Screen Sense: Parenting in a Digital World

We’re taking a break for the Summer, and we thought it would be fun to finish off with a round of questions from listeners. In this last episode (for now), we cover questions around VR, how parents approach conversations about online safety, why we’re seeing a backlash against ed tech, and why framing screens as evil doesn’t actually help fix anything. Thanks for listening in - we really hope you’ve been enjoying these conversations, and that you’ve found something useful and interesting in them. See you soon! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit screensensepodcast.substack.com

When it comes to screens, everyone seems to have an opinion - but how much of what we hear is actually true? In this episode, Pete and Andy take on some of the most common myths and misconceptions around screen time and its impacts.Do screens really ruin our attention? Do goldfish really have an 8-second attention span? Does more screen time mean less time outdoors? And when it comes to ed tech, are we expecting too much from it? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit screensensepodcast.substack.com

This week, Andy and Pete explore how families can build more intentional, flexible routines involving technology. This isn’t about blindly thinking that ‘tech is great’; it’s about acknowledging that things like video games and screen time are a large part of our everyday lives, so we need to pay attention to what works and what doesn’t.We talk about experimenting with video games, reflecting on our own habits, and how, as parents, we’re always making adjustments around tech. Plus: what to do when your kids love a game you don’t, and why the broader public debate on screens seems to be slipping backwards. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit screensensepodcast.substack.com

It’s one of the biggest questions in digital parenting: Do digital technologies cause mental health problems in children and teenagers? The answer is complicated, and the desire to find a simple, cause-and-effect answer (“screens cause anxiety” or “social media makes kids depressed”) doesn’t line up with what the evidence actually shows.In this episode, Pete and Andy dig into some of the reasons why studies in this area are often messy, why we need a set of minimum expected standards for tech companies in terms of sharing data with researchers, and how good research can get derailed by the toxic state of the wider debate.Show notesThe Family Online Safety InstituteLuisa Fassi’s paper on social media use in adolescents with and without mental health conditionsChristopher Kelly and Tali Sharot’s paper on how web-browsing patterns reflect and shape mood and mental healthAiman El Asam and Adrienne Katz’s paper on vulnerable young people and their experience of online risksSonia Livingstone and Jasmina Byrne’s chapter on parenting in the digital age, and the challenges of parental responsibility This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit screensensepodcast.substack.com

We often have a very real sense that digital technology can do damage to our wellbeing, and sometimes in ways that feel seriously worrying. But when we try to actually talk about it, we often fall back on vague phrases: tech is “bad for mental health” or tech is “addictive”. Does this sort of messaging actually help parents and families make better decisions? Or do they just make us feel stuck between panic and helplessness?In this week’s episode, Andy and Pete explore why our public conversations about tech often get stuck in fear, and how we might move toward more helpful ways of thinking and talking about screens, wellbeing and family life. Show notesAndy’s research on the link between exposure to video games and positive/negative beliefs about their effects. Andy and Pete’s NYT op-ed at the start of the pandemic.Two books which are coming out soon that will give parents a much wider variety of tools and approaches to having tech conversations and setting boundaries:Tech-Smart Parenting by Cath Knibbs (out 31 July)The Smartphone Solution by Martha Deiros-Collado (out 28 August)And two which put the focus on adolescence specifically:Coming of Age by Lucy Foulkes (paperback out 10 July)How We Grow Up by Matt Richtel (out 28 August) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit screensensepodcast.substack.com

This week, we’re talking about a seemingly common sense idea: that kids are “digital natives.” The assumption goes something like this: they grew up with technology, so they must just get it. They're fluent, comfortable, and because it feels like they’re a step ahead of us, we worry about constantly playing catchup.But when you look more closely, that apparent fluency can be misleading. Knowing how to swipe, tap, or game doesn’t mean understanding what’s actually going on under the hood. What does that mean for how we approach digital parenting? Plus: a detour into the state of video games in 2025, and a small rant about why “play-to-earn” game models can absolutely get in the bin. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit screensensepodcast.substack.com

In this episode, Pete and Andy explore how to talk about technology in a way that builds trust, not tension. From constant screen time requests to parental missteps, tech can be a constant flashpoint in family life — but it’s also a powerful opportunity for connection. We share what’s worked (and what hasn’t) in our own homes, and talk about practical strategies for making these conversations calmer, clearer, and more collaborative. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit screensensepodcast.substack.com

In this first episode, Andy and Pete introduce themselves and the podcast, and talk honestly about why parenting in a digital world can often feel so confusing and difficult to navigate. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit screensensepodcast.substack.com