The Screen Guardians Podcast

In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness and isolation a national epidemic — and teenagers are at the center of it. They're the most digitally connected generation in history, and one of the loneliest. In this episode, host Katie sits down with Ryan Bevins and JP Claxton, the founder and co-founder of Fight Club — a confidential, peer-support organization for teens built on one powerf...

Practical, no-fear ways to plan a low-screen, high-connection summer. Summer screen time has a way of creeping up the moment the school-day structure disappears. In Episode 34 of the Screen Guardians Podcast, Katie sits down with mom of three and former labor-and-delivery nurse Janelle Campbell for an honest conversation about planning an intentional summer — without banning screens or scheduling...

A rural Kansas district shares what changed in classrooms and homes after going K–12 with The Screen Guardians. What happens when an entire school district stops talking about screen time and actually does something about it? In this episode, we hand the mic to the people who went first. Recorded live on May 13, 2026 before the Kansas Department of Education State Board, you'll hear Superintendent...

If you've watched your kid trudge out of school carrying a Chromebook and felt a quiet knot in your stomach — you're not imagining it. Edtech in schools rolled out faster than the brain science behind it, and now the data is catching up. In this episode, Katie Longhauser walks through how we got here, what's actually happening in kids' developing brains, and the clear next steps families and schoo...

We talk a lot about what screens are doing to kids in the classroom. But here's a question we don't ask enough: who is teaching the teachers? In this episode, host Katie sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Walter — an assistant professor at Rockhurst University who prepares the next generation of educators, a former English teacher, a mom of two elementary-age kids, and the academic vice president of her...

Why prevention has to come before the message ever hits your kid's phone. What if prevention became the first layer of protection — not the second? In this solo episode of The Screen Guardians Podcast, founder Katie Longhauser walks through why we're so good at responding to harm but not as intentional about preventing it, and what that means for parents trying to figure out how to protect kids on...

You already know the screens are an issue. You feel it in the eye rolls. You feel it in the bedtime battles. You feel it in your own thumb as you scroll one more time before sleep. Raising healthy kids in a digital age isn't about removing devices — it's about raising kids who actually know how to use them. In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Shreya Hessler returns to The Screen Guardians p...

If you've ever found yourself yelling "put the phone down!" while simultaneously scrolling your own device, you're not alone.  Intentional parenting in a digital world  is one of the biggest challenges families face today — and most of us are figuring it out as we go. On a recent episode of  The Screen Guardians Podcast , host Katie Longhauser sat down with Kori Bloom — founder of Conscious Not Cr...

If you've ever handed your toddler a tablet just to get through dinner — or noticed your teenager retreating to their room for hours on end, scrolling and silent — you're not alone. Most of us feel it. Something is off. But connecting the dots between our kids' screens and their emotional wellbeing can feel murky, even overwhelming. In Episode 27 of the Screen Guardians Podcast, host Katie sits do...

Parenting kids in the digital age is incredibly hard. We are the first generation to raise children in the most digitally saturated environment in human history. With teens averaging more than seven hours of recreational screen use per day, many parents worry about sleep disruption, anxiety, and attention fragmentation. You might be wondering how to protect your kids without completely isolating t...

In an era where our lives are intertwined with screens, the concept of a digital detox has emerged as both a necessity and a revelation. Have you ever wondered how stepping away from your devices might reshape your emotional landscape? This is the journey that students at Loyola University embarked on, guided by the insightful Dr. Shreya Hessler. Her groundbreaking course, "Digital Detox: Doing No...

An in-depth conversation with a veteran superintendent on why digital safety isn't optional—and how a rural Kansas district is leading by example.   When I first sat down with Paul Larkin, superintendent of Syracuse USD 494 in Western Kansas, I wasn't expecting a conversation that would stay with me for days. There was no script. No sweeping rhetoric. Just truth—clear, steady, and hard-won. Paul h...

