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About Emily

Advice for Parents

Advocacy

Childhood Development

Data Privacy

EdTech

Personal Devices

Psychology & Tech

Social Media

Ok, You Got Your Kid a Smartphone or iPad...

Now what?

Children on a playground use their iPads rather than play together

iPads Don’t Belong in School

6 Fallacies About EdTech and 6 Suggestions for a Tech-Intentional School Framework

Please Stop Saying Screens Help Children Regulate. They Do Not.

We are causing more harm by saying they do.

EdTech is Not Tech Ed

What So Many Get So Wrong About Technology in School and the 3 Questions We Should Be Asking

Why Opting Out of EdTech Matters Now More Than Ever

A Fight for Democracy

A child struggles with 3 laptops in school

A.I. in the Classroom

5 Things To Consider

Should Phones Be Allowed in Schools?

3 Common Arguments Debunked

A girl shows a boy a photo on her phone during class.

Let’s Talk About Cyberbullying

What Parents Need to Know, How it’s Different from Bullying, and What We Can Do to Help Our Kids

Emily Cherkin and Julie Liddell smiling for a photograph

Rejecting the New Costs of a Free Education

Guest Blog Post by Julie Liddell

Emily delivers a tech-intentional presentation, standing in front of a powerpoint presentation.

Becoming a Tech-Intentional Family

What to Expect from a School Presentation

EdTech is a Problem. Parents Can Say No.

4 Questions to Ask your School about EdTech

Why EdTech Surveillance is Bad for Kids

bored boy looks at his computer with a blackboard behind him

The Un-Sexy (But Important) Side of Data Privacy

4 Risks Parents Should Know about EdTech and Your Child’s Data

person pointing to laptop with other watching

Guest Blog: SDKs & Why They Matter

The Wildcard Contractors in EdTech Construction by Lisa LeVasseur

A mother happily carrying a child on their back.

Guest Blog: Our First Fish Opt Out Digital Journey

A Short Story by Patti

Sylvie at school opting out of using a school-issued laptop

Being a First Fish: Opting Out of EdTech

Why It’s Hard and Why I’m Doing it Anyway

A child in a dark room on a laptop preparing for school work

What’s the Problem with EdTech?

Doesn't it help?

children interacting with screens and devices instead of socializing

Think you have a screentime problem? Start here.

A father is playing with his daughter by pushing her around on a scooter

There's No Such Thing As a Safe Smartphone For Kids

What a “phone-free” childhood should really look like

A school teacher is overwhelmed by having to manage her schoolwork using a device

The Madness of EdTech

All or Nothing Options

A smart phone with a blanked out screen meant to symbolize how phone poaches are designed to inhibit usage.

How Do We Implement "Phone Away for the Day" Schools?

If we don't trust teenagers with phones, should we trust them with phone pouches?

A mother and father are lifting their young ones by the hands through the woods on a walk.

You’re Not Alone

What We're Fighting For

Social Media and the Weaponization of Middle School Drama

Or, Why it’s One Thing to Say “No” to Social Media Before 16 and an ENTIRELY Different Reality to Enforce It

3 Trends From Parent Surveys About Technology and Parenting

What’s Getting Lost in the AI Shuffle

The Case for Teachers. Real Ones.

It’s Time to Address the Cause, Not the Symptom: School-Issued Devices

Parents, Let’s Do This!

Kindergartners playing on ipads at school

Phone-Free Schools Are Half the Solution

Away for the Day is the next right thing. But it’s not the full solution.

students smiling in hall with no phone policy sign

How an Idaho School District Adopted a Phone-Free Policy

Creating phone-free schools doesn’t have to be complicated. But it needs to be done.

How I Became The Screentime Consultant

The “Aha” moment in 2014 that started it all.

emily testified before the vermont house about S.289

My Testimony to the Vermont House in Support of S.289

Birds, Bees & Phones

“Child-Friendly” Devices Aren’t Better Than Smartphones

A better question: Why are we giving our child the device in the first place?

