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ScreenStrong Families

103 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 1 rating

With recommendations based on scientific research and personal experience, Melanie Hempe, RN by trade and mom of four, helps families remove toxic screens—video games, social media & smartphones—from their kids’ lives. Through interviews with experts, medical professionals, and other ScreenStrong families, this podcast will help you prevent screen addiction and rescue your kids from their virtual world. Join our ScreenStrong Families Group and visit ScreenStrong.com to learn more. It’s not too late to win back your kids and ScreenStrong is here to help.

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Episodes

The Wired Child with Dr. Richard Freed

October 06, 2021 10:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MB

Dr. Richard Freed, author of our book of the month, Wired Child, is a practicing Clinical Psychologist and supervisor studying the effects of children’s technology and speaking on parenting in the age of digital technology. He is also on the advisory boards of Families Managing Media and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood’s Children’s Screen Time Action Network as well as a contributor to the Huffington Post. In part 1 of 2 interviews, Melanie and Richard share a passionate conver...

Why Media Violence Is More Harmful Than You Think with Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

September 29, 2021 10:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MB

Today's discussion is the second part of our book of the month, Assassination Generation: Video Games, Aggression, and the Psychology of Killing, written by Lt. Col. David Grossman.  Melanie and Lt. Col. Grossman discuss what he views as the “single greatest threat to our civilization”—our children’s exposure to violent visual imagery perpetuated by the Media industry at large. Lt. Col Grossman points out the Media’s double message in their acknowledgment of their influence on society while...

Dads, Kids & Video Games Webinar

September 29, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 51.4 MB

Are video games hurting your relationship with your kids? Have you lost your kids to their screens? Are you desperate to get them back? Imagine never having screen conflict in your home again! As a dad, have you ever asked: Is playing video games with my kids a good bonding activity? Am I connecting with my kids as much as a think I am? Aren't screens the primary way parents spend time with their kids? Join ScreenStrong and James & Arlene Pellicane in an exclusive webinar for dads. List...

Open, Honest Conversations About Pornography with Marilyn Evans

September 22, 2021 10:00 - 31 minutes - 21.3 MB

Today Melanie speaks with Marilyn Evans, a mom of 5 boys and the director of Parents Aware, a resource she launched in 2016 with the goal of educating and helping parents begin to have open, honest and compassionate conversations with their children about relationships, sex and pornography.   Melanie and Marilyn discuss common blind spots parents have regarding pornography. They talk about how to build safer habits through having open and honest conversations with your children. Marilyn off...

Building Family Culture with Steve and Candice Watters

September 15, 2021 10:00 - 44 minutes - 30.4 MB

Today, Melanie talks with Steve and Candice Watters, a married couple dedicated and passionate about helping and supporting young families. They have four children—13 to 22—whom they have raised ScreenStrong. Steve and Candice share their “light bulb moments” that led to their realization and diligence in becoming intentional parents. They identified a focus and practice of building relationships with their children, building alternatives to what was being offered culturally, and being inte...

Detrimental Effects of Media Violence on Children with Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

September 08, 2021 10:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MB

This week we'll be hearing from Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, a US Army Ranger, paratrooper, former West Point Psychology Professor, and author of Assassination Generation: Video Games, Aggression, and the Psychology of Killing. Lt. Col. Grossman describes how playing "innocent" video games progress to addiction, why video games make kids aggressive, the dangers of operant and classical conditioning, and the mental, physical, and emotional turmoil children are experiencing due to a saturation of m...

Single Parenting the ScreenStrong Way with Candace Collins

September 01, 2021 10:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MB

This week, Melanie talks with Candace Collins, a single parent of a 6-year old daughter living a Screen Strong lifestyle. Candace works in Social Media and Digital Marketing and is well aware of the pull that hand held devices have on our daily lives.  Candace shares her parenting journey of how she began to notice the toxic effects of screen use and how she made the choice to live counter culturally to provide her daughter a nurturing and connected environment. She offers tips and simple s...

How Screens Are Changing the Social & Academic Culture for Students with Joe Clement

August 20, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MB

Today, Melanie is joined by Joe Clement, a teacher, parent of three, and co-author of Screen Schooled with Matt Miles. Joe is in his 28th year of teaching and brings a unique perspective as he has witnessed the change technology has brought into both the classroom and the home environment.  Melanie and Joe discuss the mental health risk factors that are influenced by the toxic use of screens that result in loss of empathy, loss of awareness of facial/social cues, increased stress, and lack ...

