Another trend I am noticing is my students’ lack of social clues and an unwillingness to be connected with their peers.

I get so frustrated when the students are gaming on their computers, but they have had that instant gratification since birth- they are almost addicted.

I find students in my classroom less willing to take academic risks. They know they can "Google" the answers, and they would rather have an instant answer than struggle in the zone of proximal development. They don't see the value in taking time to process information when they could "get the answer" immediately. They want to get the work done quickly instead of discovering the answers and owning their learning. So many students "finish" their work and then take it on themselves to "game." We don't allow gaming in class, but they are magnetically drawn to the activity without caring that they are not following the directions. Gratification needs to be instant, and subpar work is the bar they hope we will accept. 9 times out of ten, when I ask them to show me their work, they will admit it is not finished to expectations. Anyone else see this in their classrooms?

Emotional Sensitivity: My students seem more emotionally sensitive than before. If they make mistakes or have conflicts with friends, it can lead to big emotional reactions. They struggle to bounce back from strong emotions, failing to demonstrate the same coping strategies that students seemed to intuitively understand years ago. It's as if they've been shielded from these difficult emotions, making it harder for them to regulate.

Seeking Validation and Overprotective Parenting: Many students crave constant validation from teachers, friends, and family. This may stem from overprotective parenting, where kids are shielded from failure. A couple of years ago, when I let students struggle a bit during problem-solving time at vertical whiteboards, some parents got upset when I didn’t help immediately. It’s clear that many students today aren’t learning to push through challenges themselves, instead relying on constant support and praise to feel confident.

Pressure to Have Devices and Social Media Drama: Nearly all of my students have phones or smartwatches by the end of the year. Those without them feel left out and disconnected. On top of that, I’ve had to address bullying and inappropriate comments in group texts outside of school. These devices have become sources of social anxiety, where students feel they need to be constantly connected to keep up or they’ll miss out.

Academic Pressure and Anxiety: Many students are increasingly anxious about schoolwork, and this is impacting their performance. I've seen more refusals to complete tasks, and the anxiety often stems from the pressure to meet expectations, or they don't want to deal with the discomfort of a difficult assignment.

Overall, it’s clear that the "rewiring" described in the book is affecting kids today, particularly around academic pressures, emotional sensitivity, and the need for constant digital connection.

In high school, social media had a huge impact on us. We would constantly feel in competition with others due to Snapchat's 'best friends list', vacations people posted about, the friendships/relationships that were posted, filtered/edited pictures, etc. I now teach 5th graders and I don't feel that far removed from their culture. I am able to relate to them about technology, social media, trends on TikTok, and (some of) their slang. The most worrying thing I've noticed is how fast these 10/11 year olds seem to be growing up. They talk about things that I didn't care about until I was in high school or even college (makeup, brands of clothes, celebrities, pop culture). They also know inappropriate things that I didn't know about till I was years older than they currently are! They instantly get out their phones when it is 3:30. They have shared with me the drama that occurs in their group chats, yet they do not know how to utilize their phones if they get lost while walking around the neighborhood. They lack problem solving skills and do not pick up on social cues like they should. Technology definitely has had a huge impact on the way kids grow up. -Bella Martinez

Today, it’s harder to offer kids that same independence. Schools can help by providing opportunities for students to solve problems and resolve conflicts on their own. The challenge I face is that many parents don’t want to see their kids struggle. As a parent myself, I understand this instinct, but I believe facing challenges helps kids build resilience and problem-solving skills. Though I've been questioned by parents for allowing students to work through difficulties independently, I see it as essential for their growth. These small struggles teach persistence, patience, and ultimately, prepare them for bigger challenges ahead.

I think schools may be at fault for curbing feelings of independence and autonomy in children. I have always believed that middle schoolers would benefit from a much needed lunch recess. Middle schoolers tend to stay after school to participate in sports or clubs-structured activities led by teachers or coaches. After dinner they might have a music lesson or sports practice. It’s no wonder free play has become endangered.

