The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Episode: 1KHO 664: Screens Make Dreams and Talents Die | Mike McLeod, The Executive Function Playbook
Date: December 30, 2025
Host: Ginny (“Jenny”) Yurich
Guest: Mike McLeod, Author/Speech Language Pathologist

Episode Overview

This episode explores the profound impact of screens on children's executive function, mental health, and development—particularly for kids with ADHD. Host Ginny Yurich sits down with Mike McLeod, author of The Executive Function Playbook, to unpack contemporary misconceptions about ADHD, the essential skills kids build through play, and why technology—especially addictive, internet-connected screens—is at the root of a growing youth crisis. The discussion blends evidence-based insight, actionable advice, and hopeful encouragement: reclaiming childhood and independence through real-world experience, less tech, and more imagination.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mike McLeod’s Backstory & Motivation

(03:05 - 08:05)

• Personal Experience with ADHD

  • McLeod, diagnosed late, struggled with undiagnosed ADHD as a child in the 1990s—left without accessible supports or information.

  • Early teaching aspirations and direct work in residential treatment facilities shaped his awareness of what kids truly need: skills for life, not just academics.

    "I realized very quickly there’s literally nothing out there ... there’s no playbook, if you will, for these parents on how to raise these kids."
    — Mike McLeod (06:59)

• The ‘Grow Now’ Model

  • Developed to address missing resources for ADHD children and families—focus on internal skill-building, not just therapy revolving around quick-fixes.

2. Redefining & Understanding ADHD

(08:05 - 12:41)

• ADHD is NOT a Gift (Despite Social Media Trends)

  • Warns against “cute” TikTok/Instagram narratives.

  • ADHD is hereditary, serious, and should not be trivialized as universal or quirky.

    "You might be addicted to your phone ... doesn't mean you have ADHD. It's serious, it's hereditary, and it's tied to a lot of really negative, scary outcomes."
    — Mike McLeod (10:00)

• ADHD as an Executive Function Disorder

  • The real deficit is in executive functioning: the ability to self-regulate and self-motivate (not just attention or hyperactivity).

  • These difficulties reverberate into adult life: job loss, substance abuse, relationship struggle, even early death.

    "It's not attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is functioning developmental disorder or developmental delay. It is all about the executive functioning system."
    — Mike McLeod (12:41)

3. Executive Functions Explained: The Real Skills for Success

(12:41 - 21:03)

• Misconceptions

  • Executive function skills = life success predictors (not GPA or IQ).

  • Schools focus on testable subjects, but ignore the “curriculum” of experience and play.

    "Executive functioning is not your IQ... It is your ability to self-regulate and self-motivate towards non-preferred and non-instantly gratifying tasks."
    — Mike McLeod (13:20)

• Experience—Not Instruction—Drives EF Development

  • Outdoor, unstructured play is the “original executive functioning curriculum.”
  • Modern childhood is “incompatible with thriving”—kids lack real-world experiences.

4. Nonverbal and Verbal Working Memory

(15:42 - 23:44)

• Foundational Executive Functions

  • Nonverbal Working Memory: Visual imagery, making “mental movies,” using hindsight & foresight.

    • Kids with ADHD tend to be “time blind,” focused on the now, unable to learn from the past or plan ahead.

  • Verbal Working Memory: Inner speech, self-talk—crucial for self-coaching and regulation.

    • Many ADHD struggles stem from deficits here.

    "The foundation to all executive functions is the weakness and the disconnect in nonverbal and verbal working memory."
    — Mike McLeod (15:45)

• Brain Coach Concept

  • Parents must help children build, not replace, their internal “brain coach.”

  • Visual prompts (pictures, schedules) are far more effective than endless verbal reminders.

    "The number one tip in all parenting is language makes dysregulation worse... We want to replace verbal prompting with visual prompts."
    — Mike McLeod (21:05)

5. Screens: The ‘Experience Killers’

(24:30 - 29:25)

• ‘Dangerous and Addictive’ Screens

  • List: online video games, YouTube, social media, smartphones/tablets, VR, Alexa.
  • TV and retro video games are less problematic (weren’t immersive or internet-linked).

• The Addiction & the Parental ‘Fear’ Response

  • Most parents’ intense anxiety over removing screens is a key sign of their child’s addiction.

  • Screens supplant real-world experiences, fueling depression, anxiety, social withdrawal.

    "Never before has there been a product that literally has mountains and mountains of evidence about how horrible it is, and we continue every single day to turn a blind eye towards it..."
    — Mike McLeod (26:18)

• False Notions of ‘Tech Preparedness’

  • The push for early tech use (to help kids “fit in” or “prepare for the future”) is a harmful myth—especially when the ultra-wealthy restrict screen time for their own kids.

6. Mental Imagery, Reading, and Boredom

(31:28 - 35:55)

• Screen Time Steals the Imagination

  • Many young people struggle to visualize what they read—“no mental imagery”—a symptom of constant screen engagement.

  • Boredom and unstructured play are essential for developing imagination and executive function.

    "Screens are stealing our boredom. So we don't have to use our imagination... We need to get back to play and boredom and executive functions if we want our kids to be literate."
    — Mike McLeod (33:00–35:55)

• Writing and AI Shortcuts

  • Writing is slow, non-instantly gratifying—thus exceptionally hard for kids raised on instant dopamine from screens.

  • ChatGPT and similar tech short-circuit opportunities to develop critical skills.

    "Nothing about writing is instantly gratifying... Here's the tricky part. Now ChatGPT can write your paper for you."
    — Jenny Yurich (35:55)

7. Educational Technology & School Policy Frustrations

(37:40 - 41:39)

• EdTech’s Inappropriate Reach—Especially for Young Children

  • Laptops/iPads in early grades are harmful and unnecessary—McLeod urges parents to fight back at the school board level.

  • Key: kids with learning differences may use computers, but not with internet or endless distractions.

    “I just put up a post today about how ed tech has to go and I already have 30 angry messages... Okay, have a computer. It doesn't need connection to the internet.” — Mike McLeod (37:47)

8. The Myth of Homework & Grades

(41:39 - 43:00)

• Childhood Should Center on Real Experience, Not Homework

  • Host shares story: her son, homeschooled with zero tests/homework/grades, excels in dual-enrollment college classes.

  • Research shows homework has minimal impact on later success; executive function matters most.

    “I would like to announce that our children have done zero homework and are successfully doing college courses.”
    — Jenny Yurich (48:56)

• School Shouldn’t Colonize Family Life

  • Advocate for “no-homework” or “homework outside the home” policies—get creative, get it out of the living room!
  • Encourage teachers and administrators to emphasize growth, not busywork.

9. How Screens Change Children—And Reclaiming Control

(43:00 - 50:31)

• Pre-Phone vs. Post-Phone Kids

  • Parents can identify two distinct “versions” of their children: before and after getting a smartphone.

  • