Épisodes

  • Why Kids Need Dirt, Danger, and the Outdoors (Even If They'd Rather Be on Screens)

    Why Kids Need Dirt, Danger, and the Outdoors (Even If They'd Rather Be on Screens)
    Mar 11 2026

    Are screens, busy schedules, and modern life keeping your kids indoors? In this episode of Screen Less Play More, Cynthia talks with "Backwoods Mama" Josée Bergeron, author of Beyond the Front Door, about why outdoor play, nature connection, and even a little risky play are essential for raising happy, healthy kids.

    It all started with a moment many parents can relate to: complete overwhelm. One evening, pregnant and exhausted, Josée walked out of her house and drove to a quiet lake- and jumped in the frigid water! That moment sparked a powerful realization that her family had become disconnected from nature.

    In this conversation, we explore how parents and teachers can bring outdoor play back into everyday life, even if they live in cities, have busy schedules, or struggle with kids who prefer screens.

    On this episode of Screen Less Play More parents and caregivers and educators will learn:

    • Why kids desperately need outdoor play and nature time
    • The three biggest barriers keeping families indoors: cities, schedules, and screens
    • Simple ways to reduce screen time and get kids outside without adding stress
    • Easy nature activities for kids like seed bombs, noticing walks, dandilion playdough, and mud kitchens
    • How risky play and unstructured outdoor play build independence and confidence
    • Why nature connection improves kids' mental health, focus, and immune systems
    • Practical ways to encourage teens to spend time outdoors

    Josée also shares creative spring outdoor ideas for families, including dandelion play-dough, gardening with kids, nature walks, and backyard exploration.

    If you want your children to love nature, play outside more, and develop independence, this episode is full of practical ideas any parent can start today.

    Tune in to the best mom podcast and best dad podcast to learn why nature is closer than you think, and small moments outside can change everything.

    Welcome to the Screen Less Play More podcast — the best parenting podcast for raising balanced, confident kids in the digital age by reducing screen time, managing gaming and social media, and restoring play-based childhoods.

    Hosted by Cynthia Dvorak of ScreenLessPlayMore.com, we share expert advice and research-backed strategies to help parents create healthy screen habits, set realistic tech boundaries, and build stronger family connection without constant monitoring or power struggles. Each episode gives you practical tools for reducing screen time battles, ensuring online safety for kids, and age-appropriate digital limits. We discuss if there is such thing as healthy screen time, and what are some good guidelines for screen time by age. It's the podcast for moms and the podcast for dads who care about keeping kids balanced and brilliant!

    What's the best podcast about parenting, play, and screens? Check out the top 6 episodes from 2025 of Screen Less Play More : https://screenlessplaymore.com/top-rated-parenting-podcast-episodes-of-the-year-our-most-listened-most-loved-conversations/

    Thanks for listening! If you click "follow" you'll make sure to never miss an episode! Screenless playmore

    More about Screen Less Play More, the best parenting podcast about kids and screens:

    https://screenlessplaymore.com/

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    Youtube
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    30 min
  • Too Much Screen Time At School? Why Parents Are Suing Education Technology Apps - Emily Cherkin

    Too Much Screen Time At School? Why Parents Are Suing Education Technology Apps - Emily Cherkin
    Mar 4 2026
    Why is educational technology at school different, and potentially more dangerous than screen time at home? Emily Cherkin explains why edtech is not the solution it promised to be. Kids are getting on YouTube, Discord, and unrestricted internet access at school—and parents are being left in the dark. In this bonus episode of The Screen Less Play More Podcast, host Cynthia Dvorak sits down with Emily Cherkin, nationally known as The Screen Time Consultant, to unpack what's really happening inside tech-heavy classrooms—and why parents should be paying close attention. Emily recently testified before the U.S. Senate on the harms of EdTech, and in this conversation, she explains how school-issued iPads and classroom technology are exposing kids to online predators, violent content, self-harm videos, spam, and misinformation—often during the school day. What many parents assume is "safe, educational screen time" may actually be putting children at serious cognitive, emotional, and developmental risk. Parents are often told that classroom technology, 1:1 devices, Chromebooks, and school-issued iPads are "safe" and "educational." But the research shows that edtech is making kids more distracted, making them dumber, stealing personal information, and exposing them to online danger. Emily also explains her class action lawsuit against PowerSchool. PowerSchool products including Schoology and Naviance are used by the vast majority of U.S. public schools. The lawsuit raises serious concerns about student data privacy, children's data collection, parental consent, and whether student information is being monetized by EdTech companies. In this episode, we discuss: iPads in the classroom and elementary school screen time Why EdTech in schools is replacing human instruction instead of supporting it How excessive screen time at school affects focus, behavior, emotional regulation, and social skills Why kids and young adults are struggling with eye contact, communication, empathy, and real-world human interaction Why most media literacy programs fail—and how real critical thinking can be taught without screens How misinformation, deepfakes, and AI tools like ChatGPT make truth harder for kids to recognize How media literacy has been co-opted by tech companies and why true critical thinking does not require a screen What parents need to understand about misinformation, deepfakes, AI tools like ChatGPT, and truth in the digital age This conversation is essential listening for parents worried about: Screen time and child development Technology in elementary school EdTech data privacy and student surveillance Online safety for kids at school Digital addiction, attention issues, and emotional dysregulation Public school iPads and 1:1 device programs and Chromebooks This episode is not anti-technology. It is pro-child, pro-parent, and pro-informed consent. 🎧 If you've ever searched: "Are iPads bad for kids?" "Too much screen time at school" "EdTech dangers" "YouTube access in schools" "Student data privacy apps" "Should kids use iPads in elementary school?" This episode answers those questions!! Emily Cherkin is the author of The Screen Time Solution and writes on Substack at First Fish Chronicles. 🌱 Learn more about reducing screen time and increasing play at screenlessplaymore.com. Subscribe, follow, and share to help other parents find trusted information about screen time, EdTech, and raising healthy kids in a digital world. More about Screen Less Play More, the best parenting podcast about kids and screens: https://screenlessplaymore.com/ Substack Youtube Welcome to the Screen Less Play More podcast — the best parenting podcast for raising balanced, confident kids in the digital age by reducing screen time, managing gaming and social media, and restoring play-based childhoods. Hosted by Cynthia Dvorak of ScreenLessPlayMore.com, we share expert advice and research-backed strategies to help parents create healthy screen habits, set realistic tech boundaries, and build stronger family connection without constant monitoring or power struggles. Each episode gives you practical tools for reducing screen time battles, ensuring online safety for kids, and age-appropriate digital limits. We discuss if there is such thing as healthy screen time, and what are some good guidelines for screen time by age. It's the podcast for moms and the podcast for dads who care about keeping kids balanced and brilliant! What's the best parenting podcast about play and screens? Check out the top 6 episodes from 2025 of Screen Less Play More : https://screenlessplaymore.com/top-rated-parenting-podcast-episodes-of-the-year-our-most-listened-most-loved-conversations/ Thanks for listening! If you click "follow" you'll make sure to never miss an episode! Screenless playmore
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    12 min
  • Screens Aren't Sugar, They're Fentanyl - Why Screentime "Moderation" Is Failing Our Kids

