Resources
There is much to read, watch, and listen to about this topic! Browse the tabs below to find our "top picks."
Books for Kids
The Adventures of Super Brain (age range: 7-10)
The Amazing Generation (age range: 9-14)
Books for Adults (by category)
Smartphones & Social Media
Always On: An Interactive Guide to the (Dis)Connected Generation
10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High Tech World
How to Break Up with Your Phone
Psychology & Neuroscience
Better Than Real Life: The Secret Science Addicting Kids to Screens—and How to Save Childhood
EdTech/Screens in Schools
Artificial Intelligence
Free Play & Independence
References
1. The Anxious Generation. Free the Anxious Generation. Retrieved from https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/
2. Bilton, N. (2024). Steve Jobs Was a Low Tech Parent. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/fashion/steve-jobs-apple-was-a-low-tech-parent.html
3. Cherkin, E. (2024). The Screentime Solution: A Judgment-Free Guide to Becoming a Tech-Intentional Family. Greenleaf Book Group Press.
4. Clement, J., & Miles, M. (2018). Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology Overuse is Making Our Kids Dumber. Chicago Review Press Incorporated.
5. Common Sense Media. (2023). Constant Companion: A Week in the Life of a Young Person’s Smartphone Use. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/constant-companion-a-week-in-the-life-of-a-young-persons-smartphone-use
6. Haidt, J. (2024). The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Penguin Press.
7. Hari, J. (2023). Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention. Bloomsbury Publishing.
8. Murthy, V. (2024). Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/17/opinion/social-media-health-warning.html
9. Protect Young Eyes. Parental Controls for Every Digital Device. Retrieved from https://protectyoungeyes.com/parental-controls-every-digital-device/
10. Screen Sense. (2024). Phone Options. Retrieved from https://www.screensense.org/giving-phone#new-phone-step-four
11. Price, C. (2024, June 6). A Parent’s Guide to Understanding the Harms of the Phone-Based Childhood. After Babel. Retrieved from https://www.afterbabel.com/p/parents-guide-to-smartphones
12. Price, C. (2024, August 5). The Choose Your Own Adventure Guide to Smartphone Alternatives. Catherine Price Substack. Retrieved from https://catherineprice.substack.com/p/82ff183e-70c3-4974-8839-372eb8dc8dd3
13. Sapien Labs. (2024, June 7). Rapid Report: Age of Smartphone Ownership. Retrieved from https://sapienlabs.org/age-of-first-smartphone-tablet-and-mental-wellbeing-outcomes/
14. Whitman, K., Repasky, M., & Polak, S. (n.d.). Phone Free Schools Movement. Retrieved from https://phonefreeschoolsmovement.org/
15. JAMA Pediatrics. Adolescent Smartphone Use During School Hours. Retrieved from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.6627
16. Common Sense Media. (2023). Smartphone Research Report. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2023-cs-smartphone-research-report_final-for-web.pdf
17. National School Safety and Security Officers. Cell Phones and School Safety. Retrieved from https://schoolsecurity.org/trends/cell-phones-and-text-messaging-in-schools/
18. New York Times. (2024). An Epidemic of Vicious School Brawls, Fueled by Student Cellphones. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/15/technology/school-fight-videos-student-phones.html
19. Fairplay for Kids. Open Letter for Phone-Free Schools. Retrieved from https://fairplayforkids.org/aft-nea-other-advocates-and-experts-sign-open-letter-for-phone-free-schools/
20. Pew Research Center. (2023). Teens, Social Media, and Technology. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/12/11/teens-social-media-and-technology-2023/
21. The Harris Poll. What Gen Z thinks about its social media and smartphone usage. Retrieved from https://theharrispoll.com/briefs/gen-z-social-media-smart-phones/