Apps, Attention, and Family Boundaries (8th Grader Teen Panel)

Parents, what happens after your teen opens their apps to hit play has a way of making screen time quietly take over. Four students helped Josh pull back the curtain on the part parents rarely see: the moment a normal video turns into a feed, a streak, a suggestion, and suddenly your teen is still awake, still scrolling, and everyone’s frustrated. That’s when sleep gets shorter, focus gets harder, and family conversations get tense. And the more “rules” turn into rapid-fire reminders, the more kids learn to hide instead of talk. If you want screen time boundaries that actually match what teens are up against, start here.