Raising Kids in a Wired World

PARENTreads Issue No. 3: Essays on screens, social media, and shaping healthy habits

Screens are woven into nearly every part of family life—from phones and gaming to homework and social media. This edition of PARENTreads gathers essays on the push and pull of technology: how it shapes our kids, challenges us as parents, and creates new opportunities for connection (and disconnection).

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✨ Featured Writer

At aiPTO, I helps parents raise curious, grounded kids in a rapidly changing digital world. Real talk on AI, tech, and parenting. Research-backed and always parent-first.

3 Family Talks Your Kids Need Before Using AI
73% of teens learn from social media, not parents. While unguided AI use weakens critical thinking. I share three key kid-friendly conversations to build confidence in their own thinking, teach AI basics, and set safety boundaries in this AI era.
» Read the full essay here

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🔦 Spotlight Essays

We Are Going to Have Fun, Damnit! Parenting in the Age of AI – by Megan Saxelby | Wild Feelings
Worried AI will replace your kid’s friendships? Don’t panic! Connection is the antidote. Adolescents don’t need perfect screen rules; they need to know they matter. Here’s how to build that belonging.
» Read the full essay here

Are you raising a screen junkie? – by Voodad | Household Mojo
This article uses data engineering and nutrition science to explain why we get hooked, how we learn, and how to reverse our family’s bad media habits.
» Read the full essay here

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📌 Editor’s Picks

First We Gave AI Our Tasks. Now We’re Giving It Our Hearts. - by Mandy McLean | The Signal and the Learning (guest post on After Babel)
An exploration of how social AI chatbots may shape children’s emotional development, relationships, and sense of self—and the risks they already pose.
» Read here

Cultivating Cognitive Resilience through Walled Garden Schools - by Andrew Cantarutti | The Walled Garden Education
A parent’s guide to ‘Walled Garden’ schools: how thoughtful classroom design, productive challenge, and limited tech help children build attention, deeper learning, and resilience.
» Read here

Parenting, Technology, and Co-Parenting Conflict - by Alice Diamond | The Balancing Act: Kids, Court, and Keeping It Together
A personal look at the challenges of parenting, co-parenting, and blended families in the digital age—where technology can fuel conflict or build connection.
» Read here

Raising Curious Kids in a Clickbait World - by Kevin Maguire | The New Fatherhood & Jeremy Caplan | Wonder Tools
How AI and creative tools can turn road trips, bath time, and daily parenting challenges into moments of fun, imagination, and connection.
» Read here

Rethinking Screen Time: When “No” Becomes the Real Problem - by Guild of Good Men | The Dad Edit
After months of screen time conflict, I found a system that reduced daily ‘no’ battles while protecting my children’s development without arbitrary limits.
» Read here

This New Year, Maybe Less Noise and More Shabbat - by Caroline Tell | Pray Tell
Exploring the tension between nonstop scrolling and the weekly pause of Shabbat—and how one ritual offers presence, joy, and connection for families today.
» Read here

3 Actually Relaxing Things to Do After the Kids are in Bed (No, it’s not Instagram reels) - by Jenna Jonaitis | Mamawell
Bedtime scrolling leaves us drained. These three simple practices help you feel refreshed, not guilty, after the kids are asleep.
» Read here

✨ Do you have a favorite essay on this subject? Drop it in the comments—share why it resonated and include the link so others can find it too.

PARENTreads combines editor-selected essays with a few sponsored placements that support the digest.

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