Cultivating Resilience

girl staring at phone with bunny in background

The Problem With AI in Education Isn’t What You Think

The Impacts of Screen-Based Technology

4 Ways Tech-Based Play Is Different From Traditional Play

family values overlaid child with screen

How Family Values Relate to Screentime

& How that Relates to Getting Locked Out of My Google Business Account

Scary Versus Dangerous: Worry About the Right Stuff

The Money is Just Too Good. Even When Kids are Dying.

Which Skills Should We Emphasize for Healthy Development?

The Evolution of Persuasive Design

Proven Strategies for Navigating Post-Screen Meltdowns

3 More Habits of the Tech-Intentional™ Family

3 Habits of the Tech-Intentional™ Family

Living Our Lives Out Loud

When “I’m Bored” Means “I Want Screentime”

When Fighting Over Foursquare Isn’t a Bad Thing

We’ve Got It Backwards. Skills Matter.

The Parenting Quadrant

5 Reasons Parental Controls Will Fail You

The most common question I receive is: “What parental controls do you recommend?”

Tech’s Secret Weapon: Persuasive Design

It turns out that we’re not bad parents.

A Child Who Thinks They Can’t Is Eventually Right

Would you let your 10-year-old walk alone to a friend’s house…without a phone?

parents freaking out when kids see something naughty

When The News is Scary and the Images Graphic

Sylvie riding her bike solo around the neighborhood

Safe? Or Surveilled? Striking the Right Balance as Parents in the Digital Age

girl looking over shoulder into distance

Middle Schoolers Don’t Need Smartphones. They Need a Childhood.

Kids are using A LOT of tech at school. Here’s what you need to know…

The Screentime Consultant with Gillian Jarvis

Guest Newsletter with Gillian Jarvis, Pediatric OT

parent with child on shoulders walking away

An Open Letter to Parents About Parental Controls

Social media and me. (If it's hard for us, it's worse for kids)

“Social Media is Bad for Kids,” According to a Kid

Save a Tween, Share a Phone

Holding Tight and Letting Go: Parenting a Teen

The Number One Question I Get Asked and How I Respond

The question I get asked the most is, “What parental controls do I need?” To the surprise of many parents, my short answer is: None.

My Teen Is In Europe and All I Get are One-Word Texts. Here's Why That's Ok.

3 Questions to Consider About When to Give Your Kid a Phone (Or For Whom the Phone Pulls)

Why I Give My Tween Permission to Be Mad at Me

“My Kid Doesn’t Use Social Media.” Yes, they do. If your kid uses YouTube or Roblox, they’re using social media.

We have to stop thinking that social media is just TikTok and Snapchat and Facebook and Instagram.

On the Minds of Middle Schoolers

Think Your Kid Won’t Get Porn in their DMs?

Think again. I got catfished on Instagram, and I’m a 45-year-old expert on screentime.

Emily speaking to children who are distracted and inclined to ignore her

Our Kids Are Listening, Even When They Roll Their Eyes.

We have to keep talking.

What Parents Need to Know About Screen Use in Schools

TL;DR: It’s complicated.

5th grade group chat history that Emily Cherkin was privy to

5 Things I Learned From 5 Days in a 5th Grade Group Chat

And Why I Remain Convinced 11-Year-Olds Should Not Have Smartphones

robot with friendly look on face at laptop

ChatGPT: What's Scary vs Dangerous

Which Parental Controls Do I Recommend? None.

Which Parental Controls Do I Recommend? None. Here Are 10 Reasons Why.

Image of little boy through glass car window

A Tech-Intentional Parenting Manifesto

crashing and breaking wave kicking up foam in the ocean

An Open Letter to Big Tech From an Outraged Parent

To the Zuckerbergs and Mosseris of the World

I’m 43. I made a fake Snapchat account pretending to be a 15-year-old. Within seconds, Snapchat’s algorithm delivered content it deemed “age appropriate.” Hardly.

No child should be fed the content I saw, by algorithm or content moderator.