I think it is quite the challenge for schools to counteract this, but I think we're headed in that direction by offering more student choice. That tells the students that we trust them to decide what will work best for them. As teachers, we can be there for the students as they face challenges and struggles, but we don't need to solve all of them. Of course, the parents and admin also need to be on board.

Although I think there are some legitimate safety protocols that schools have to follow from a liability standpoint, I think trying to micromanage their play as seen in Figure 3.10 on p. 90, prohibits students from learning how to work out some of the issues that naturally arise through unstructured play. For schools, I think it’s a delicate balance between providing students with opportunities for independence while fulfilling their obligation to keep students safe while at school.

I think school sometimes counteract this by structuring most of the students time so kids are rarely left to their own to fiugure out how to fill their time. There is very little risk in school these days, so students do not learn to take chances, risks and gain confidence from that.

I think the best thing we can do for our student is to put them in difficult situations that they need to problem solve their way out of. I have an incoming 3rd grader and at all of his parent/teacher conferences I ask the teacher to put him in difficult situations, groups he may not be comfortable in, etc to allow him the chance to problem solve in a safe place. I know parents struggle to watch their kids struggle, I get that. But I also know that if we don't allow them to figure things out, we aren't raising the problem solvers or innovation seekers that we need. Since last summer when my son turned 7, we've allowed him to ride his bike to his friends houses and that has given him such a sense of responsibility and has made him feel more grown up. I've watched him take on bigger tasks because he knows we trust him. I'd love to see more of that!

We didn't go out to eat much because we ate as a family at home. The reference on page 99 of the family that sis "alone together" is one that stuck out. It bothers me when I see families at restaurants on their phones or a tablet playing a movie. Why not just stay home?

Now my own children had to check in and let me know where they were most of the time. If I don't hear from them, I would call or check their location. a whole new ball game.

I think everyone has offered great ideas of what schools can implement to help students solve more problems on their own and grow responsibility and maturity. Middle school recess, peer mediation/remediation, and research-based parent education could all be offered to combat safetyism and smartphones.

One more thought: I think my own, let's call it "more attentive" style of parenting was brought out by my own feeling of being benignly neglected during my own childhood. I do monitor my kids more, and spend more time with them by far than my own parents did me, but I also try to get them more opportunities to make their own decisions and grow in new experiences. This book has so far been really helpful to me as a parent.

The current climate doesn't allow for kids to make many mistakes without everyone knowing---it's caught on camera! On the reverse--kids can look up how to do anything right from their phones. We allow students to use this instant access to knowledge in school, but rarely give space for making mistakes.--Shaun

Now it seems that kids worry about that independence or can't make decisions without help from an adult. I have young kids and I am aware of this constant hovering. I am trying to give a little more space and encourage simple tasks such as delivering something to a neighbor or riding around the park across the street on their own. Kids are constantly relying on us to solve their problems because they don't have practice doing it on their own. I think schools need to find ways to give more ownership with tasks around the school.

In contrast, today's adolescents have many after-school activities that are highly structured. They don't have the free time to play or just relax. This free time demanded that we occupy ourselves. Our parents weren't there to "fix" everything for us. We fixed it as we were capable. Sometimes we failed, but we learned from our mistakes. On p.89, the cartoon caption reads, "We've created a safe, nonjudgmental environment that will leave your child ill-prepared for real life." This is where we can change our actions in classrooms to counteract what children experience in school. I use a "fail-forward" attitude with students. When parents come to open house at the beginning of the year, I explain the concept of Failing-forward. Students may fail a task, a test, or an activity, but we should not fix it for them. Help them understand WHY they failed. Then put ownership on the child to change what they did, learn from their mistakes, and do it differently in the future. That is where real learning takes place. This will also require strong support from administration.

