Felicia Wu Song

If you ever felt that taking your children outside instantly changes the atmosphere of your home, you are not imagining it. Something shifts. The arguing softens. The screens lose their pull. The day feels lighter. In this episode of the Screen Sanity Podcast, we sit down with Nikki Farrell, co founder of Wildlings Forest School, to talk about something beautifully simple and deeply powerful: Nature. Wildlings has been running for nine years here in Australia, creating space for children to play freely outdoors. What began as an accidental discovery at a playgroup has grown into a movement helping families rediscover something we all intuitively know but often forget. Children are meant to move and roam. Children are meant to take risks. Children are meant to get muddy. Children are meant to be outside. Together we explore: Why outdoor play regulates behaviour and improves focus How over scheduling and over supervising is shrinking childhood The truth about weather Why discomfort actually builds resilience How nature supports mental health for children and parents Practical ways families can build outdoor rhythms into busy weeks Why imprinting a love of nature in childhood matters long term

On the first Aussie episode of our podcast, Co-Founder of Screen Sanity Australia and host, Mackenzie Forrester sits down with the award-winning speaker, and bestselling parenting author, Michelle Mitchell. In this episode, they discuss how they hope to encourage families to reexamine the ways kids and parents interact with technology. They also talk about real-life examples of the challenges parents face when introducing technology and apps, and in particular, how to talk to your kids when they’ve overstepped a boundary or had a bad experience online.The Screen Sanity Podcast is Produced by Hayley McKew.

On this episode of Screen Sanity, we begin with Krista Boan sharing a little about our organization’s name change — from START to Screen Sanity. Then, she’s joined by Cara Bohan. Cara is the Vice President of Clinical Programs at Equip, a treatment center for families facing eating disorders. They talk about the pressure the digital world applies on our kids related to body image. They talk about unrealistic expectations, important conversations parents can initiate, and what Cara has learned in her 15 years as a researcher and clinician about caring for those suffering from serious body image disorders. The Screen Sanity Podcast is Produced by Krista Boan.Audio Production by Cosper Productions

Like so many of us, Heath Wilson and Joey Odom have experienced the challenges of life with screens. Addictive games and clever algorithms keep drawing us back to our smartphones and away from the people, projects, and work that matters far more than our distractions. That struggle led them to create Aro, a new platform blending analog and digital technology to make it easier than ever to put our phones down and experience life uninterrupted. On this episode of Screen Sanity, START co-founder Krista Boan sits down with Heath and Joey to talk about what led to the creation of Aro, how they hope it affects user’s lives, and what they’ve experienced already since incorporating more time away from their phones into their lives. It’s a great discussion that points all of us towards one of START’s big-picture values — that parents start with themselves, adjusting their own absorption in technology and modeling something better for their kids. Screen Sanity is executive produced and hosted by Krista Boan.It’s produced, edited, and mixed by Mike Cosper

One of the first questions parents ask when they buy their child a smartphone is, “How do I keep them safe? What are the tools? What are the apps? How do I know what they’re getting into?”These questions have been top-of-mind for START co-founder Krista Boan, as she continues to navigate the introduction of a smartphone into her own child’s life. Today on the podcast, she’s joined by Chris McKenna, founder of Protect Young Eyes. He’s a regular voice in news and commentary about digital safety for children and families, and an expert on the tools, resources, and trends that are shaping online life for the next generation. Join Krista and Chris for this conversation about the steps parents can take, the layers of protection available, and the ways that different apps and filters provide different kinds of protection.  Screen Sanity is Executive Produced by Krista Boan and START.It is produced and edited by Mike Cosper for Cosper Productions. 

At START, we often talk about how this generation of parents is breaking new ground. Smartphones have changed our social and cultural landscape, and they’ve given rise to unprecedented challenges for parents as they discern how to introduce them to their kids. For START co-founder Krista Boan, these aren’t abstract questions. From the beginning, she knew smartphones were in her kids’ future, and 2021 was the year she took the leap with her oldest daughter.On this episode of the podcast, the tables are turned; she’s on the other side of the interview table and her friend Adam Reck is interviewing her. Adam has years of experience working with kids as a mentor and a student minister at Krista’s church. He’s also seen countless families make this transition. In this conversation, they compare notes and share wisdom as Krista discusses the steps her family took to introduce a new smartphone, the roles apps and filters can use, and the importance of wisdom, communication, and connection with your kids. Screen Sanity is Executive Produced by Krista Boan and START.It is produced and edited by Mike Cosper for Cosper Productions.

Max Stossel is an award-winning poet, filmmaker, and speaker. He is also the Head of Education & Content for the Center for Humane Technology, an organization of former tech insiders and CEOs dedicated to realigning technology with humanity’s best interests. If the Center is unfamiliar to you, one of their products probably is not – the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, an exploration of the hazards of online life for the flourishing and well-being of our kids. Max’s work has brought him to the front lines of public discourse about the impact of screens on our culture, and on the many ways tech companies are profiting off of our attention at the expense of our own well-being. On this episode of the podcast, Max joins START co-founder Krista Boan to talk about how he began this work, the ways we need to reframe how we think about our tech vocabulary words like “attention” and “algorithm,” and how online engagement drives people to extremism. Screen Sanity is Executive Produced by Krista Boan and START.It is produced and edited by Mike Cosper for Cosper Productions.

The real goal that lies behind setting boundaries around technology and screen time is much bigger than any one issue. We want kids to flourish and to have thriving relationships and experiences. Our guest on this week’s podcast has dedicated her life to that work.Angie Daniels is the Program Manager for The Hope Center on the east side of Kansas City, Missouri. There, she works to serve kids in an urban community in the heart of the city. From Pre-K to High School, they work to provide a supportive, community-building and family-like atmosphere for kids outside of school. She’s also the mother of five kids who grew up in the smartphone revolution, all of whom are now young adults, Listen in on the conversation about what helpshow phone boundaries help kids to flourish, how The Hope  Center is serving its neighborhood, and how Angie and her husband navigated their own use of technology in the home. Screen Sanity is Executive Produced by Krista Boan and START.It is produced and edited by Mike Cosper for Cosper Productions.

Few thoughts are as daunting to parents as the potential impact, damage, and prevalence of pornography in the lives of modern kids. While we’d like to think it mostly lives in hard-to-reach corners of the internet, the reality is that it’s only a few clicks away. But rather than let that fact frighten us away from the topic, we want to encourage parents to approach it straight-on, and our guests on this episode of Screen Sanity have done excellent work in helping us consider how to do so. Rob and Zareen Cope are parents from New Zealand and the producers of the documentary “Our Kids Online: Porn, Predators, and How to Keep Them Safe.” They join START co-founder Krista Boan to talk about the origins of the documentary, the harm that porn is causing a generation, and practical ideas for protecting and educating our kids.Screen Sanity is Executive Produced by Krista Boan and START.It is produced and edited by Mike Cosper for Cosper Productions.