Parents, Start Here!

ScreenSense helps families keep tech in check
so kids thrive in real life.

Digital media is sticky by design. A key cost is our kids’ time and attention. Time spent on digital media is displacing key life nutrients. As parents, we need to keep digital tech in check and roll it out more slowly to our children - to prioritize essential childhood activities, protect our children’s health and wellbeing, and improve family and community life. We also need to have the messy but important conversations about how to use tech well so we can raise savvy and intentional humans in an increasingly digital world. 

Most of our online content is free and available anytime, anywhere. No need to navigate this complex parenting journey alone - find the resources you need below!

  • A small snail with a brown and cream shell is crawling on a person's open hand, which is extending against a blurred green background. The person is wearing an orange sleeve.

    Introduce Tech Slowly

    A suggested framework to let the line out slowly from age 0-18.

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  • A young boy sitting on a light wood floor, playing with toy cars and holding a tablet.

    Giving a New Device

    Contemplating an iPad or gaming console? Start here.

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  • A young woman with curly hair taking a selfie at a desk with books, a notebook, and pens, in a room with a bookshelf, a potted plant, and light coming through a window.

    Giving a Phone

    Considering a phone for your child? Explore your options.

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  • A modern smartphone with a black screen displaying app icons for phone and messages, placed on a wooden surface.

    Simplifying iPhones

    A practical guide to setting up and managing a simplified iPhone for a young user.

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  • A young girl sitting at a desk using a laptop, with a cream-colored alarm clock showing 12:01 and a computer mouse nearby.

    Set Screen Limits

    Keep tech in check, find good content, and reprioritize essential activities.

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  • A woman and a young girl sitting at a wooden table in a modern kitchen, looking at a tablet. The kitchen has large potted plants, a black oven, and a refrigerator, with sunlight coming in.

    Managing a School iPad

    Coach your child to use a digital device while minimizing distractions and conflict.

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  • A collection of various popular social media and messaging app icons on a white wooden surface.

    Adding Apps & Games

    Deciding whether to allow social media or a new game? Get info.

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  • A woman and a young boy sitting on a beige couch, smiling and looking at each other. The boy is holding a tablet, and there is a teddy bear on a pillow in the background.

    Talk About Tech

    Initiate key conversations about tech design and use.

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  • A young girl with glasses and a backpack is stuck between two objects, apparently trying to get through or around, with her arms outstretched and a distressed facial expression.

    Model Good Habits

    Walk the Talk. Be the change you want to see!

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  • Group of diverse people stacking their hands together in a circle, looking down at the camera with smiles.

    Engage Friends & Caregivers

    Amplify your efforts!

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  • A man sitting on a couch in a living room, holding a remote control, covering the eyes of a young boy with his hand, while the boy's arms are crossed and he looks down. The background has patterned wallpaper, and there is a television to the right.

    Use Parental Controls

    A step-by-step guide to block unwanted content and features.

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  • Person in plaid shirt looking at phone with social media notifications floating above

    Slowing Social Media

    A guide to delaying and then slowly introducing social media.

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Our resources help parents:

  • Introduce tech slowly, in age-appropriate ways with guardrails and limits

  • Reduce harm online and tension at home

  • Prioritize screen-free play, face-to-face socialization, and other essential activities that promote healthy youth development

  • Model and teach a healthy relationship with digital technology to support a balanced, productive, and fulfilling life

Our hope is for families to raise young people who are safe, balanced, and critical consumers of digital tech, and - most importantly - have ample time to cultivate their own senses of wonder and connectedness to nature, people, and the world around them.