I remember my childhood being very unstructured and free. I think students today are used to having every second of every day planned and structured for them in schools. They don't know what to do with themselves without a choice board or a clear guideline of what to do next. I think to counteract this, schools could provide more unstructured "free" time for students to learn how to be bored and discover their creativity and imagination.

I teach a small portion of 5th graders, so I'm not sure if their experience is universal, but it seems like they do not hang out with their friends that much. Every Monday I ask them about their weekends and they may share about having sports competitions and being with family, but never mention going to a friend's house or going around town. Once a student shared with me for her birthday she went to her best friend's house, got her nails done by the older sister for a few hours, and then LEFT! I was so confused about them not doing anything else to celebrate her birthday... They know how to do popular TikTok dances together, but then they get into huge arguments on the playground during the school day due to lack of problem solving and conflict resolution skills. This ends with the adults having to step in and solve the problems.

I had more responsibilities, especially since both my parents worked. I looked after my younger brother and sister, did chores, and even went to the neighborhood store for groceries. During the summer, my siblings and I delivered flyers for a local pizza place. While we lived in the suburbs, I had to get to the bus stop in time to catch the bus to school. Once we moved to the city, it was even more important for me to leave the house promptly to get to school on time. I don’t recall exactly how I felt during that time; I simply did what was expected of me, knowing there would be consequences if I didn't.

I think schools might start to counteract the loss of play and independence by allowing kids to have recess, allowing them to make mistakes and earn bad grades, and to reduce to use of screens in the classroom. I would love to see the rebirth of textbooks! Which brings to me to a point that I think needs to be addressed- digital reading and digital work is a nightmare for kids with executive functioning issues or ADHD. It is near impossible to expect a young person who is easily distracted to NOT be distracted when we hand him/her the internet.

I found myself nodding in agreement to the text about risky play and how mistakes are at a low cost. My class motto is, "Mistakes are welcome here." We remind one another of that phrase often. With that in mind, next year I'm going to focus more on not giving as many reminders to be careful or watch out. In the book it said, "Small mistakes promote growth and learning." Hopefully this will help foster more independence, confidence, and problem solving!

Being trusted with those responsibilities made me feel grown-up and capable. It was exciting to have a bit of independence, and I liked that my parents believed I could handle it. It also helped me learn how to make decisions and take care of myself in small ways, which gave me confidence.

I do remember peer mediation programs at school and attending special programs like Operation Snowball that encouraged leadership through self-awareness, responsible decision-making and positive peer influence.  

Schools might counteract this freedom by having rules, agendas, overflowing curriculum that needs to be followed and completed in a given time frame, and assessments. There is less and less time for "PL," art projects, and those fun and engaging experiences that make school extra fun and exciting. Classrooms need to have clear behavior expectations so teaching can take place and pacing guides can be followed. I am finding there are 3 types of parents these days. The first is the helicopter parents who don't let their children breathe and jump in before even giving them a chance to figure something out on their own. The second is the parents you hear from rarely, who are informed about what is going on at school, and you know they are offering support at home even if you don't hear from them regularly. The third type is the drop-off parent, who drops their child off at school and picks them up at the end of the day. They aren't engaged, don't seem to care about their child's learning, and feel it is "the teacher's job" to teach them (and the teacher's job alone.) They take no responsibility for their child's behavior, offer zero support, and then the child feels the rules at school don't apply to them, because they don't receive any consequences. Teachers struggle to find a happy medium for this range of students/parents, and it's sad when a few kids who can't/won't follow the rules shift the tone of the whole classroom.

However that reliance has turned a solution for teachers into a problem for students, who are now more comfortable sitting next to each other on their device but not interacting with their classmates.  They will put on headphones to either listen to music when allowed, or to block out the natural noises of a classroom.  It can take away from the natural interactions they would otherwise have with their classmates.  When students are asked to utilize online encyclopedias or other resources for a research project, they have been copying/pasting or using the AI now embedded in Google’s search engine to give them the answers instantly.  They lack the skills to critically evaluate the information that is given to them, and they don’t even really know how to use the information they do get if it doesn’t exactly match the question they are trying to answer.  Screens have effectively taken away students’ ability to think critically  and solve problems, and diminished their motivation and drive to perservere through challenges when most information is given so quickly and easily.  

