Screenagers Blog

Wow! Summer really goes by fast, doesn’t it? Back-to-school is already here for some and not far away for others. Ahead of this school year, I’ve hand-picked four of our most useful blogs. Practical, timely guides to help you set your family up for a healthier, more balanced relationship with technology in the months ahead.

Our latest podcast features candid interviews with college students on how they’re navigating the rapid rise of AI tools like ChatGPT in their academic lives. In today’s blog, I explore the ethical lines students are trying to draw, what they will and won’t use ChatGPT for, the tools educators are using to detect AI-generated work, and one student’s experience of being wrongly flagged for cheating on a paper she wrote entirely on her own.

Today I’m rounding up six of the most-read blogs from 2025 so far. Stories and interviews that struck a chord with readers and offered real tools for parenting in the screen age. Whether you missed a few or want a quick refresher, I hope you’ll find something here that inspires a new conversation in your home, school, or community.

This week’s blog explores how influencers and social media promoting so-called “Healthy” ideals — from food rules to fitness fads — can quietly lead young people toward disordered eating. Featuring insights from Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani, a leading expert on eating disorders, we unpack how to spot harmful messages and start honest conversations with kids about wellness, body image, and what “healthy” really means.

Have you talked out loud to ChatGPT and heard it talk back? Many people still haven’t. But that’s going to change very soon and the implications are, to put it mildly, concerning. ChatGPT with voice uses text-to-speech, but it’s more than just TTS — it includes conversational AI, voice recognition, and dynamic interaction. This means it doesn’t just speak — it listens, responds, and carries on fluid conversations in real time.

We often hear about social media’s impact on body image, but what can we learn from someone who’s experienced it firsthand, developing a serious exercise and eating disorder? In today's blog I introduce Isabelle who i'm grateful to for sharing her story with me in our recent conversation.

Research shows that adolescent substance initiation — teens trying smoking or drinking for the first time — spikes during the summer. More downtime often means more screen time, which brings increased exposure to what’s trending. One trend that’s hard to ignore? A surge in cigarette imagery across films, music videos, and pop culture moments. Even Beyoncé lit up onstage recently. So why is smoking getting a media makeover — and how can we talk to teens meaningfully about it?

Are you co-parenting kids? Do you find that one of you focuses more on establishing rules about screen time while the other is less concerned? You don’t need me to tell you that answering yes to that question is incredibly common, and it can be a major stressor in homes. I look at the challenge and seek solutions in today's blog.

A growing concern I have is how young girls, some as young as 7 or 8, are becoming fixated on beauty products. In Screenagers Elementary School Age Edition, we show clips of elementary-aged girls talking excitedly about their favorite skin and makeup items. In today's blog I look at how this beauty obsession is reaching younger ages, fueled by pervasive beauty ideals on social media.

Last week in clinic, I met with a teen and her mom. The mom voiced concern about her daughter using over-the-ear headphones for hours on end, worried it could be harming her hearing. Headphones and earbuds have become the norm, and for many of us, volume tends to creep up. I’ve caught myself lately at the gym, blasting music louder than I probably should. Today I talk more about this and highlight one thing you can do right now for yourself and with your family to check in on your hearing.

One phrase I’ve often used over the years is “fighting fire with fire,” and when it comes to managing screen time, this idea can really come in handy. Incorporating parental controls into your family’s screen time routine can make things run more smoothly at home. And summer is an ideal time to consider this approach.

Ever hop on social media to escape boredom, only to feel even more drained afterward? Teens know this feeling all too well. A college student recently told me how frustrated she is by the habit: “I turn to Instagram out of boredom, and it ends up just making the day feel emptier.” This week’s blog dives into a powerful insight from Dr. Katie Davis, a leading researcher on teens and tech, who calls this pattern “boredom in, boredom out.”