Social Media: A Teen’s Perspective with Noah Reid

August 12, 2021 15:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MB

Today, guest host, Mandee Hamann interviews Noah Reid, a 17 year old High School student and Competitive Debater and Public Speaker.  Noah shares the back story on how he, at the age of 15, wrote a persuasive speech about Age Restricting Social Media. He credits his parents’ continued open communication about Social Media and how their wisdom influenced the development of his speech and his perspectives.  Noah encourages parents to talk openly with their teens and for teenagers to question...

Kids Are Our Greatest Resource with Tom Hayes

August 11, 2021 10:00 - 33 minutes - 23.3 MB

Today, guest host, Mandee Hamann, introduces Tom Hayes, who is a nationally recognized comedian, speaker, entrepreneur, writer, and creator of an animation titled Beantown Pals.  Tom shares his personal story of being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer at 13-years-old—learning that adversity leads to character development. Mandee and Tom discuss how the evolution of screens in our culture has changed how we parent, and Tom cautions parents that by taking away their child’s pain, it...

Why Screens Are Failing Students and Frustrating Teachers with Matt Miles

August 04, 2021 10:00 - 58 minutes - 40 MB

Melanie is joined by Matt Miles, a teacher and co-author of Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology Overuse Is Making Our Kids Dumber. Matt is a passionate educator and advocate for his students. In this interview, he gives a teacher's perspective on virtual learning during the Covid pandemic and the negative outcomes that educators, parents, and students are facing. With his uniquely bold convictions, Matt Miles talks about the counterproductive nature of "ed tech," the ...

Teens & Screens with Emma Lembke

July 28, 2021 10:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MB

Our guest today is Emma Lembke, a teenager from Birmingham, Alabama, who is the CEO and Co-Founder of the LOG OFF Movement. The mission of LOG OFF is to seek further dialogue about the multifaceted nature of social media and promote the healthy usage of it. LOG-OFF is passionate about lowering social media’s impact on mental health while teaching teen users and their parents about how to navigate the vast inner-workings of life on social media. Emma shares her experience with social media a...

Being Intentional with Doug Smith

July 14, 2021 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MB

In today's episode, Mandee Hamann speaks with Doug Smith who is a Screenstrong Ambassador, father of four adult daughters, software developer, and a life-long Bible student. Doug is the author of [Un]Intentional, How Screens Secretly Shape Your Desires And How You Can Break Free. His book provides five practices to purposeful and intentional living with screen use. Doug encourages families to cast a vision of what their life could be without screen dependencies and to create a family mission...

Middle School Disrespect with Ronna Glickman

July 07, 2021 10:00 - 52 minutes - 35.9 MB

In today's episode, Melanie has a candid conversation with Ronna Glickman, a retired middle school teacher passionate about educating students, parents, and educational administrators about internet safety and the dangers of social media's influence on children. Due to the pandemic, she is now active in tutoring children who are having difficulty managing the current online education platforms. Melanie and Ronna talk about the culture of disrespect that is prevalent with children in our soc...

Four Critical Factors Needed for Building Strong Kids with Cris Rowen

July 06, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 43.3 MB

Melanie welcomes Cris Rowan, who is a registered pediatric occupational therapist, certified sensory specialist (SIPT), biologist, author of "Virtual Child", and prolific speaker on the impact of technology on child development and learning.  Melanie and Cris start their conversation discussing the 4 Critical Factors needed for the developing child which include movement, touch, human connection, and nature. Cris emphasizes a focus on increased engagement of these factors to create the foun...

It All Started With An iPad (Sarah's Story)

June 23, 2021 10:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MB

In today's episode, Mandee Hamann welcomes Sarah, one of our ScreenStrong Ambassadors, as she shares her family’s story of becoming ScreenStrong. She shares that it all started with an iPad and describes how quickly her family’s dynamic changed over the course of a few months. Sarah shares how she and her husband guided their family through the ScreenStrong Challenge, what happened after the Challenge was over, and how she reclaimed her family’s positive dynamic. This story will inspire you ...

How YouTube Impacts Middle School Development with Dr. Linda Charmaraman

June 18, 2021 19:00 - 44 minutes - 30.7 MB

Today Melanie talks with Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women and director of the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab. Dr. Charmaraman’s research interests include technology and adolescent health, digital citizenship, innovative research methods to include overlooked and hidden populations, and how social identities (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, political affiliation) affect wellbeing.   Dr. Charmaraman shares with ...

Virtual Autism & Screens with Dr. Andrew Doan

June 16, 2021 10:00 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MB

In this episode, Melanie introduces our ScreenStrong Families to Dr. Andrew Doan, who shares his expertise on gaming addiction and how it impacts development in children. Dr. Doan is a neuroscientist, physician, author & speaker. With a doctoral degree in neuroscience, his background in molecular neuroscience adds in depth knowledge into the areas of internet, video game, and technology addictions. Dr. Doan is the author of Hooked on Games.  Today, Dr. Doan discusses the increase in Autism ...

The Power of Sharing Your Story with Jenny Hoey

June 10, 2021 15:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MB

In today's episode, Mandee Hamann (filling in for Melanie Hempe) welcomes Jenny Hoey, the founder of Not My Kid, a group she created for the purpose of educating and supporting parents on the safety issues of raising children within the digital world. Jenny is a Screen Strong Ambassador and parenting coach that lives with her family in Australia. Today, Jenny shares her and her daughter's personal life-changing story of an on-line incident that occurred when her daughter was 9 years old. She...

Achieving the Good Life: Going Game-Free with James Good, Former Gamer

June 04, 2021 10:00 - 44 minutes - 28.9 MB

In this episode of the ScreenStrong podcast, Melanie talks to James Good, whose young life was overtaken by video game addiction. James describes how as he moved through high school and into university, his healthy hobbies, interests, and friendships were slowly replaced by gaming until he began to struggle socially, emotionally, and academically. One of James’ key realizations as he beat his gaming problem was that he had never learned how to “do hard things”–he has since built his ability ...

LIVE "Disconnected" Discussion with Tom Kersting (May BOTM)

May 28, 2021 10:00 - 47 minutes - 32.5 MB

Tom Kersting, author of our May Book of the Month (BOTM) pick "Disconnected," joins the entire ScreenStrong Team and members from our community to answer YOUR questions about fear culture, parental denial, teen privacy online, smartphones in school, and so much more! Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast to help spread the word. Stay Strong!  Visit ScreenStrong.com to learn more about becoming a ScreenStrong Family and to take our ScreenStrong Challenge. Need extra support? Join our Sc...

Preventing Porn Exposure with Barb Winters

May 26, 2021 10:00 - 46 minutes - 31.7 MB

In this episode, Barb Winters, a Sexual Risk Avoidance Specialist, discusses the emotional discovery of her son’s pornography exposure and her passion to help parents not suffer alone in isolation after making similar discoveries. She and Melanie talk through tips to prevent porn use for teens and some unique approaches to help kids engage in helpful conversations.   Subscribe at Barb's website hopefulmom.net to receive updates and a free resource, “7 Actions When Your Child Has Seen Porn.”...

The Broader Effects of Tech and How to Reconnect Your Kids with Tom Kersting

May 21, 2021 10:00 - 51 minutes - 35.4 MB

In the second half of Melanie’s discussion with author Tom Kersting, they move on to his chapters about how technology affects children’s social and emotional development, and how family dynamics are negatively impacted by screen saturation in kids. Kersting focuses on problems that Melanie and other parents are familiar with: kids who would rather game than make real friends, emotional dysregulation, and a feeling of disconnection between the generations. Finally, Melanie and Tom delve into...

The Broader Effects of Tech and How to Reconnect Your Kids with Tom Kersting (BOTM Part 2)

May 21, 2021 10:00 - 51 minutes - 35.4 MB

In the second half of Melanie’s discussion with author Tom Kersting, they move on to his chapters about how technology affects children’s social and emotional development, and how family dynamics are negatively impacted by screen saturation in kids. Kersting focuses on problems that Melanie and other parents are familiar with: kids who would rather game than make real friends, emotional dysregulation, and a feeling of disconnection between the generations. Finally, Melanie and Tom delve into...

Loving Your Kids Louder with Nate Webb (Bullies Be Gone)

May 14, 2021 10:00 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MB

Nate Webb is a bullying survivor and high school counselor who started the Bullies Be Gone podcast and speaks at schools about bullying, social media, and how kids can get back to loving their lives. As a counselor, he has seen how smartphone access and social media have exacerbated bullying by opening kids up to 24/7 contact with their peers. In his conversation with Melanie, Nate emphasizes his parents’ positive influence on his attitude as a suffering middle- and high-schooler, and give...