Because of these observations my teammates and I did a few “tech resets” throughout the year when we didn’t use Chromebooks at all for a week or so.  While it was a nice change we as teachers still weren’t totally prepared to go completely screen-free with students, but it’s definitely something that we plan to do again throughout the next school year. It’s not a solution but still allowed students the chance to interact more with their physical environment.

The problem I have is that in the classroom when there is any down time, the chrome books are immediately opened, and when I am ready to teach I have to wait until all chrome books are closed.

Not surprisingly, screens also create a lot of frustrations and problems. I find too many students immediately trying to use AI to create writing for them, even when it's a very low-stakes, ungraded assignment. They just want a finished product and don't realize the value of the process, even when I stress that. I also find students trying to game on the Chromebooks when they get to class early even though they're not supposed to, and then they don't want to close their computer when class starts. For some of the students, being redirected for this really causes emotional dysregulation, too.

I'd love for busy kids to use the LMC to work on schoolwork, but that may take time. I think so much of what we do in middle school is based on what this age level can and cannot handle. I think it is interesting to see the subtle yet significant shifts in responsibility when kids enter high school. "Open" periods, access to phones, "open campus" for lunch, backpacks brought to class are just a few that I can think of off the top of my head. Is this a maturity that comes with age? Can we establish and foster these responsibilities and expectations?

One problem with screens I see is that students are becoming more dependent on digital stimulation. I’ve noticed that some kids struggle to stay focused during activities that require patience, like reading a novel or having a meaningful group discussion. They’re used to fast input, and classroom learning can feel too slow in comparison.

Another concern is social development. Haidt talks about how screen time—especially when it replaces in-person play—can affect kids’ emotional growth. In class, that shows up as students avoiding eye contact, struggling to work in groups, or having a hard time resolving conflicts face-to-face.

That’s why I try to plan a “no-tech day” about once a month. I was initially inspired by Global School Play Day. On those days, we put the screens away and give students the chance to just play, create, and connect—with no agenda and no devices. It’s amazing to watch them build forts, invent games, write skits, or just laugh and figure out how to work together. Kids learn so much through play—things like problem-solving, communication, and collaboration—that screens just can’t teach. It’s not just a break from technology; it’s a chance to be fully present and practice those important connection skills.

For some of my lessons they allow the kids to interact with some of our stories by visiting place all over the world via virtual field trip in Nearpod or VR goggles. It also allows me instant feedback to did the students understand the lesson/book by using interactive sites like Blooket and Time to Climb.

The problem screens create is students seem to expect to use them every week and depending on the task, can rush through the activities, whereas if I were to hand out a paper, they would need to complete it before being given the next one. The other prob bloem screens create is the constant negotiating of the students wanting time to go on their device to play games.

The downside to technology is that attention spans are rapidly decreasing. The effects are alarming. Students can not sustain attention, engage in ongoing conversations, and their patience is thin.

However, I think these apps at the tips of our fingertips sometimes make for lazy teaching. It is really easy to default to putting the kids on app for practice rather than something that might be more engaging or screen free. I often give my students the choice of a few activities and some will always default to the screen. Meanwhile, some kids on the screen avoid the work and don't practice even though the screen is up. Screens can allow for the teacher to have time to work with individual kids, but sometimes they seem like a babysitter.

