In today’s episode, Dr. Delaney Ruston talks with Casey O’Roarty, Med., who is a well-recognized expert in Positive Discipline, particularly when it comes to tweens and teens. She is the author of Joyful Courage and the host of the Joyful Courage podcast and has spent over 15 years working with families. In this episode, Casey provides real-life anecdotes about when kids sneak screen time when they have meltdowns and other behaviors, and she explores fostering curiosity, addressing meltdowns,...

Sometimes, gaming is not all fun and games. Foul words and degrading comments are all too common when kids and teens play video games together. From first-person shooter games like Call of Duty to building games like Minecraft and Roblox, competitive banter can be ugly. In this episode, Dr Ruston talks with Dr. Kishonna Gray, assistant professor of digital studies at the University of Kentucky, who researches various human dynamics that occur during video gaming. Dr. Gray works with parents...

We're bringing back this episode today to help with the common arguments in the home about screen time and what to do. What is a parenting strategy that can promote healthy screen use, and other positive behaviors, while at the same time decrease fighting? In this episode of The Screenagers Podcast, Dr. Delaney Ruston talks with one of her favorite parenting experts, Dr. Tammy Fisher Huson, about a strategy that has made a real difference in Dr. Ruston's own home. 

Parenting kids has always had challenges, but now, in the tech revolution, conflicts are at a new level. The good news is that research shows that conflicts done well have all sorts of benefits for youth. But how do we ensure healthier conflicts? On today’s episode, Dr. Ruston talks with Lisa Damour, Ph.D. psychologist and author of three New York Times best-selling books about adolescents, including “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers.” The episode explores teen psychology, common screen time...

Concerns over Snapchat use by its many young users seem to be discussed much less than concerns over TikTok and Instagram. Yet, issues with Snapchat are plenty — be it social conflicts or the sexually explicit material that can be seen on the app. In today's episode, Dr. Ruston discusses these topics and more with a high school boy and a young woman in college. The guests discuss problems created by the App's Snapscore feature, which is a ranking given to users based on how many snaps they...

In this episode, Dr. Delaney Ruston dives into the pressing issue of social media addiction through the story of one young person, Lars, and insights from the chief of addiction medicine at Stanford, Ana Lembke, MD, and longtime media researcher Douglas Gentile, PhD. Through Lar’s struggle with social media addiction, listeners gain an intimate look at the impact of social media on mental health and identity. The episode sheds light on the various ways compulsive social media use can impact a...

In this episode of The Screenagers Podcast, Dr. Delaney Ruston talks to author and psychologist Dr. Kristin Neff, Ph.D.,  about the power of self-compassion. They discuss the prevalent issue of self-criticism among parents, particularly regarding screen time, and how adopting self-compassion can help navigate such challenges. Dr. Neff and Dr. Ruston share personal parenting experiences along the way.  The episode provides practical advice to help listeners, parents, and teens initiate their...

In this episode, Dr. Ruston tackles some of the thorniest screen time parenting issues with social worker Charlie Appelstein. Appelstein is the author of the popular book No Such Thing As A Bad Child. Using the framework of strength-based parenting, they explore strategies to help when youth break screen time rules and lie. They talk about creating fair consequences and what to do when teens are overly dismissive and mean to their parents.  With over 40 years of working with youth and...

In this episode of The Screenagers Podcast, Dr. Ruston focuses on the science behind teen risky decision-making, both online and offline. Dr. Ruston speaks with researchers who shed light on the latest brain science, helping us better understand the biology behind adolescents' decision-making processes. With insights from experts such as psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke and psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour, parents will glean practical advice on guiding their children toward wiser decisions and...

In this episode of The Screenagers Podcast, Dr. Delaney Ruston explores the complex issue of weed use among teenagers in today's digital world. The discussion delves into how cannabis is portrayed and often glamorized on social media and the potential risks this poses to young people, including addiction and mental health concerns. The episode also sheds light on the cannabis industry’s lack of stringent regulation and the dangers of high THC products. Importantly, Dr. Ruston offers practical...

Today's episode dives into the world of teens, vaping, and the cunning tactics e-cigarette companies use on social media. We'll uncover the health hazards of vaping, examine how influencers glamorize it, and we will expose deceptive marketing strategies. Joining me are Dr. Pam Ling and Rob Jackler, featured in my latest film, Screenagers Under The Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age. They shed light on vaping's dangers and the industry's slick ploys to lure in...

In this episode, I interview journalist Dashka Slater about her new book, Accountable, where she writes about the true story of a social media account run by a small group of teens who posted racist memes. The account spread quickly and got edgier as it went. The book follows the account’s profound effect on the teens, friends, and high school. In my interview with Slater, I dive into issues like what compels teens to do things they know are out of bounds, such as acts of racism, the...

Today I discuss skillful ways to respond when your kids break the family tech rules.  One of the most challenging things for us parents is knowing how to respond when our kids break rules around screen time. A lot of my work is based on how to increase the chance that we get some collaborative input from our kids when we're setting rules.

Discover the powerful strategy of a "love ambush" and becoming a mental health warrior. Delaney unveils the transformative impact of showing up unannounced to support those facing mental health challenges. Through personal stories and practical advice, she unveils an approach to combatting isolation and building a caring team. 

Summer's heating up, and today I'm exploring how we can help teens have a better understanding of what makes up positive romantic relationships, including physical intimacy. In a past survey, teens between the ages of 14 and 17 were asked what sources help them understand sex. They responded that helpful information was most likely to come from parents, 31%, and 22 % friends. We're a great resource if we want to take on this challenge and get better at it.  

In today’s blogcast,  I share recommendations for podcasts that you can listen to with your family this summer.  So why these recommendations? Well, one of the objectives of the screenagers movement is finding ways to connect youth and adults for meaningful conversations, not just about tech in our lives, but ways to help build in our kids' critical thinking, empathy, communication skills, and I’m just a strong believer that listening to podcasts together and then discussing them can be a...

Youth will have more time to breathe and explore their interests beyond school, but so often, downtime becomes screen time. Summer’s wide open time spans can heighten battles over technology use. This is the perfect time to revisit your family rules, see what’s working and what’s not, and come up with summer guidelines.  

In today’s episode, Dr. Ruston talks with an 11-year-old girl, Mira, regarding what she likes about the popular gaming platform Roblox and the video game Minecraft. Mira also shares experiences she’s had with strangers while gaming. Mira discusses specific encounters and how she has handled such situations. Mira’s mom joins for part of the episode. If you have kids who do online gaming, listening to this episode with them can help spark important conversations.

As teens head back to school with even more emotional challenges than ever before due to the pandemic, providing them tools to address such challenges is crucial. Studies show that Social and Emotional Learning, called SEL, can help improve emotional wellbeing, academics, and more. In this episode, Ruston talks with Jordan Posamentier, Director of Policy and Advocacy for Committee for Children, about what constitutes effective SEL programs and how all of us can advocate for getting SEL into...

A few weeks ago a dear friend shared with me about her screen-free family Sundays with her twin nine-year-olds, 14-year-old and 16-year-old. When Jamie started Screen-Free Sundays, they planned to just try it out for a month so she wouldn’t feel overwhelmed by the experiment. I also talk with a mom in Alaska who prioritized reading in her family in all sorts of ways — and keeping screens at bay when they read. Hear how the experiments have gone in this week’s podcast.

We've all heard the importance of parents showing a united front to their kids about rules. It’s a good thing to be united, but what about when you’re not? In this episode, Dr. Ruston looks at strategies parents can turn to when in disagreement — whether married or divorced. We gain insights from clinical psychologist Laura Kastner, Ph.D., and school counselor Tammy Fisher Huson, Ph.D. and we hear from the researcher, Doug Gentile, who followed 1400 families for a year regarding family rules.

We are doing episodes on ways families experiment with having specific times for more togetherness and less screen interference. Today’s show is with Tiffany Shlain and her daughter, Odessa. Tiffany is the founder of the Webby Awards, a filmmaker, and the author of the book 24/6. The podcast explores her family’s weekly ritual of unplugging Friday night to Saturday evening for “Tech Shabbat.” Tiffany and Odessa explain the what, why, and how of their weekly practice.

When it comes to cyberbullying, what's fact and what's fiction? What do all kids need to know about how to handle online cruelty and how to help those getting targeted? And what can parents and schools do to be most helpful? To answer these and other questions, Dr. Ruston speaks with psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Englander, who has spent decades researching and writing books on these topics.

This spring, as vaccination rates increase, more schools are opening their campuses for in-person learning. At the same time, anxiety about returning to school is high for many youth. How do we help our kids and teens who are experiencing anxious feelings related to school? To address this topic, Ruston speaks with a high school student and two child psychologists, Dr. Elizabeth Englander, a researcher, and Dr. Laura Kastner, a clinical psychologist.