Orange sunset through a bathroom window, Summer 2021. (Photo by Author)

Smoke and Tears: From 9/11 to Climate Grief

person typing on ipad with monitor in background

That Battle You’re Having With Your Kid Over Screens? It’s Not a Fair Fight. (But Here Are 3 Things Parents Can Do.)

overwhelmed child is upset. This is not sustainable 2020

This Is Not Sustainable. Parents, It Is Time To Act.

If remote learning is breaking you, here are 8 things to do.

Smokey Sun, Seattle, Sept. 12, 2020. Noon

We Can Do Hard Things

(Even when it feels like we’re damned if we do, and damned if we don’t)

Child scrolling on school-issued device Photo by StockSnap — 894430

When Your Kids See Porn on Their School-Issued Device, Guess Who Is Responsible? Hint: It’s Not the School District.

Add This To Your Fall To-Do List, Parents: Monitor Your Child’s Remote Learning Device for Porn and Violent Content. Because The School District Won’t.

How to Minimize the Misery

Five Ways to Help Your Kids Survive Remote Learning

My Son Loves His Math Teacher

(Or why remote learning alone won’t save education)

All

About Emily

Advice for Parents

Advocacy

Childhood Development

Data Privacy

EdTech

Personal Devices

Psychology & Tech

Social Media

Ok, You Got Your Kid a Smartphone or iPad...

Now what?

iPads Don’t Belong in School

6 Fallacies About EdTech and 6 Suggestions for a Tech-Intentional School Framework

Please Stop Saying Screens Help Children Regulate. They Do Not.

We are causing more harm by saying they do.

EdTech is Not Tech Ed

What So Many Get So Wrong About Technology in School and the 3 Questions We Should Be Asking

Why Opting Out of EdTech Matters Now More Than Ever

A Fight for Democracy

A.I. in the Classroom

5 Things To Consider

Should Phones Be Allowed in Schools?

3 Common Arguments Debunked

Let’s Talk About Cyberbullying

What Parents Need to Know, How it’s Different from Bullying, and What We Can Do to Help Our Kids

Rejecting the New Costs of a Free Education

Guest Blog Post by Julie Liddell

Becoming a Tech-Intentional Family

What to Expect from a School Presentation

EdTech is a Problem. Parents Can Say No.

4 Questions to Ask your School about EdTech

Why EdTech Surveillance is Bad for Kids

The Un-Sexy (But Important) Side of Data Privacy

4 Risks Parents Should Know about EdTech and Your Child’s Data

Guest Blog: SDKs & Why They Matter

The Wildcard Contractors in EdTech Construction by Lisa LeVasseur

Guest Blog: Our First Fish Opt Out Digital Journey

A Short Story by Patti

Being a First Fish: Opting Out of EdTech

Why It’s Hard and Why I’m Doing it Anyway

What’s the Problem with EdTech?

Doesn't it help?

Think you have a screentime problem? Start here.

There's No Such Thing As a Safe Smartphone For Kids

What a “phone-free” childhood should really look like

The Madness of EdTech

All or Nothing Options

How Do We Implement "Phone Away for the Day" Schools?

If we don't trust teenagers with phones, should we trust them with phone pouches?

You’re Not Alone

What We're Fighting For

Social Media and the Weaponization of Middle School Drama

Or, Why it’s One Thing to Say “No” to Social Media Before 16 and an ENTIRELY Different Reality to Enforce It

3 Trends From Parent Surveys About Technology and Parenting

What’s Getting Lost in the AI Shuffle

The Case for Teachers. Real Ones.

It’s Time to Address the Cause, Not the Symptom: School-Issued Devices

Parents, Let’s Do This!

Phone-Free Schools Are Half the Solution

Away for the Day is the next right thing. But it’s not the full solution.

How an Idaho School District Adopted a Phone-Free Policy

Creating phone-free schools doesn’t have to be complicated. But it needs to be done.

How I Became The Screentime Consultant

The “Aha” moment in 2014 that started it all.

