This Saturday, January 24th, is a special day: The Reset, organized by Outward Bound USA, with some wonderful minds helping to build it and many organizations, including Screenagers, making up the Support Coalition.
It’s a day encouraging everyone (and young people in particular) to step away from screens and do something outdoors.
Let me explain what this day is about, and at the end, I’ll share why Outward Bound holds a special place in my heart.
2026 is the first year The Reset is launching as a national movement, with the goal of helping “young people live healthier, more connected lives through time outdoors and balanced digital habits.”
What can one day unplugged outside really do? A lot.
One day outside, without screens, offers a conscious experience of what we sacrifice when we spend our days immersed in technology. It won’t magically eliminate the addictive pull young people face in today’s attention economy, but it does give them something essential: awareness.
I believe these shared moments of awareness, taken together with millions of others, are what begin to shift our culture.
Time spent in nature, whether it’s walking in fresh air, spending time in a park, sitting by a river, or simply being outside the home, has been linked to both short- and long-term benefits for mental, emotional, and physical health.
Start by pledging to take part, ideally with kids. If you can’t do it with them, do it for them and let them know.
Taking part in The Reset is simple:
There are resources to help you spread the word and help you plan in advance for your day of The Reset. I particularly like this part from the resources:
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
While in medical school, I began spending time with a few leaders of Outward Bound. Such caring people.
I learned how the organization takes kids from all backgrounds into nature for challenging, group-based adventures. There are also special trips for kids struggling with emotional challenges and scholarships for youth in need.
Then my daughter went on a trip that really helped her. Tessa was struggling with depression during high school, and after her junior year, she went on a multi-day Outward Bound experience that included backpacking and then living on a 20-foot canoe-like boat with ten others for five days.
They did not get off the boat and slept on boards, going from one side of the canoe to the other. Talk about challenging!
I still remember her coming home. She talked about how hard it was, hiking late at night in the rain and pushing through discomfort. And yet there was so much pride and joy in her voice as she described the experience, the nature, and the friends she made.
Today, Tessa is doing well and has a deep love for being outdoors. This past summer, we were lucky enough to do a three-day backpacking trip together.
It was a gift to learn from her, to hear the skills and confidence she gained from her Outward Bound experience.
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel! We add new videos regularly and you'll find over 100 videos covering parenting advice, guidance, podcasts, movie clips and more. Here's our most recent:
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This Saturday, January 24th, is a special day: The Reset, organized by Outward Bound USA, with some wonderful minds helping to build it and many organizations, including Screenagers, making up the Support Coalition.
It’s a day encouraging everyone (and young people in particular) to step away from screens and do something outdoors.
Let me explain what this day is about, and at the end, I’ll share why Outward Bound holds a special place in my heart.
2026 is the first year The Reset is launching as a national movement, with the goal of helping “young people live healthier, more connected lives through time outdoors and balanced digital habits.”
What can one day unplugged outside really do? A lot.
One day outside, without screens, offers a conscious experience of what we sacrifice when we spend our days immersed in technology. It won’t magically eliminate the addictive pull young people face in today’s attention economy, but it does give them something essential: awareness.
I believe these shared moments of awareness, taken together with millions of others, are what begin to shift our culture.
Time spent in nature, whether it’s walking in fresh air, spending time in a park, sitting by a river, or simply being outside the home, has been linked to both short- and long-term benefits for mental, emotional, and physical health.
Start by pledging to take part, ideally with kids. If you can’t do it with them, do it for them and let them know.
Taking part in The Reset is simple:
There are resources to help you spread the word and help you plan in advance for your day of The Reset. I particularly like this part from the resources:
While in medical school, I began spending time with a few leaders of Outward Bound. Such caring people.
I learned how the organization takes kids from all backgrounds into nature for challenging, group-based adventures. There are also special trips for kids struggling with emotional challenges and scholarships for youth in need.
Then my daughter went on a trip that really helped her. Tessa was struggling with depression during high school, and after her junior year, she went on a multi-day Outward Bound experience that included backpacking and then living on a 20-foot canoe-like boat with ten others for five days.
They did not get off the boat and slept on boards, going from one side of the canoe to the other. Talk about challenging!
I still remember her coming home. She talked about how hard it was, hiking late at night in the rain and pushing through discomfort. And yet there was so much pride and joy in her voice as she described the experience, the nature, and the friends she made.
Today, Tessa is doing well and has a deep love for being outdoors. This past summer, we were lucky enough to do a three-day backpacking trip together.
It was a gift to learn from her, to hear the skills and confidence she gained from her Outward Bound experience.
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel! We add new videos regularly and you'll find over 100 videos covering parenting advice, guidance, podcasts, movie clips and more. Here's our most recent:
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This Saturday, January 24th, is a special day: The Reset, organized by Outward Bound USA, with some wonderful minds helping to build it and many organizations, including Screenagers, making up the Support Coalition.
It’s a day encouraging everyone (and young people in particular) to step away from screens and do something outdoors.
Let me explain what this day is about, and at the end, I’ll share why Outward Bound holds a special place in my heart.
2026 is the first year The Reset is launching as a national movement, with the goal of helping “young people live healthier, more connected lives through time outdoors and balanced digital habits.”
What can one day unplugged outside really do? A lot.
One day outside, without screens, offers a conscious experience of what we sacrifice when we spend our days immersed in technology. It won’t magically eliminate the addictive pull young people face in today’s attention economy, but it does give them something essential: awareness.
I believe these shared moments of awareness, taken together with millions of others, are what begin to shift our culture.
Time spent in nature, whether it’s walking in fresh air, spending time in a park, sitting by a river, or simply being outside the home, has been linked to both short- and long-term benefits for mental, emotional, and physical health.
Start by pledging to take part, ideally with kids. If you can’t do it with them, do it for them and let them know.
Taking part in The Reset is simple:
There are resources to help you spread the word and help you plan in advance for your day of The Reset. I particularly like this part from the resources:
Catherine Price’s “Rebel's Code” focuses on intentional technology use and prioritizing real-world friendship, freedom, and fun. Her book The Amazing Generation, co-written with Jonathan Haidt, introduces these concepts to children through interactive formats and teen perspectives. Research indicates that when adolescents understand how platforms are designed to exploit attention, they show greater motivation to limit their social media use.
READ MORE >
Many adults keep their phones by the bed — it feels harmless, even necessary. But what if that habit is quietly affecting our sleep and the example we set for our kids? In this week’s blog, Dr. Ruston shares two key things every parent should know about sleeping next to a phone, and how small nighttime tech changes can make a big difference for the whole family.
READ MORE >
From Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto to violence and gunfire in movies and shows, aggression is a constant backdrop in boys’ media diets. And with various influencers and online personalities framing success through the lens of strength, competition, dominance and winning, boys are being handed a narrow script for masculinity. As parents, one of the most important things we can do is offer a counterweight. We can help boys strengthen empathy, compassion, and respect as core traits of masculinity, so they have a broader, healthier vision of who they can become.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
