Podcast
Screen Guardians Podcast
Hosted by Katie Longhauser · EN
Screen Guardians Podcast is your go-to resource for understanding digital wellness for kids and teens. We aim to help families take the guesswork out of screen time, apps, games, and everything in between.
It's not just about control—it's about empowerment!
Because raising kids in the digital age doesn't come with a manual, but it should come with guidance you trust.
Our episodes are designed to:
• Educate parents about the latest trends in children's digital engagement.
• Provide scientifically-backed insights on the impact of screen time.
• Offer practical strategies for building healthy digital habits.
• Address concerns with social media, gaming, online safety, and beyond.
No matter your child's age or stage, we're here to help you feel confident and informed about their digital world.
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Who's Teaching the Teachers? Screens, Phone Bans & Keeping Kids Safe — with Dr. Elizabeth Walter
3d ago00:55:43Tap to summarizeWe talk a lot about what screens are doing to kids in the classroom. But here's a question we don't ask enough: who is teaching the teachers? In this episode, host Katie sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Walter — an assistant professor at Rockhurst University who prepares the next generation of educators, a former English teacher, a mom of two elementary-age kids, and the academic vice president of her children's PTA. She lives this conversation from every angle: the lecture hall, the classroom, the dinner table, and the school board meeting. Together they unpack what teacher prep does (and doesn't) cover when it comes to technology, why "digital natives" can make a TikTok but can't double-space a document, why bell-to-bell cell phone bans may be one of the best things to happen to teachers in years, and the single most powerful thing a worried parent can do. Grounded in research, not fear. No shame, no panic — just clear eyes, real hope, and a deep belief that we can do better, because our kids are worth it.
Transcribe →How to Protect Kids Online: Are We Showing Up Too Late? (Prevention vs. Response)
2w ago00:11:13Tap to summarizeWhy prevention has to come before the message ever hits your kid's phone. What if prevention became the first layer of protection — not the second? In this solo episode of The Screen Guardians Podcast, founder Katie Longhauser walks through why we're so good at responding to harm but not as intentional about preventing it, and what that means for parents trying to figure out how to protect kids online in 2026. From a Sunday-morning church donation to the World Cup coming to Kansas City, Katie unpacks how the starting line of harm has moved — and why online safety education has to begin before the first message ever lands. In this episode: Why prevention feels invisible (and response feels urgent) How the grooming process actually starts online — and why it doesn't feel dangerous at first The cultural model we've built (harm → response → recovery) and how to expand it What real prevention looks like at the family, school, and community level Three small shifts you can make this week to protect your kids online How a Recovery Plan changes everything when a digital mistake happens Mentioned in this episode: The Parent Portal — thescreenguardians.com/parent-portal Free Parent Course — thescreenguardians.com/kids-digital-health-guide The Screen Guardians K–12 Program — thescreenguardians.com/k-12 Companion blog post: How to Protect Kids Online: Why Prevention Has to Come First If this episode resonated, share it with another parent, educator, or community leader. When we educate early, communicate often, and lead with intention, we don't just respond to problems — we prevent them. Not anti-technology. Pro-child. Subscribe to the newsletter at thescreenguardians.com/subscribe.
Transcribe →Raising Healthy Kids in a Digital Age: 3 Proven Strategies with Dr. Shreya Hessler
3w ago00:43:14Tap to summarizeYou already know the screens are an issue. You feel it in the eye rolls. You feel it in the bedtime battles. You feel it in your own thumb as you scroll one more time before sleep. Raising healthy kids in a digital age isn't about removing devices — it's about raising kids who actually know how to use them. In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Shreya Hessler returns to The Screen Guardians podcast with practical, neuroscience-backed strategies you can start tonight — without yelling, shaming, or starting World War III at the dinner table. You're not alone in this. Let's walk it together.
Transcribe →Intentional Parenting in a Digital World: 5 Proven Strategies That Build Connection with Kori Bloom
Apr 1001:01:17Tap to summarizeIf you've ever found yourself yelling "put the phone down!" while simultaneously scrolling your own device, you're not alone. Intentional parenting in a digital world is one of the biggest challenges families face today — and most of us are figuring it out as we go. On a recent episode of The Screen Guardians Podcast, host Katie Longhauser sat down with Kori Bloom — founder of Conscious Not Crazy, author of The Business of Parenting, and a mom of two teenagers — to talk about what it really looks like to lead yourself first as a parent, communicate without fear, and stay connected to your kids in a world full of devices. This conversation was packed with practical wisdom.
Transcribe →Social Media Effects on Teen Mental Health — What a Family Therapist Wants Every Parent to Know
Mar 1900:56:46Tap to summarizeIf you've ever handed your toddler a tablet just to get through dinner — or noticed your teenager retreating to their room for hours on end, scrolling and silent — you're not alone. Most of us feel it. Something is off. But connecting the dots between our kids' screens and their emotional wellbeing can feel murky, even overwhelming. In Episode 27 of the Screen Guardians Podcast, host Katie sits down with Tessa Stuckey — licensed family therapist, parenting coach, author of For the Sake of Our Youth, and founder of nonprofit Project Look Up — to talk about the social media effects on teen mental health that she's witnessed firsthand in her therapy office since 2014. What she discovered changed everything.