In a world where likes and comments feel like lifelines, where digital conversations unfold faster than emotions can catch up, our kids are navigating a reality we never had to. If you've ever wondered why your child seems more anxious than you were at their age—or why they retreat behind a screen when the world feels too much—you're not alone.   We recently sat down with licensed professional cou...

I want to start with a story. Not one from my childhood—but from today. Last week, I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a group of parents, educators, and advocates at the Kansas State Capitol. It wasn't a polished, pretty press moment. It was real and gritty—honest words in wood-paneled hearing rooms, the air thick with both urgency and hope. In front of lawmakers, we made the case for something sim...

In one of the most grounded and deeply human conversations we've had the honor to be part of, Kevin and I sat down with Dr. Currie Myers—America's Criminologist —for an episode that reached well beyond crime statistics and research papers. It reached into the heart of why we do this work. Because behind every warning about online risk, behind every school training or digital wellness tool we desig...

In recent years, the conversation around  reducing screen time in schools  has moved from quiet concern to active policy change. Educators, parents, and mental health professionals are paying closer attention to how constant tech use impacts student focus, emotional regulation, and classroom engagement. At the heart of this shift is a deeper question: Are our current digital practices truly suppor...

This episode explores the powerful connection between digital learning and brain development , featuring insights from neurotherapist Susan Dunaway. From screen-based reading to educational apps in early childhood, we examine how technology in schools may be reshaping cognitive growth, memory, and emotional regulation in ways parents and educators can no longer afford to overlook.   https://kidsdi...

When a kindergartener walks into their classroom, the space is built for them. The chairs are small. The crayons are thick. The books are softbound and full of pictures. Slowly, over the years, their world expands—more words, more tools, more responsibility as their brains and bodies are ready for it. But when it comes to technology in schools, something is off. We're handing our youngest students...

I've always believed in the power of a story—especially when it comes from someone who's lived every moment of it. That's why I invited Ben Tracy onto the Screen Guardians platform. Ben isn't just a digital safety advocate. He's a man who ran across the United States—3,100 miles, 125 days, 120 marathons—all for one purpose: to draw attention to the ways digital harm is impacting our kids. And he i...

This heartfelt episode explores how school-issued devices can quietly expose children to harmful content—and what parents can do to stay informed and involved. Sometimes parenting in a digital world feels less like walking a line—and more like walking a tightrope. No net. No guarantees. Just hope that we've done enough to protect them. Recently, I sat in conversation with two deeply thoughtful par...

There are conversations I wish we didn't have to have. But here we are—because ignoring hard truths doesn't protect our children. And pretending the digital world isn't changing at an alarming pace only leaves families more vulnerable. That's why we created the Screen Guardians podcast. It's not just information we're sharing—it's a lifeline for parents, educators, and anyone desperate to understa...

There are some conversations that feel too big to begin. Talking about the digital world and our kids—what they're exposed to, what they're carrying, how their brains and hearts are shaped by screens—that's one of those conversations. It's big. It's overwhelming. And for parents and educators alike, it can feel like we're already behind. But today, I want to offer you a different story. A slower,...

There are moments in parenting when something small nudges at your attention—and then, without warning, that "small" thing becomes a defining shift. That's what happened to Gretchen Shanahan in 2018. She remembers it clearly—the way the questions started stacking up in her mind. Why are my kindergartners using iPads during indoor recess? How much screen time are they actually getting during the sc...

What happens when protecting children takes a back seat to bureaucracy, miscommunication, or worse— inaction ? In one of the most emotionally charged and urgent episodes of the  Screen Guardians Podcast , host  Katie Longhauser  and co-host  Detective Kevin Cronister  dive deep into a real-life case that shocked a local school community and ignited a movement for legislative change. In February 20...

We've all heard the warnings about screen time and social media overuse, but what actually happens when students step away from it completely? At  Screen Guardians , we recently sat down with Giuliana, a recent graduate from Faustina Academy, for a raw and insightful conversation about growing up  without  social media during high school—and how it shaped her confidence, friendships, and mental he...