Creating Screen-Free Memories & Traditions with Mary Mulliken

May 11, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 41.4 MB

Mary Mulliken is a healthy screen habits coach who encourages families to parent their children to be creators and not consumers of their environment. She is writing a book, Supercharged: 50 Reasons to Raise Kids Screen-Free from Birth to Age Seven.  In today’s episode, Melanie and Mary talk about the benefits of raising your children screen-free during their early childhood years. From stimulating creativity in ideas as well as actions, Mary shared some of her family’s traditions and ritual...

Child Exploitation and Screens with Opal Singleton

May 07, 2021 10:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MB

In today's episode, Melanie speaks with Opal Singleton. She is the President and CEO of Million Kids and serves as the Training and Outreach Coordinator for the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force and is contracted for human trafficking training services through the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Opal has authored two books, Seduced: The Grooming of America's Teenagers, and Societal Shift: A World Without Borders...A Home Without Walls. She has educated tens of thousan...

The Impact of Electronic Devices on Kids' Brains with Tom Kersting (BOTM Part 1)

May 04, 2021 10:00 - 51 minutes - 35.4 MB

In this episode Melanie speaks with Tom Kersting, our featured author of our book of the month, Disconnected: How to Reconnect our Digitally Distracted Kids. Tom began his career as a School Counselor and Therapist almost twenty-five years ago. He is a nationally known speaker, author, TV personality, and he has a private practice located in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Melanie and Tom explore the first part of his book where he discusses "Acquired ADHD" and other warning signs resulting from ove...

The Impact of Electronic Devices on Kids' Brains with Tom Kersting

May 04, 2021 10:00 - 51 minutes - 35.4 MB

In this episode Melanie speaks with Tom Kersting, our featured author of our book of the month, Disconnected: How to Reconnect our Digitally Distracted Kids. Tom began his career as a School Counselor and Therapist almost twenty-five years ago. He is a nationally known speaker, author, TV personality, and he has a private practice located in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Melanie and Tom explore the first part of his book where he discusses "Acquired ADHD" and other warning signs resulting from ove...

LIVE "Reset Your Child's Brain" Discussion (April BOTM)

April 30, 2021 18:00 - 1 hour - 42 MB

Dr. Victoria Dunckley, author of our April Book of the Month (BOTM) pick "Reset Your Child's Brain" joins the entire ScreenStrong Team and members from our community to answer YOUR questions about screens and teens, tips for getting through the screen reset, how to troubleshoot difficult transitions, and so much more! Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast to help spread the word. Stay Strong!  Visit ScreenStrong.com to learn more about becoming a ScreenStrong Family and to take our Scre...

How Screens Contribute to Developmental Delays with Melissa Porcaro

April 27, 2021 10:00 - 57 minutes - 39.4 MB

 Melissa is an occupational therapist who specializes in sensory integration and processing. Her focus has moved from helping children with developmental delays to helping children and young people with screen and media addictions. This career trajectory made it clear to Melissa that the two problems were increasingly connected. Dependence on screens presents new challenges to sensory integration because children are no longer experiencing the world through physical experience the way they d...

Reset Your Child's Brain with Dr. Victoria Dunckley (Part 2)

April 20, 2021 10:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MB

In this second episode featuring Dr. Victoria Dunckley, Melanie and Victoria discuss the goals and outcomes highlighted in the second half of the integrative psychiatrist’s book, Reset Your Child’s Brain: A Four Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades and Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen Time. Victoria provides practical advice to parents on how to prepare for the reset, including how to engage a reluctant spouse, tips for the single parent, and what to expe...

Why There Is No Safe Smartphone with Anne Marie McDonald

April 16, 2021 10:00 - 53 minutes - 37.1 MB

Anne Marie McDonald is Vice President of PR & Strategy for Gabb Wireless, the company that provides talk and text phones without access to internet or social media to help kids and teens stay safely connected without temptation or distraction. In this episode, Melanie talks to the working mother of four about the dangers of typical smartphones for children and teenagers, and how Anne Marie became passionate about helping kids thrive without them, both within and beyond her own family. Anne M...

How to Protect Your Kids From Viewing Pornography by Smith Alley

April 13, 2021 10:00 - 45 minutes - 31.3 MB

Smith Alley, a brave and inspiring 17-year-old, shares his story of a five year battle with pornography addiction as well as his struggles with social media. Determined to be more than a “success story,” he founded his company, Protecht Strong, to help families safely set up technology limits in their home.  Melanie and Smith discuss what it means to prepare our children for the real world and that preparing doesn’t have to mean giving them a phone. Smith challenges parents to ask themselve...

Teen Suicide Ideation and Social Media with Tessa Stuckey

April 09, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 41.8 MB

Not only is Tessa Stuckey a licensed professional therapist and author of For the Sake of Our Youth: A Therapist’s Perspective on Raising Your Family in Today’s Culture, she’s also raising four boys of her own. Tessa became a therapist with the goal of helping support children through the emotionally confusing teenage years, but what she found was worse than the dating drama and adolescent angst she expected: instead, she found prevalent suicidal ideation and other surprisingly dark problems...

Helping Your Children Avoid Screen Addiction with Tracy Markle

April 06, 2021 10:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MB

In today’s episode, Melanie talks with Tracy Markle, MA, LPC, who is the Founder/Owner of Collegiate Coaching Services & Founder/Co-Director at Digital Media Treatment and Education Center in Colorado. Melanie and Tracy begin their discussion identifying protective factors as well as risk factors to consider when establishing limits of media use within your family. Tracy explains the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation, and how she uses this theory in her work with her clients. She also ...

Reset Your Child's Brain with Dr. Victoria Dunckley (Part 1)

April 02, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 46.5 MB

In this first of two episodes featuring Dr. Victoria Dunckley, Melanie and Victoria discuss the premise of the integrative psychiatrist’s book Reset Your Child’s Brain: A Four Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades and Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen Time. Victoria explains how she came to be passionate about screen time through her early work with troubled children and adolescents, and then digs into the first part of her book, which covers what she calls...

LIVE "Playstation Nation" Discussion (March BOTM)

March 26, 2021 19:00 - 50 minutes - 34.7 MB

Olivia Bruner, author of our March Book of the Month (BOTM) pick "Playstation Nation" joins the entire ScreenStrong Team and members from our community to answer YOUR questions about video games and kids, how the industry has changed, connecting with your older teen, and so much more! Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast to help spread the word. Stay Strong!  Visit ScreenStrong.com to learn more about becoming a ScreenStrong Family and to take our ScreenStrong Challenge. Need extra su...

Candid Discussion About Gaming Addiction from a Former Gamer: Adam Brooker

March 23, 2021 10:00 - 45 minutes - 31.3 MB

The show today is taken from an interview with Adam Brooker about growing up as a gamer. He is very candid with his description of how gamers think, how they trade the real world for the virtual gaming world and their need to dominate. He touches on the dangerous habit of pornography and explains how smartphones and social media are very similar to the gaming trap. Listen to discover if your child has a potential problem, to hear his advice on removing the devices, and for encouragement to b...

Playstation Nation with Olivia Bruner (Part 2)

March 19, 2021 10:00 - 56 minutes - 38.5 MB

Today Melanie continues her conversation with Olivia Bruner, author of our featured book of the month, Playstation Nation: Protect Your Child From Video Game Addiction. Olivia shares the rest of her family’s story and the steps she and her husband took to replace video games with parental connection and “real life.” Melanie and Olivia discuss the five most common mistakes parents make in attempting to set screen limits. They emphasize “rebuilding the muscles “ of your child’s connection to r...

ADHD, Anxiety & Screen Addiction with Adrienne McKechnie

March 16, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 53.6 MB

Today Melanie is joined by Adrienne McKechnie, ScreenStrong Ambassador and mom of two teenagers. Adrienne shares her son’s struggle with ADHD, school anxiety, and the difficult decisions their family was forced to make because of his screen addiction. She emphasizes the importance of having like-minded community support because “no one can understand unless they are standing right there with you.” Adrienne also goes into how life changing the ScreenStrong Challenge was for her family and the...

ADHD, Anxiety & Screen Addiction with Adrienne

March 16, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 53.6 MB

Today Melanie is joined by Adrienne, ScreenStrong Ambassador and mom of two teenagers. Adrienne shares her son’s struggle with ADHD, school anxiety, and the difficult decisions their family was forced to make because of his screen addiction. She emphasizes the importance of having like-minded community support because “no one can understand unless they are standing right there with you.” Adrienne also goes into how life changing the ScreenStrong Challenge was for her family and the long term...

