy.

Dr. Rebecca Wallace became a mental healthcare provider because she wanted to fill in the gaps. She goes the extra mile to support the mental and emotional health of patients with medical conditions as they go through the process of diagnosis, treatment, and life. We talk about how to balance tech time when you have an ill child as well as how to manage media overwhelm. In these uncertain times we are all feeling the pinch of too much emotion-fed media, listen to today’s podcast to help build balance and get healthy screen habit tips!