The downside of using tech is of course the strain is puts on face to face interactions and conversations. Students choose to sit side by side on their devices instead of talking to each other. Around February we were having issues with misuse of technology so we went screen-free for a week. The kids were shocked at first aid a little angry, we made them keep their Chromebooks in their backpacks and they couldn’t take them out during the school day. As the week went on, kids started commenting on how much they liked being screenfree at school. It felt less stressful to them. Google classroom wasn’t constantly telling them they had something due. Kids were talking to start the day instead of looking at sports scores from the night before or clocking through google classroom. After that reset, my team began to think more about what NEEDED to be done online and what we could move offline. We stopped allowing devices before the bell rang at 9:10 and kids just conversed, read, drew, etc but they seemed to enjoy it. It is definitely more work for us as teachers as far as planning and implementing assignments without tech, but I do think it’s important to find a balance.

Moving into next year I want to keep these thoughts at the front of my mind. Knowing there will be some things that need to stay online, but also realizing things can be done just as well with paper and pencil or with a conversation. We need to work more on people skills and less on tech skills since they seemed to have mastered those by 5th grade!

When I push-in to classrooms to help my students during Word Study or their content times, I did notice that they try to sneak out of doing their digital independent work. They may tell me that they finished the work but they actually did not, so we have a back and forth where they are reluctant to show me the unfinished work and then become annoyed when I make them do it. Having digital work seems to make them more lazy and unwilling to put an effort in for their education. They just want to do the 'free choice activities' which include fun and games. There are so many amazing websites and apps offered for kids to further their understanding of what they learn in class, and this is super helpful for teachers to utilize, but (some) students manage to find a way to do the least amount of work possible no matter what the task is!

On the flip side, we do have challenges with screen time too. For some students, it can be very hard for them to separate from their iPads when it’s time to move on, and it’s also challenging to troubleshoot tech problems when I am working with small groups. It also takes away time for socializing and working on fine motor skills too. We are always trying to be mindful about how much screen time we use, especially in kindergarten.

Screens create a crutch for students when it comes to using the microphone to help them with spelling, or asking a question on google using the microphone instead of learning how to type and do the research on their own. Students often say they are "checking their work" using their device, when they might be having the device so all of the work to solve a problem they are working on. Screens do not let kids learn how to struggle through something that is hard, they don't know how to persevere because they demand instant answers and gratification, and students expect this same immediate feedback from parents, teachers, and peers and do not know how to exercise patience and put forth effort to solve a problem.

The problem arises when students rely too heavily on their devices or misuse them. I have caught students on a site that they shouldn't be on in class, or using AI to write for them. As teachers, we have a responsibility to use technology with our students when it is necessary and beneficial, and not to rely on it too heavily ourselves. It's all about balance!

I limit the use of Chromebooks by still having students write out their homework assignments to practice spelling.  They also write out their written assessments so they can’t google translate their work.  I haven’t felt comfortable putting the controls in place to make sure that I am getting the students’ authentic work.  I also get frustrated with students who come into class and are immediately on their chromebooks, despite repeated warnings not to be.  They also rush through assignments to get back to gaming. When we are working on Chromebooks, I need to monitor to make sure that the students are on task. 

I don't use my phone to play games ( video games went out with Ms. Pac Man and tetris) but I see my children play games. It also irks me in the morning at bus duty when the students don't talk to each other but play games on their phone.

I want to reduce the time I spend on my cell phone at home, so I'm currently trying to limit my usage. So far, it's going well, but there is still room for improvement.

Another thing I would like to change about my relationship with my smartphone/social media is to stop "doomscrolling." I waste too much time looking at what people are doing instead of accomplishing the tasks that I need to get done.

I don't play video games, and I don't play games on my phone. I use my laptop, but I use it for work or research. I try not to be in front of a screen for too long. Also, I'm trying to limit how much time I spend on my phone, especially after reading this text.

What I do want to change is how much screen time my grandkids are getting—especially when they’re with me in the summer. I’ve definitely let screens be the easy go-to when I need a break or something to keep them occupied. I see now how easy it is for that to become a habit, and how much it can actually get in the way of the kind of childhood I want them to have—full of imagination, conversation, play, nature, and just being kids. After reading the book, I'm pretty convicted about the impact screen time and over-supervised play had on my own children, so I want to be more intentional about encouraging unstructured, unsupervised play time and far less screen time with this generation.

