Parenting in the Screen Age – The Screenagers Podcast
Episode: Screen Time Solutions from the AAP's Leading Experts on Kids, Screens & Social Media
Host: Delaney Ruston, MD
Guests: Dr. Megan Moreno & Dr. Jenny Radesky
Date: March 9, 2026
Episode Overview
In this episode, Dr. Delaney Ruston speaks with Dr. Megan Moreno and Dr. Jenny Radesky—leading pediatricians and founding leaders of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. The conversation focuses on effective screen time management, the latest research on digital media’s impact on youth emotional health, practical parenting tips, and an introduction to the Center’s family-friendly resources.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. How the Experts Got Started in the Field
- Dr. Megan Moreno’s Origin Story
- Began as an adolescent medicine fellow (2005–2008), encountering the early rise of MySpace.
- Noted both empowering and harmful impacts: "I heard stories about how it was helping some of my patients who were homeless to find healthcare and find shelter by using information that youth were sharing with each other on MySpace. And I also heard some awful stories about youth who were being seen for chronic stomachaches because they had been bullied on MySpace." (03:07)
- Dr. Jenny Radesky’s Entry Point
- Focused on parent-child relational health, joining the field as technology began to permeate home life.
- Noted "how parents’ stress...affects how kids develop," and how devices were "invading those spaces." (02:22, 02:50)
2. Technology as a Calming Tool: What the Science Says
- Using Screens for Emotional Regulation
- Dr. Radesky documented that parents of highly dysregulated kids (ADHD, trauma, autism) often use screens to calm children.
- "If you have a little screen that instantly makes them quiet, that can be so reinforcing for both the parent and the child." (03:39)
- Her research found that heavy reliance on screens to soothe kids correlates with "worse emotional reactivity over time," especially in boys and kids with "surgent temperaments." (04:56)
- Over-reliance on digital distraction can mean missing out on teaching kids coping skills for life’s emotional ups and downs.
3. Practical Parenting Interventions and Alternatives
- Preventive Strategies
- Establish "clear boundaries around where the iPad or phone can be used so that there's a time and a place for that technology." (05:45)
- For younger kids, use "a consistent time of day" for screen use to develop healthy routines.
- Parents should focus on self-calming and view difficult moments as learning opportunities: "First try to stay calm yourself...This is a learning moment." (06:23)
- Use the "watch, wait and wonder" approach—try to understand underlying needs before reacting. (06:54)
- Emotion Coaching Tools
- Label emotional states with non-judgmental language—"I like using color zones. There's this great curriculum called Zones of Regulation..." (08:10)
- E.g., "You're in the red zone. We're going to go to our calm down spot instead of saying, 'You're acting crazy. What is wrong with you?'" (08:30)
4. The Family Media Plan: Customizable, Flexible, and Empowers Families
- Overview
- The AAP Family Media Plan is a free, online, customizable tool: "It breaks down rules and guidelines into key categories so that families can hopefully personalize and customize what's going to work for them." (09:03)
- Categories include screen-free zones (e.g., living room), allowed times, device storage, and more.
- The plan is "not meant to be static" and should be updated as family needs change, e.g., summer break or vacations. (09:55)
- Emphasis on choosing a few priority rules rather than trying to maintain an overwhelming list (10–15 rules may be too many).
- "Pick a few key rules and guidelines...not feel like more is better." (11:10)
5. Dynamic Problem Solving & Real-Life Scenarios
- Dr. Radesky emphasizes that the "tech world is moving so fast" and families need "dynamic problem solving." (12:14)
- Example: Managing gaming time for a 6-year-old—working together to develop a schedule, allowing flexibility but maintaining clear boundaries (no gaming before bed). (13:40)
- Beyond restriction: "It's also about providing other opportunities that help with emotional growth and physical health," like sleep, undistracted homework, outdoor play, and offline socialization. (13:18)
6. Essential Family House Rules and Rituals
- Device-Free Family Mealtime
- Dr. Moreno’s top recommendation for teens: “Family meal time that doesn't involve people doing other work or checking other devices...It's shown to be protective for mental health and mental wellbeing.” (14:41)
- Family dinners help kids "feel seen by their parents," support sibling interaction, and connect with cultural and family traditions.
- For Younger Kids: Content Matters
- Dr. Radesky: “Being really choosy about content that is created thoughtfully by someone who understands kids…not AI, is a writer, is a producer, is someone who's really cared to tell a good story or send a meaningful message.” (16:29)
- Promote family movie nights and selectively curated screen content.
7. The AAP Center of Excellence Q & A Portal
- Open to parents, teachers, clinicians, and youth; submit any tech/screen/social media question.
- "We assign it to one of our two research teams...do a deep literature dive...and then we formulate our answer based on that existing knowledge and evidence." (18:14)
- Answers are published and archived by topic and age group, and families can use them as discussion starters.
- Turnaround for answers: about two weeks.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On using screens to calm children:
- Dr. Radesky: "If you have a little screen that instantly makes them quiet, that can be so reinforcing for both the parent and the child." (03:39)
- On emotional development:
- Dr. Radesky: "If we are over relying on technology to quiet down child behavior, it can lead to not building the other skills that really help us cope with the ups and downs of emotions." (05:13)
- On media rules:
- Dr. Moreno: "Pick a few key rules and guidelines that everybody knows what they are, everybody knows how they're supposed to be followed and not feel like more is better." (11:10)
- On device-free meals:
- Dr. Moreno: "Family meal time that doesn't involve people doing other work or checking other devices... It's shown to be protective for mental health and mental well-being." (14:41)
- On quality of content:
- Dr. Radesky: "Being really choosy about content that is created thoughtfully by someone who understands kids...not AI, is a writer, is a producer, is someone who's really cared to tell a good story or send a meaningful message." (16:29)
Important Timestamps
- 00:03 — Introduction of guests & episode theme
- 01:30 — Dr. Moreno’s background & early internet observations
- 02:22 — Dr. Radesky’s entry into the field
- 03:18 — Tech as a calming intervention; research findings
- 05:45 — Practical alternatives to handing over a device
- 09:03 — The AAP Family Media Plan explained
- 12:14 — Dynamic problem-solving for families
- 14:41 — The importance of device-free family meals
- 16:00 — The significance of curated content for kids
- 18:14 — How to use the Center of Excellence’s Q&A portal
Resources Mentioned
- AAP Family Media Plan: Search “AAP Family Media Plan” or visit AAP’s website.
- Center of Excellence Q&A Portal: For parents, clinicians, youth—submit and read evidence-based answers.
- Zones of Regulation curriculum: Tool for teaching children about emotions (zonesofregulation.com).
- Screenagers Films & Discussion Materials: screenagersmovie.com
Final Takeaways
This episode offered science-backed, compassionate advice for families navigating kids’ relationships with screens. The guests underscored the need for proactive rules, open communication, routine reassessment, and maintaining offline family rituals like meals and media co-viewing. Their resources—the customizable Family Media Plan and the expert Q&A portal—are highlighted as practical, accessible tools for any family seeking clarity in the digital age.