My Testimony to the Vermont House in Support of S.289

Birds, Bees & Phones

“Child-Friendly” Devices Aren’t Better Than Smartphones

A better question: Why are we giving our child the device in the first place?

Cultivating Resilience

The Problem With AI in Education Isn’t What You Think

The Impacts of Screen-Based Technology

4 Ways Tech-Based Play Is Different From Traditional Play

How Family Values Relate to Screentime

& How that Relates to Getting Locked Out of My Google Business Account

Scary Versus Dangerous: Worry About the Right Stuff

The Money is Just Too Good. Even When Kids are Dying.

Which Skills Should We Emphasize for Healthy Development?

The Evolution of Persuasive Design

Proven Strategies for Navigating Post-Screen Meltdowns

3 More Habits of the Tech-Intentional™ Family

3 Habits of the Tech-Intentional™ Family

Living Our Lives Out Loud

When “I’m Bored” Means “I Want Screentime”

When Fighting Over Foursquare Isn’t a Bad Thing

We’ve Got It Backwards. Skills Matter.

The Parenting Quadrant

5 Reasons Parental Controls Will Fail You

The most common question I receive is: “What parental controls do you recommend?”

Tech’s Secret Weapon: Persuasive Design

It turns out that we’re not bad parents.

A Child Who Thinks They Can’t Is Eventually Right

Would you let your 10-year-old walk alone to a friend’s house…without a phone?

When The News is Scary and the Images Graphic

Safe? Or Surveilled? Striking the Right Balance as Parents in the Digital Age

Middle Schoolers Don’t Need Smartphones. They Need a Childhood.

Kids are using A LOT of tech at school. Here’s what you need to know…

Guest Newsletter with Gillian Jarvis, Pediatric OT

An Open Letter to Parents About Parental Controls

Social media and me. (If it's hard for us, it's worse for kids)

“Social Media is Bad for Kids,” According to a Kid

Save a Tween, Share a Phone

Holding Tight and Letting Go: Parenting a Teen

The Number One Question I Get Asked and How I Respond

The question I get asked the most is, “What parental controls do I need?” To the surprise of many parents, my short answer is: None.

My Teen Is In Europe and All I Get are One-Word Texts. Here's Why That's Ok.

3 Questions to Consider About When to Give Your Kid a Phone (Or For Whom the Phone Pulls)

Why I Give My Tween Permission to Be Mad at Me

“My Kid Doesn’t Use Social Media.” Yes, they do. If your kid uses YouTube or Roblox, they’re using social media.

We have to stop thinking that social media is just TikTok and Snapchat and Facebook and Instagram.

On the Minds of Middle Schoolers

Think Your Kid Won’t Get Porn in their DMs?

Think again. I got catfished on Instagram, and I’m a 45-year-old expert on screentime.

Our Kids Are Listening, Even When They Roll Their Eyes.

We have to keep talking.

What Parents Need to Know About Screen Use in Schools

TL;DR: It’s complicated.

5 Things I Learned From 5 Days in a 5th Grade Group Chat

And Why I Remain Convinced 11-Year-Olds Should Not Have Smartphones

ChatGPT: What's Scary vs Dangerous

Which Parental Controls Do I Recommend? None.

Which Parental Controls Do I Recommend? None. Here Are 10 Reasons Why.

A Tech-Intentional Parenting Manifesto

An Open Letter to Big Tech From an Outraged Parent

To the Zuckerbergs and Mosseris of the World

I’m 43. I made a fake Snapchat account pretending to be a 15-year-old. Within seconds, Snapchat’s algorithm delivered content it deemed “age appropriate.” Hardly.

No child should be fed the content I saw, by algorithm or content moderator.

Smoke and Tears: From 9/11 to Climate Grief

That Battle You’re Having With Your Kid Over Screens? It’s Not a Fair Fight. (But Here Are 3 Things Parents Can Do.)

This Is Not Sustainable. Parents, It Is Time To Act.

If remote learning is breaking you, here are 8 things to do.

We Can Do Hard Things

(Even when it feels like we’re damned if we do, and damned if we don’t)

When Your Kids See Porn on Their School-Issued Device, Guess Who Is Responsible? Hint: It’s Not the School District.

Add This To Your Fall To-Do List, Parents: Monitor Your Child’s Remote Learning Device for Porn and Violent Content. Because The School District Won’t.

How to Minimize the Misery

Five Ways to Help Your Kids Survive Remote Learning

My Son Loves His Math Teacher

(Or why remote learning alone won’t save education)

All

About Emily

Advice for Parents

Advocacy

Childhood Development

Data Privacy

EdTech

Personal Devices

Psychology & Tech

Social Media

Ok, You Got Your Kid a Smartphone or iPad...

Now what?

iPads Don’t Belong in School

6 Fallacies About EdTech and 6 Suggestions for a Tech-Intentional School Framework

Please Stop Saying Screens Help Children Regulate. They Do Not.

We are causing more harm by saying they do.

EdTech is Not Tech Ed

What So Many Get So Wrong About Technology in School and the 3 Questions We Should Be Asking

Why Opting Out of EdTech Matters Now More Than Ever

A Fight for Democracy

A.I. in the Classroom

5 Things To Consider

Should Phones Be Allowed in Schools?

3 Common Arguments Debunked

Let’s Talk About Cyberbullying

What Parents Need to Know, How it’s Different from Bullying, and What We Can Do to Help Our Kids

Rejecting the New Costs of a Free Education

Guest Blog Post by Julie Liddell

Becoming a Tech-Intentional Family

What to Expect from a School Presentation

EdTech is a Problem. Parents Can Say No.

4 Questions to Ask your School about EdTech

Why EdTech Surveillance is Bad for Kids

The Un-Sexy (But Important) Side of Data Privacy

4 Risks Parents Should Know about EdTech and Your Child’s Data

Guest Blog: SDKs & Why They Matter

The Wildcard Contractors in EdTech Construction by Lisa LeVasseur

Guest Blog: Our First Fish Opt Out Digital Journey

A Short Story by Patti

Being a First Fish: Opting Out of EdTech

Why It’s Hard and Why I’m Doing it Anyway

What’s the Problem with EdTech?

Doesn't it help?

Think you have a screentime problem? Start here.

There's No Such Thing As a Safe Smartphone For Kids

What a “phone-free” childhood should really look like

The Madness of EdTech

All or Nothing Options

How Do We Implement "Phone Away for the Day" Schools?

If we don't trust teenagers with phones, should we trust them with phone pouches?

You’re Not Alone

What We're Fighting For

Social Media and the Weaponization of Middle School Drama

Or, Why it’s One Thing to Say “No” to Social Media Before 16 and an ENTIRELY Different Reality to Enforce It

3 Trends From Parent Surveys About Technology and Parenting

What’s Getting Lost in the AI Shuffle

The Case for Teachers. Real Ones.

It’s Time to Address the Cause, Not the Symptom: School-Issued Devices

Parents, Let’s Do This!

Phone-Free Schools Are Half the Solution

Away for the Day is the next right thing. But it’s not the full solution.

How an Idaho School District Adopted a Phone-Free Policy

Creating phone-free schools doesn’t have to be complicated. But it needs to be done.

How I Became The Screentime Consultant

The “Aha” moment in 2014 that started it all.

My Testimony to the Vermont House in Support of S.289

Birds, Bees & Phones

“Child-Friendly” Devices Aren’t Better Than Smartphones

A better question: Why are we giving our child the device in the first place?

Cultivating Resilience

The Problem With AI in Education Isn’t What You Think

The Impacts of Screen-Based Technology

4 Ways Tech-Based Play Is Different From Traditional Play

How Family Values Relate to Screentime

& How that Relates to Getting Locked Out of My Google Business Account

Scary Versus Dangerous: Worry About the Right Stuff

The Money is Just Too Good. Even When Kids are Dying.