The Six Practices section was striking, as I can relate to how these have fallen away, especially since 2020. Being present and able to regulate your emotions is reflected in these practices. These are also skills we have been tasked to specifically teach (RULER/SEL). It also reminds me how much we have lost by not having the Taft Outdoor Ed experience with the students--nature, no tech, and learning to work with your peers to solve problems.

I will support whatever policies they come up with at school next year. I know phone-free schools were discussed at the state level. It will be interesting to see if that gets any traction in the fall session.

I was just out of town for 10 days with very sketchy cell service and I loved it. I met tons of new people on excursions we did, was really present in all the things we did and just generally felt good away from my phone. I reached for my kindle a lot more than my phone while away and I'm hoping to make that my default now when I have "nothing to do" as it seems like a better use of my time!

I also make a conscious effort to put my phone away when I am spending time with friends or family, but when I'm at home I am more reliant on it. I want to work on leaving my phone in another room and being more present and focused on self-care and recharging.

My online presence is minimal, or so I thought. As I discussed these chapters with my daughter, I mentioned I don't post much on fb or anywhere else. Her jaw dropped and she, in no uncertain terms, let me know I post too much. This made me think I have gotten too comfortable with my online presence. I absolutely want to spend less time on my phone. I limit myself in the morning before I get out of bed and at night before bed. I can understand how young minds are so influenced. It's hard for adults to limit their screen time; I can now understand teen usage at a deeper level.

Professionally, I want to help students learn what is happening to their brains when they use smartphones. As 8th-grade students, they may not "get" it, but perhaps they will understand why teachers are concerned about their screen time and the distractions smart screens cause during the school day. Finally, instead of getting angry with students for "playing" on their Chromebooks when "caught," I want to creatively help them be part of the solution. Not quite sure how to do that at this point, but suggestions are welcome. We have punitive measures in place for the classroom, but let's get the students involved with a positive solution.

As for video games, I do play them on my computer but I'm a casual player as mentioned in the book. I have an internal clock ticking where I get this feeling like "I've played enough for today" and I'll stop after an hour. The other time I use my computer would be for work, where I do my planning and IEP writing. I often need to take breaks if I spend more than 15 minutes on my work laptop as my eyes begin to get bothered from the small text, the bright lights in the room, and the blue light of the screen. It may also be because I want to have a small scroll through my phone before going back to typing... That's a habit I want to break next school year!

I like the convenience of my smartphone to do all, and even more, than what I used to do using my computer. Make phone calls, send text messages, update my calendar, pay bills, set alarms, check the weather, check a credit card statement, create to-do lists, remember friends' birthdays, etc. It is a very useful tool that helps me complete a lot of day-to-day tasks. What I need to do a better job of is completing the tasks and then stop- without getting sucked into the social media vortex. I am very guilty of mindless scrolling, watching bunches of reels, and losing track of time.

Personally, I'm going to utilize do not disturb on my phone and practice disconnecting more. I'm also going to continue to hold off getting my 10 year old a phone for as long as possible, and just use his Gizmo watch to communicate with him. The data in this book is alarming! He's already upset that I've been reading this book, but I'm hopeful more of our close friends will jump on the phone free bandwagon :)

I’m not sure exactly what actions I might implement for the school year. I’m hoping to talk more about this with my team at school. I know that my team leader has read this book, and we’ve already had some discussions about it. I just don’t want to come up with an idea, do it for a week or so, and then not follow through on it beyond that. I want to be very intentional about it. Perhaps I could ask my students what they think could be helpful for them.

It provides a welcome alternative to the usual cafeteria chaos, offering a space for genuine connection and personal growth. Disconnecting from Tech, Reconnecting with Each Other

The library, during lunch, offers ...

