In our third episode, we are talking all things screens! We start by discussing a recent New York Times article, “Real Risk to Youth Mental Health Is ‘Addictive Use,’ Not Screen Time Alone, Study Finds.” We reminisce about memories of screen use at home and in school. We discuss our mixed feelings about school districts being 1:1 with devices for all students, recognizing the complexities of the topic. Helen brings up the idea that K-12 education needs to include more technology literacy so that students understand more about the devices they are using. We end the episode by previewing the main focus of our next episode: Jordan bringing the Wait Until 8th pledge to Morton, Illinois.

In our second episode, we are talking about some of the main points from the book that kicked off this whole podcasting journey, The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, and how childhood has shifted from play-based to phone-based. We share our first experiences with cell phones and childhood memories of play, which includes Jordan’s underground rap career and Helen’s first major playground injury. We also dive into how we see the shift towards screens affecting our students’ creativity and risk taking. We end by discussing our thoughts on whether or not students should be allowed to use personal devices in schools given the way they impact academics and social interactions.

In our first episode, we share why we decided to start a podcast together and what we each hope to accomplish. We start the episode with a dramatic text message exchange reenactment about how this podcast came to be, then we share the story of how we met. We talk about who we are as parents and our professional backgrounds as educators. Jordan discusses the impact of reading The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and how it has motivated her to take action. Together as millennial moms, we plan to share many thoughts related to technology in education and parenting—screentime, social media, mental health, and more. We hope you enjoy listening to our first episode and look forward to discussing these ever-changing topics in a meaningful and honest way.