Which Skills Should We Emphasize for Healthy Development?

The Evolution of Persuasive Design

Proven Strategies for Navigating Post-Screen Meltdowns

3 More Habits of the Tech-Intentional™ Family

3 Habits of the Tech-Intentional™ Family

Living Our Lives Out Loud

When “I’m Bored” Means “I Want Screentime”

When Fighting Over Foursquare Isn’t a Bad Thing

We’ve Got It Backwards. Skills Matter.

The Parenting Quadrant

5 Reasons Parental Controls Will Fail You

The most common question I receive is: “What parental controls do you recommend?”

Tech’s Secret Weapon: Persuasive Design

It turns out that we’re not bad parents.

A Child Who Thinks They Can’t Is Eventually Right

Would you let your 10-year-old walk alone to a friend’s house…without a phone?

When The News is Scary and the Images Graphic

Safe? Or Surveilled? Striking the Right Balance as Parents in the Digital Age

Middle Schoolers Don’t Need Smartphones. They Need a Childhood.

Kids are using A LOT of tech at school. Here’s what you need to know…

Guest Newsletter with Gillian Jarvis, Pediatric OT

An Open Letter to Parents About Parental Controls

Social media and me. (If it's hard for us, it's worse for kids)

“Social Media is Bad for Kids,” According to a Kid

Save a Tween, Share a Phone

Holding Tight and Letting Go: Parenting a Teen

The Number One Question I Get Asked and How I Respond

The question I get asked the most is, “What parental controls do I need?” To the surprise of many parents, my short answer is: None.

My Teen Is In Europe and All I Get are One-Word Texts. Here's Why That's Ok.

3 Questions to Consider About When to Give Your Kid a Phone (Or For Whom the Phone Pulls)

Why I Give My Tween Permission to Be Mad at Me

“My Kid Doesn’t Use Social Media.” Yes, they do. If your kid uses YouTube or Roblox, they’re using social media.

We have to stop thinking that social media is just TikTok and Snapchat and Facebook and Instagram.

On the Minds of Middle Schoolers

Think Your Kid Won’t Get Porn in their DMs?

Think again. I got catfished on Instagram, and I’m a 45-year-old expert on screentime.

Our Kids Are Listening, Even When They Roll Their Eyes.

We have to keep talking.

What Parents Need to Know About Screen Use in Schools

TL;DR: It’s complicated.

5 Things I Learned From 5 Days in a 5th Grade Group Chat

And Why I Remain Convinced 11-Year-Olds Should Not Have Smartphones

ChatGPT: What's Scary vs Dangerous

Which Parental Controls Do I Recommend? None.

Which Parental Controls Do I Recommend? None. Here Are 10 Reasons Why.

A Tech-Intentional Parenting Manifesto

An Open Letter to Big Tech From an Outraged Parent

To the Zuckerbergs and Mosseris of the World

I’m 43. I made a fake Snapchat account pretending to be a 15-year-old. Within seconds, Snapchat’s algorithm delivered content it deemed “age appropriate.” Hardly.

No child should be fed the content I saw, by algorithm or content moderator.

Smoke and Tears: From 9/11 to Climate Grief

That Battle You’re Having With Your Kid Over Screens? It’s Not a Fair Fight. (But Here Are 3 Things Parents Can Do.)

This Is Not Sustainable. Parents, It Is Time To Act.

If remote learning is breaking you, here are 8 things to do.

We Can Do Hard Things

(Even when it feels like we’re damned if we do, and damned if we don’t)

When Your Kids See Porn on Their School-Issued Device, Guess Who Is Responsible? Hint: It’s Not the School District.

Add This To Your Fall To-Do List, Parents: Monitor Your Child’s Remote Learning Device for Porn and Violent Content. Because The School District Won’t.

How to Minimize the Misery

Five Ways to Help Your Kids Survive Remote Learning

My Son Loves His Math Teacher

(Or why remote learning alone won’t save education)

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