Mindful Engagement: Students are actively engaged in hands-on activities that stimulate their minds and encourage interaction. Face-to-Face Interaction: Many students spend a significant portion of their day communicating through screens. The library provides a low-pressure environment for face-to-face interaction, helping them develop essential social cues, empathy, and active listening skills. Developing New Hobbies: Exposure to different activities like art, puzzles, and various genres of books can spark new interests and hobbies that extend beyond the school day.

I have always felt that opening the school library during lunch periods is a win-win that empowers students to make choices about how they spend their free time, fostering creativity, promoting literacy, and strengthening interpersonal connections in a screen-free, supportive environment.

When school starts, I will support the teachers I work with by participating in and encouraging students to choose non-digital activities when they finish their work.

More realistically, I plan to wean the students from their Chromebooks for the 40 minutes I have them. Chromebook use causes the most frustration (for me) in my tech-filled classroom. When my students are involved in a project on the desktop computers or iPads, they are on-task. Their Chromebook is addictive and I lose them to the virtual world within seconds. I am “fed up with the social chaos and learning disruption”. For some students, Go Guardian and behavioral consequences have no influence and I should not have to compete with the internet (gaming) for their attention!

In terms of problems, I have noticed students in Chromebook-heavy classes tend to not know each others' names as readily as in classes that do not use Chromebooks. Some students have figured out how to "game the system" and hide their activity on GoGuardian, as well. Introducing Chromebooks as well as student email accounts has led some students to feel anxiety surrounding emailing teachers about missing assignments, adding in grades, etc. It also doesn't help when students need to enter the workforce and talk to colleagues face-to-face, as they are so used to talking to a screen. There is an element of social anxiety that occurs with overuse of screens in the classroom, where students should be learning social skills in addition to academics.

My 7-year-old nephew, who is going into second grade and one grade behind in reading, has a reading app on his iPad that he is supposed to work on daily, per my brother. My nephew will do 10 hours of YouTube watching and 15 minutes of the app (Brother follows the stats.). It is extremely troubling, and I am now in the process of getting my brother's permission to tutor his son 1:1 this summer. In addition, I was mortified when I saw my nephew playing with his birthday gift last week: A Metaverse virtual reality game in which one of the activities he was engaging in was virtually robbing a fast-food restaurant with other "gamers." Talk about introducing bad ideas. Beyond that, as the book mentions watching "two or three screens at the same time," he is usually playing a video game on his iPad while the TV is on for his 2-year-old brother and his older brother plays games on his own iPad. There are "guards" on the iPad regarding how much time they can spend on them at one time, however. Other problems: My 9-year-old nephew tells me to "subscribe" to his YouTube channel so he can hit 50 subscribers and do something "cool" with his account -- but at the same time, don't tell his dad he has it!

I used to work with social media in my former career in PR & comms and am still attracted to the "news driven element" of social media -- though some "content creators" are not great. Many of these lives are not as they appear. I hated being in front of a screen all day for PR/comms, in addition to the after-hours monitoring and Teams messages, so I limit screen time as I can now.

When my son was less than 1 year, I volunteered us to participate in a recorded study where I was told to play with and engage him for a few minutes, and then abruptly stop to look at my phone and then ignore him. It was awful! I was able to respond to him again when the researcher allowed me to, but I will not forget what the video showed -- he was actually trying to see what I was looking at on my phone, confused as to why I stopped. I often think of this experiment when I am tempted to look at my phone.

I purchased an Apple Watch so I can be notified of preschool updates while I am at work, in case of an emergency, so I don't need to look at my phone at all. I also talk into my Apple Watch to respond to text messages to limit screens and save time.

I was cleaning out some old cards and counted at least a dozen handwritten thank you cards from interns prior to 2020. Handwritten thank you notes -- and the accompanying time it takes to write it and hand-deliver, if in an office -- are a foreign concept to many new graduates. There are also some new graduates who struggle with understanding appropriate office behavior, including respect for decisions and advice from senior colleagues, and accountability to complete work on-time.

I have limited my 3.5-year-old son's screen time significantly since reading this book. He has turned to his play areas and to act out scenes with his little construction equipment and "characters." He does not ask for TV any longer; frankly, I don't think he misses it.

I also tell my son's cousins when they come over that they cannot watch TV unless they do ~5 different activities and show me them completed (puzzles, reading a book to my son, various games, "find it" cards, etc.). I'll give them TV for a few minutes as I get my act together for the next batch and then have them complete a new list of activities.

I need to chat with my brother on his use of TV, social media and the Metaverse with his children; not sure he will react favorably, but will do my best to convince him to make a change.

I always plug my phone in the bathroom so it is not next to me at night. I also never have the volume on, so I do not get any notifications during the night.

For those of you with younger kids I encourage you to take the kids camping. The campground has so many fun events that they won't even miss their phones ( for a while:)

I was also really struck by the research on unstructured play. It’s clear how important it is for kids to have time to just be kids—without screens or adults constantly directing every move. I've been looking for an after-school club idea, so I’m thinking about starting an After School Play Club that lets kids play, connect, and explore with less structure and more freedom.

When the movie is over, I realize that I have no idea what I just watched! So setting my phone in another room will help fix that issue.

Back in the classroom I am going to be especially mindful about the reasons why I am using technology and keep searching for more ways to bring play into the classroom. Kids need those experiences to be creative and collaborative rather than more time on tech. T

In the classroom, I'd like to be a lot more selective about what my students do online. There are definitely assignments we moved to the computer during COVID that can become paper/pencil again. I want them to be offline more and to be personally communicating with each other as that is a skill they really need to work on.

As for myself, I am pretty good about not using my phone in bed (before I fall asleep or just after waking up), but want to be better about not using it when my kids are awake and with me. I want them to know that they are my priority and not whatever is happening on my phone. Setting limits on certain apps may be helpful for me as there are certain places I spend my time. I have been reaching for my kindle a lot more than my phone lately and both my kids have noticed and commented. My soon to be 9 year old asked for a kids kindle for his birthday and he's getting one next week so hoping he'll join me in reading when board instead of trying to find something on a screen!

At home, I want to do some “Digital Detox Days” with our family. We could all definitely use a break from technology, so unplugging once each week or even once each month to start, and planning some fun family outings and activities would be awesome!

Personally, I want to be more intentional about screen boundaries with my grandchildren. During the summer, I’ve sometimes relied on screens as a break. But this book has opened my eyes to the importance of providing real-life experiences, boredom, and connection instead. I want to create space for conversation, play, and presence—things they need far more than entertainment.

I used to think that social media was bad now I know it is detrimental to how children are growing up. The loss of "free play" is a big problem.

Now I think even those kinds of screens can get in the way of what kids really need—like unstructured play, face-to-face time, learning how to be bored, and just figuring out how to manage emotions. It’s not just about what they’re doing on the screen, but what they’re missing when they’re on it.

It is important to revisit what we do in classrooms – with screens and without – and see how we can bring more students back to “screenless.” It is eye-opening to see how much time these students are already online, and how the only time that they may NOT be online could be at school.

The fewer time students spend online, and the more time they spend developing relationships with their peers, the better. Some students do not even know the names of their peers who they sit next to in class (in Chromebook-heavy classes). It is my hope that students will benefit long-term from this shift.

I truly hope we can do more at a district-level to help students form these relationships. Teamwork is one of the most important skills to develop in school to ensure future career success.

In our breakout room, we discussed how social media has positive aspects in addition to its negative ones. Since social media and technology are here to stay, it is essential to educate students from a young age about social media and the importance of maintaining a healthy balance in its use.

I used to not know about "opportunity cost," but now I think about it all the time. What are we and our students losing out on every time we pick up a device? I am thinking more about what non-tech options I can always have available for myself, my family, and my students.