
Hosted by Melanie Hempe, BSN · EN
After her oldest son, Adam, dropped out of college due to his video game addiction, Melanie Hempe, BSN, put her nursing degree and training from Emory University to good use and founded ScreenStrong. It’s her mission to create educational programs for kids and parents so no one will experience the pain of screen addiction. Her ability to simplify medical science and provide practical solutions for families has allowed her to share her passion and bold screen solutions nationally. ScreenStrong has won the hearts of many families who are preventing and reversing childhood screen conflicts and addiction.
Host of the popular weekly ScreenStrong Families Podcast, Melanie has been featured in Psychology Today, Thrive-Global, The Wall Street Journal, A&E Network, CBS, CNN, NPR, the documentary Screened Out, and various news and television outlets. Her ScreenStrong Kids’ Brains and Screens Courses are available for parents and students. Her four books include, “Kids’ Brains & Screens: A ScreenStrong Student Course,” “Will Your Gamer Survive College?” “Can Your Teen Survive—and Thrive—Without a Smartphone?” and “The ScreenStrong Solution: How to Free Your Child from Addictive Screen Habits.”

Today, Melanie answers YOUR questions about toxic screen use—video games, social media, pornography—screen use in school, and offers encouragement to make the best screen choices for your family.Support the showDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong! Get your copy of the BRAND NEW Adventures of Super Brain book! Start your ScreenStrong Journey today! Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products. Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador! ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount) Production Team: Host: Melanie Hempe Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

Melanie is joined once again by Dr. Adriana Stacey to discuss the dangerous combination of smartphones and sleepovers, and how to navigate childhood activities while still living the ScreenStrong Lifestyle. Support the showDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong! Get your copy of the BRAND NEW Adventures of Super Brain book! Start your ScreenStrong Journey today! Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products. Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador! ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount) Production Team: Host: Melanie Hempe Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

Today, Melanie is joined by ScreenStrong mom, Mary Laird Garrison, to discuss screen tips for young children, being intentional with screen time, and encouraging parents to put down their own devices and live out the ScreenStrong Lifestyle for their kids.Support the showDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong! Get your copy of the BRAND NEW Adventures of Super Brain book! Start your ScreenStrong Journey today! Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products. Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador! ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount) Production Team: Host: Melanie Hempe Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

In today’s episode, Mandee Hamann welcomes Gretchen Heinen, a mom of three, multi-entrepreneur, and creator of Dreams Over Screens, a 5-day challenge to reduce screens for adults in business. Gretchen shares her ScreenStrong story of overcoming “blind spots” when it came to screen use by her own kids and how screens used to influence her family’s culture and habits.Join Gretchen as she takes us on the journey of changing her family culture and habits by implementing a ScreenStrong lifestyle. You’ll find inspiration in how she used the ScreenStrong Families Podcast as a way to educate her family and introduce the science and health risks associated with the overuse of screens… which led to her family taking The ScreenStrong Challenge. Gretchen and her family are now about three months into their ScreenStrong lifestyle, and she is so excited to share all of this with you. If this episode inspires you to share your struggles and accomplishments in your family’s journey, we invite you to email us and let us know today!Support the showDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong! Get your copy of the BRAND NEW Adventures of Super Brain book! Start your ScreenStrong Journey today! Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products. Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador! ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount) Production Team: Host: Melanie Hempe Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

Happy New Year!To kick off our fourth season, Melanie Hempe reviews her observations from the holiday season and gives helpful tips for parents who are reconsidering screen time in their home. She also reviews ScreenStrong's bold message and core values to give your family the best chance for success in 2022.Support the showDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong! Get your copy of the BRAND NEW Adventures of Super Brain book! Start your ScreenStrong Journey today! Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products. Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador! ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount) Production Team: Host: Melanie Hempe Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

Join Melanie in Part 2 of her conversation with Dr. Richard Freed, author of our book of the month, Wired Child. Dr. Freed is a practicing Clinical Psychologist and supervisor studying the effects of technology on children and speaking on parenting in the age of digital technology. He is also on the advisory board of ScreenStrong and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood's Children's Screen Time Action Network, and a contributor to the Huffington Post. In this episode, Dr. Freed introduces solutions and what to watch out for in your elementary through high school age children. Dr. Freed describes the two characteristics of authoritative parenting, which science backs as the best way to parent your children. Melanie and Dr. Freed discuss how technology displaces the family bonds, and thus, the primary solution is to bring your child back to the family and away from toxic technology use. He discusses how dependency on screens can look for children in elementary, middle, and high school, and what problems or issues that arise and are red flags to parents. This episode touches on gender differences in technology use, extrinsic versus intrinsic motivators, and suggestions on how to replace screens with a focus on family and community.Support the showDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong! Get your copy of the BRAND NEW Adventures of Super Brain book! Start your ScreenStrong Journey today! Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products. Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador! ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount) Production Team: Host: Melanie Hempe Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

Dr. Richard Freed, author of our book of the month, Wired Child, is a practicing Clinical Psychologist and supervisor studying the effects of technology on children. He is on the advisory board of ScreenStrong as well as a contributor to many publications.In part 1 of 2 interviews, Melanie and Richard share a passionate conversation about the lies and myths being promoted by the tech industry and how it has manipulated the way we have parented over the last 15+ years. They discuss how under the guise of “empowerment” and “getting ahead,” the tech industry sold us myths that we grabbed hold of and continue to cling to as technology exploded with popularity in our culture. In actuality, the effects of toxic screen use and media exposure is constantly undermining the two most important factors in our children’s well-being: family connections and school engagement. This episode is one that you will want to listen to at least twice and inspire you to join us in reading Dr. Fred’s book, Wired Child: Reclaiming Childhood in a Digital Age. Stay tuned for Part 2 when Melanie and Richard talk about solutions. Support the showDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong! Get your copy of the BRAND NEW Adventures of Super Brain book! Start your ScreenStrong Journey today! Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products. Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador! ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount) Production Team: Host: Melanie Hempe Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

In an online seminar, Melanie discusses how to reduce problematic screen use when learning from home.Support the showDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong! Get your copy of the BRAND NEW Adventures of Super Brain book! Start your ScreenStrong Journey today! Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products. Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador! ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount) Production Team: Host: Melanie Hempe Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

Jessica Ludlow joins Melanie Hempe to share the most recent events in her journey to becoming a ScreenStrong Family.Support the showDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong! Get your copy of the BRAND NEW Adventures of Super Brain book! Start your ScreenStrong Journey today! Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products. Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador! ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount) Production Team: Host: Melanie Hempe Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin

Melanie interviews George Lynn, co-author of "Breaking the Trance," our January pick for the ScreenStrong Book Club.Get your physical or eBook copies of Breaking the Trance and read along with us!Support the showDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong! Get your copy of the BRAND NEW Adventures of Super Brain book! Start your ScreenStrong Journey today! Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products. Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador! ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount) Production Team: Host: Melanie Hempe Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin