ScreenStrong Families

In today’s episode, Melanie welcomes her longtime friend, Teralea Moore, who is a mother and college math professor with 20+ years of teaching in the classroom. Teralea has taught in high school, community college, and private college settings, and she shares with us her experiences of how technology has changed her classroom experience over the years. Teralea discusses the differences in an onlin...

Did you know that since 2007, suicide rates have doubled and that since 2010, rates of depression, self-harm, and suicide have increased more in girls than boys? Did you know that girls are 3 times more likely to be depressed than boys? Listen in as Melanie delves into the link between social media use and how it is adversely affecting the development of self-esteem, identity formation, interperso...

Melanie is joined by longtime friend, Amy Eytchison, and her daughter, Aubrey. This lively group discusses growing up countercultural, having a flip phone in middle school (*gasp*), and cultivating healthy habits. Amy and Aubrey offer advice for both parents and teens on how to navigate "being different" and completely thrive while doing it. Prepare yourself for an abundance of joy and l...

Melanie welcomes Officer David Gomez, a School Resource Officer (SRO) and sworn Deputy of the Boise County Sheriff’s Department. Officer Gomez is the SRO for Idaho City High School, Middle School, and Elementary School. He also has an active and highly informative Facebook Page that he uses to educate parents on the dangers of Social Media and the internet. Melanie and Officer Gomez delve deep int...

In today’s episode, Mandee Hamann welcomes Gretchen Heinen, a mom of three, multi-entrepreneur, and creator of Dreams Over Screens, a 5-day challenge to reduce screens for adults in business. Gretchen shares her ScreenStrong story of overcoming “blind spots” when it came to screen use by her own kids and how screens used to influence her family’s culture and habits. Join Gretchen as she takes us o...

Happy New Year! To kick off our fourth season, Melanie Hempe reviews her observations from the holiday season and gives helpful tips for parents who are reconsidering screen time in their home. She also reviews ScreenStrong's bold message and core values to give your family the best chance for success in 2022. Support the show Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you en...

Thank you all so much for listening and engaging with the podcast this year. Here are just a few highlights from our 2021 episodes and we look forward to seeing you in 2022! Happy New Year! Support the show Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong! Get your copy of the BRAND NEW  Ad...

Melanie welcomes Olivia Kernekin for today's episode to highlight ScreenStrong's 10 tips to boost your family through holiday gift giving and family traditions. Olivia has worked with ScreenStrong since 2018. She earned a dual degree in English and Dramatic Arts from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and has worked in medical, financial, theatrical, humanitarian, and childcare fields....

In today’s special episode, Andrew and Evan Hempe answer the question many parents are facing this holiday season, “The only items on my child’s Christmas list are video games, smartphones, and social media, etc. What should I do and what else should I get my kids?” Andrew and Evan share their thoughts on the use of toxic technology while providing a fun and very creative list of non-tech gift sug...

Today Melanie shares a generous and priceless gift from our recent guest, Arlene Pellicane, co-author of Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.   Arlene granted permission for ScreenStrong to play the audio of her film, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this with you all! For those families who have asked us for something they can share with their kids and teens to help them understand the “why”...

Today, Melanie speaks with Arlene Pellicane, co-author of Screen Kids: 5 Relational Skills Every Child Needs in a Tech-Driven World with Gary Chapman. Arlene and Melanie talk about raising kids without addictive screens, how to encourage your children to stand out from the crowd, and tips for parenting ScreenStrong kids. Arlene also talks about the film she made with her children where they reflec...

Mandee Hamann welcomes Kirt Manecke, a marketing, fundraising, and business development specialist and author of Smile & Succeed for Teens: Must-Know People Skills for Today’s Wired World. Kirt shares the change in teens' development of social skills that inspired him to write his book in order to help teens and young adults build skills and become successful. He perfectly highlights basi...

Today, Mandee Hamann welcomes our own founder, Melanie Hempe, to talk about ScreenStrong’s new initiatives launching next month. She introduces ScreenStrong’s new Member Portal which will ultimately strengthen our community and help families create positive change. Melanie shares her passionate vision and hard work over the last eight years that's accumulated into offering the exclusive conte...

Today Melanie is joined by Brandie Hadfield, a Certified Attachment Parenting Educator and Certified Family Health Coach. She is a mother to two boys and a new ScreenStrong Ambassador who shares her story of how she changed her family’s lifestyle and began parenting without screens. Brandie and her family are six months into their ScreenStrong journey with a very clear “before” and “after.” She sh...

Today, Melanie talks with Dr. Kim Le, a child and adolescent psychiatrist based in Adelaide, Australia. He completed his psychiatry training in New South Wales and in 2015, Dr. Le received a federal grant to collaborate with an Internet Gaming Addiction Clinic for teenagers in Singapore. He has a special interest in “Gaming Disorder," which was recognized by the World Health Organization in 2...

Join Melanie in Part 2 of her conversation with Dr. Richard Freed, author of our book of the month, Wired Child . Dr. Freed is a practicing Clinical Psychologist and supervisor studying the effects of technology on children and speaking on parenting in the age of digital technology. He is also on the advisory board of ScreenStrong and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood's Children&ap...

Today Melanie talks with Pediatric Optometrist, Dr. Janet Wilson, who has  practiced as a developmental functional vision specialist over the past 13 years. Janet is also mother to a 3-year old son and is actively parenting a low-tech lifestyle with him.  Janet discusses how visual development is linked to other childhood developmental milestones that actually assist children in gaining 17 visual...

In today's episode, Mandee is joined by Jason and Lisa Frost, founders of the nonprofit organization, Wired Human , and authors of the book, The Glass Between Us: Empowering Youth to Combat Digital Exploitation - A Value-Based Approach to Screen-Driven Challenges. They have worked with teens, individually and together, for almost a decade through speaking engagements, nature-focused camps, an...

Dr. Richard Freed, author of our book of the month, Wired Child , is a practicing Clinical Psychologist and supervisor studying the effects of  technology on children. He is  on the advisory board of ScreenStrong as well as a contributor to many publications. In part 1 of 2 interviews, Melanie and Richard share a passionate conversation about the lies and myths being promoted by the tech industry...

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 Gross...

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 t...

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...

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...

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 c...

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 cultura...