Transcribe →Why Digital Health Starts at Home (And How Our New Parent Portal Can Help)
Mar 500:16:27Tap to summarizeParenting kids in the digital age is incredibly hard. We are the first generation to raise children in the most digitally saturated environment in human history. With teens averaging more than seven hours of recreational screen use per day, many parents worry about sleep disruption, anxiety, and attention fragmentation. You might be wondering how to protect your kids without completely isolating them. The good news is that you do not have to figure it out alone. Kids Digital Health Hub and Screen Guardians have officially launched our Parent Portal. In this guide, we will show you how this digital library equips you with the knowledge to create a safe digital home. https://kidsdigitalhealthhub.com/parent-portal-digital-health-at-home/
Transcribe →Digital Detox for Emotional Resilience: Lessons from a University Course with Dr. Shreya Hessler
Feb 2400:41:09Tap to summarizeIn an era where our lives are intertwined with screens, the concept of a digital detox has emerged as both a necessity and a revelation. Have you ever wondered how stepping away from your devices might reshape your emotional landscape? This is the journey that students at Loyola University embarked on, guided by the insightful Dr. Shreya Hessler. Her groundbreaking course, "Digital Detox: Doing Nothing and Doing Well," challenges the status quo, offering students a chance to reconnect with themselves and their peers in meaningful ways. Join us as we explore how this innovative approach is cultivating emotional resilience, redefining engagement in a screen-saturated world, and uncovering the profound benefits of intentionally unplugging. https://kidsdigitalhealthhub.com/digital-detox-for-emotional-resilience/
Transcribe →A superintendent's honest take: Why screen education matters more than ever
Feb 1200:29:54Tap to summarizeAn in-depth conversation with a veteran superintendent on why digital safety isn't optional—and how a rural Kansas district is leading by example. When I first sat down with Paul Larkin, superintendent of Syracuse USD 494 in Western Kansas, I wasn't expecting a conversation that would stay with me for days. There was no script. No sweeping rhetoric. Just truth—clear, steady, and hard-won. Paul has served in public education for more than 30 years—as a teacher, coach, principal, and now as superintendent for nearly a decade. He's seen technology arrive and evolve in classrooms. He remembers the time before cell phones. He was there when the "one-to-one device" model was first celebrated as a tool for equity. And now? Now, he's watching kids fall asleep in class after scrolling on school-issued devices until 3 a.m. Now, he's listening to kindergarten teachers say: "We're done—we don't want iPads in our classrooms anymore." Now, he worries—not because he's anti-tech, but because he's honest about what's happening. Full shownotes - https://kidsdigitalhealthhub.com/digital-safety-in-schools/
Transcribe →Supporting anxious kids in a digital world: why education—not restriction—is the real answer
Feb 200:47:06Tap to summarizeIn a world where likes and comments feel like lifelines, where digital conversations unfold faster than emotions can catch up, our kids are navigating a reality we never had to. If you've ever wondered why your child seems more anxious than you were at their age—or why they retreat behind a screen when the world feels too much—you're not alone. We recently sat down with licensed professional counselor Morgan Lee for an honest conversation about what anxiety looks like in today's youth, how technology is part of the picture, and what parents can do to help. This episdode is grounded in that conversation, gently unpacking some of the most pressing mental health concerns facing families today. And maybe most importantly—it's a reminder that none of us are doing this alone. https://kidsdigitalhealthhub.com/kids-anxiety-and-screen-time-what-helps/
Transcribe →A New Page for Our Kids: What Bell-to-Bell Phone-Free Schools Might Offer Them—And Us
Jan 2300:44:33Tap to summarizeI want to start with a story. Not one from my childhood—but from today. Last week, I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a group of parents, educators, and advocates at the Kansas State Capitol. It wasn't a polished, pretty press moment. It was real and gritty—honest words in wood-paneled hearing rooms, the air thick with both urgency and hope. In front of lawmakers, we made the case for something simple, but increasingly rare: classroom spaces where kids can learn, connect, and grow without the constant hum of a phone in their pocket. That's the heart of Senate Bill 302 here in Kansas—a bill that supports bell-to-bell phone-free school days. And in this week's episode of The Screen Guardians Podcast, I had the honor of discussing this moment, and the bigger movement it belongs to, with my friend and fellow advocate, Kim Whitman. Kim isn't just a voice in this space—she's a leader. She's helped launch the Phone-Free Schools Movement, co-leads the nonprofit Smartphone Free Childhood U.S., and is helping districts and families across the country imagine something better: schools where real connection and real learning take priority. https://kidsdigitalhealthhub.com/bell-to-bell-phone-free-schools-report/
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