Protecting and Preserving Childhood in the Digital Age
digital wellness for kids
You love your kids. You want what’s best for them. And you have a nagging feeling that what’s happening on their screens is bigger than you know how to handle alone.
You’re right. And you’re not alone.
The Screen Guardians equips parents, educators, and schools with the tools, knowledge, and community to raise digitally healthy kids — through education, not fear.
Not anti-technology. Pro-child.
Piloting in schools across multiple states
Grounded in neuroscience & child development research
Trusted by parents & educators nationwide
Does any of this sound familiar?
- You set limits on screen time — and it turns into a daily battle.
- You worry about what’s happening in group chats and on social media — but you don’t know where to start.
- Your school has a phone policy, but it doesn’t feel like enough.
- You want to talk to your kids about technology — but you’re not sure you have the right words.
- You feel like you’re the only parent who is this worried.
You are not doing it wrong. You just need the right tools — and a community that gets it.
That’s exactly why The Screen Guardians exists.
Education is the greatest form of protection.
We are The Screen Guardians — a movement for digitally healthy families and schools.
We believe that kids who understand how technology affects their brain are better equipped to make smart choices — not just follow rules. We believe parents shouldn’t have to figure this out alone. And we believe schools and families are stronger when they work from the same playbook.
Grounded in research. Rooted in compassion. Built for real families, real classrooms, and real life.
Three ways to get started. One mission.
Whether you're a parent, an educator, or just starting to explore — there's a place for you here.

The Screen Guardians Podcast
Real conversations about raising kids in a digital world — without the panic. Each episode brings you expert insights, honest parenting stories, and practical tools you can use today. No judgment. No fear. Just the truth about what's happening and what you can actually do about it.

The Screen Guardians School Program
Your phone policy is a start. But rules alone don't teach kids why their brain craves a notification — or how to pause before they post something they'll regret. The Screen Guardians School Program is a developmentally tailored K–12 program that creates a shared language between school and home. Built for real classrooms. Backed by brain science. Piloting across a multi-state network of public and private schools.

The Screen Guardians Parent Portal
A calm, judgment-free corner of the internet — built just for parents. Inside the Parent Portal you will find coaching videos, downloadable guides, scripts for the hard conversations, and the tools to help your family recover after digital mistakes. Because kids do not need a perfect parent. They need a present one.
Hi, I’m the mom who couldn’t stop thinking about this.
I always thought I had a pretty good handle on the digital world my kids lived in. I teach this stuff. I write school programs on this stuff. I preach about digital health.
And then I read one of my daughter’s group chats. Nothing will give you a reality check faster.
I started The Screen Guardians because I couldn’t find what I needed as a parent — and I knew I wasn’t alone. Today I write K–12 school programming, have testified before state legislatures, and have built a community of parents and educators who are done navigating this alone.
I’m not perfect. I’m in it with you.
– Katie
What parents and educators are saying.
The Screen Guardians Program has been really positive so far. The students are settling into the lesson plans well, and we’re already seeing them engage more thoughtfully with the content. They’re beginning to understand not just the “what” but the “why” behind each lesson, which has sparked some great conversations in class. From a teaching standpoint, the curriculum has been incredibly easy to implement. The slides, videos, and ready-to-use resources make each lesson smooth and consistent, and they’ve taken a lot of prep work off our plate. – Michael Cook, K-8 Technology Teacher
High Quality Info! Katie and Kevin are real professionals – they tackle subjects (on The Screen Guardians Podcast) that are not easy to talk about in a way that is very practical and useful for parents who are dealing with some wicked challenges in the online world. – Dustin R.
A must listen for parents!
This (Screen Guardians) Podcast is a useful tool to all parents trying to fight today’s tech battle! Katie & Kevin do a great job of making complex ideas easy to understand and give great tips on how to navigate our digital world. Highly recommend.
What my 7th grader’s group chat taught me about phones, boundaries, and the brain
I always thought I had a pretty good handle on the digital world my kids lived in. I teach this stuff. I write school programs on this stuff. I preach about digital health, the role of dopamine and screen habits. But nothing will give you a reality check faster than...
When screen time becomes school time: What EdTech is doing to kids’ brains
Screen time in schools has become the new normal—woven into nearly every subject, every lesson, every day. From Chromebooks and tablets to gamified apps and video-based instruction, educational technology now occupies a central space in our classrooms. And while these...
When school devices aren’t as safe as we think: digital childhood in an unsecured world With Guest Andy Liddell
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...
Running toward the hard conversations: A story of heartbreak, hope, and digital safety – Conversation with Ben Tracy
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...
When trust is tested: what parents are learning about school-issued devices
This heartfelt post 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...
When a child’s voice is ignored, we all lose
There’s a story making headlines in Riley County (Kansas)—but it’s more than a headline. It’s a wake-up call. A 17-year-old girl recently stood in a courtroom and testified about abuse she endured as a child. Abuse she had bravely spoken about years earlier. Abuse...
The Dark Corners Of The Internet: What Every Parent Needs To Know About Emerging Online Threats To Kids
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...
The rising tide of exploitation: why we’re losing the fight against online child predators
By Kevin Cronister, ICAC Lead Detective Each year, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) releases new data. Numbers that hint at the scale of a crisis too big for statistics to contain—millions of CyberTipline reports involving suspected child...
One conversation at a time: How families and communities are protecting childhood in a digital age
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...
Why this mom is suing IXL: A quiet fight to protect student data privacy in schools
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...