Screen Addiction & Parenting with Dr. Sarah Domoff

March 12, 2021 11:00 - 50 minutes - 34.7 MB

In this episode, Melanie talks with Dr. Sarah Domoff, a Clinical Child Psychologist and the principal investigator for the Family Health Lab at Central Michigan University, Department of Psychology.  Melanie and Sarah talk about her research studies that she has published and what she discovered in her work that is forming her interventions with the parents she works with. Sarah shares her theory of what she and her collaborators believe on how problematic media use develops in childhood. H...

Growing Up ScreenStrong with Andrew and Evan Hempe

March 09, 2021 11:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MB

Andrew and Evan Hempe grew up in a video game-free home after their older brother’s life derailed due to a gaming addiction. Today,  Andrew and Evan are answering parents’ common questions about the ScreenStrong lifestyle from the perspective of high school teens. They discuss what it was like living with a former gamer sibling, how they managed to live through middle school without video games and smartphones, and how they make friends without social media. Subscribe, rate, and review thi...

Screen-Free Parenting with Meghan Owenz, Ph.D.

March 05, 2021 11:00 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MB

In today’s episode, Melanie talks with Meghan Owenz, Ph.D., who is a psychologist, author, psychology professor, and mom of two young children. They discuss and break down Meghan’s child development-based S.P.O.I.L. system for prioritizing activities for your child’s day. Meghan emphasizes maintaining positive parental structure and rules that will ultimately help your child develop good habits and a screen-free lifestyle that is full of doing what they love. Melanie and Meghan connect on th...

PlayStation Nation with Olivia Bruner (Part 1)

March 02, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 46.1 MB

In today's episode, Melanie talks with Olivia Bruner, one of the authors of our featured book of the month, Playstation Nation: Protect Your Child From Video Game Addiction.  Olivia shares her family's journey with video game use and addiction, which ultimately led to the creation of their book Playstation Nation, to help other families identify and address video game addiction. Melanie and Olivia discuss the 8 Warning Signs or Questions to help determine if your child has a problem with gam...

Playstation Nation with Olivia Bruner (Part 1)

March 02, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 46.1 MB

In today's episode, Melanie talks with Olivia Bruner, one of the authors of our featured book of the month, Playstation Nation: Protect Your Child From Video Game Addiction.  Olivia shares her family's journey with video game use and addiction, which ultimately led to the creation of their book Playstation Nation, to help other families identify and address video game addiction. Melanie and Olivia discuss the 8 Warning Signs or Questions to help determine if your child has a problem with gam...

LIVE "The Collapse of Parenting" Discussion (February BOTM)

February 26, 2021 11:00 - 49 minutes - 34.1 MB

Dr. Leonard Sax, author of our February Book of the Month (BOTM) pick "The Collapse of Parenting," joins the entire ScreenStrong Team and members from our community to answer YOUR questions about screens and kids, the American pharmaceutical companies, and so much more! Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast to help spread the word. Stay Strong!  Visit ScreenStrong.com to learn more about becoming a ScreenStrong Family and to take our ScreenStrong Challenge. Need extra support? Join our...

Your Daughter and Online Predators with Toni Ludlow

February 23, 2021 11:00 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MB

In today's episode, Melanie is joined by Toni Ludlow, a mother of two young children, who shares her family's story of her daughter's traumatic experience with an online predator. Toni shares how her mother's intuition uncovered a manipulative bind her 10-year-old daughter fell into when she entered a chat room on a seemingly innocent online game. Toni points to the signs that her daughter displayed that told her something was off. She empowers parents to keep a keen eye on their children’s ...

The Collapse of Parenting with Dr. Leonard Sax (Part 2)

February 19, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 48.2 MB

In today’s episode, Melanie continues her in-depth conversation with Dr. Leonard Sax, author of The Collapse of Parenting. Together they explore solutions while challenging several myths and misconceptions that many American parents have in raising children today. Dr. Sax pinpoints the “collapse of parenting” as occurring when we, as parents, allow our children to make decisions in every domain. Dr. Sax challenges parents to be courageous, to educate desire, to do the right thing at the righ...