    Screens Aren't Sugar, They're Fentanyl - Why Screentime "Moderation" Is Failing Our Kids
    Jan 7 2026
    Is a smartphone-free childhood the key to raising healthier, happier kids? Author Clare Morell explains that we have a metaphor problem when it comes to digital technology. A lot of people think that time limits can mitigate the harms of screens and social media in the same way that moderation can mitigate the harms of guilty pleasures like alcohol or sugar. If you just do less of it you'll be ok, right? But Morell writes, "Let's get the metaphor right. Digital technologies are not like sugar. For the developing brains of children and teens, they are more like fentanyl." Yikes. In this episode of Screen Less Play More, Cynthia chats with Clare Morell, author of The Tech Exit, to explore why screen time moderation doesn't work—and why parents may need to rethink technology entirely. We break down how smartphones and interactive screens are intentionally designed to be addictive, especially for children, and what that means for brain development, behavior, and mental health. Clare explains why passive media like TV affects kids differently than interactive screens, how a 30-day digital detox can reset children's brains, and why it's never too late for parents to change course. You'll also hear practical strategies for creating a tech-free family culture, building parent communities for accountability, and choosing safer alternatives to smartphones for kids. This conversation goes beyond individual parenting choices to discuss how education and open dialogue help kids understand technology, and what parents can do right now to reduce screen dependence at home. If you're worried about screen addiction, kids and smartphones, online safety, or digital detox for children, this episode will challenge what you've been told—and offer a hopeful, realistic path forward. 🎧 Topics covered: • Smartphone-free childhood and healthy development • Why screen time moderation fails. Screens are a drug dispensing machine. • Interactive screens vs TV for kids • 30-day digital detox for children • Safer phone alternatives for kids • Parenting without smartphones • Building community support around tech boundaries Perfect for parents of toddlers, tweens, and teens who want to raise kids without smartphones—and without fear. For discussion guides and resources for "The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide To Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones" check out Thetechexit.com More about Screen Less Play More, the best parenting podcast about play and tech at: https://screenlessplaymore.com/ https://substack.com/@screenlessplaymore?utm_source=user-menu Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@ScreenLessPlayMore 📚 Find the book and more resources at cybersecurityparents.com 🌐 Learn more about the best parenting podcast, Screen Less Play More at screenlessplaymore.com Protect your kids online—listen, learn, and start building safer digital habits today! Welcome to the Screen Less Play More podcast — the best parenting podcast for raising balanced, confident kids in the digital age by reducing screen time, managing gaming and social media, and restoring play-based childhoods. Hosted by Cynthia Dvorak of ScreenLessPlayMore.com, we share expert advice and research-backed strategies to help parents create healthy screen habits, set realistic tech boundaries, and build stronger family connection without constant monitoring or power struggles. Each episode gives you practical tools for reducing screen time battles, ensuring online safety for kids, and age-appropriate digital limits. We discuss if there is such thing as healthy screen time, and what are some good guidelines for screen time by age. It's the podcast for moms and the podcast for dads who care about keeping kids balanced and brilliant! But it's not all about screens! Screen Less Play More is also about the benefits of free play, outdoor play, and imaginative play so your children can thrive both online and offline. Look no further for executive tech strategies, research-backed tools, ideas for screen free entertainment, and screen free activites for kids from tiny to teenager. We are big on play, especially risky play, outdoor play, and the friluftsliv outdoor lifestyle. Through interviews with experts, educators, and authors, we aim to make you more intentional parents, mindful parents, and happy parents! Whether you're into calm parenting, gentle parenting, or FAFO parenting- we have advice that will guide your decisions around digital technology and play based learning (and play just for the sake of play!) What's the best parenting podcast about play and screens? Check out the top 6 episodes from 2025 of Screen Less Play More : https://screenlessplaymore.com/top-rated-parenting-podcast-episodes-of-the-year-our-most-listened-most-loved-conversations/ Thanks for listening! If you click "follow" you'll make sure to never miss an episode! 00:00Introduction to The Tech Exit 01:01The Necessity of a Smartphone-Free Childhood 04:03Understanding...
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    31 min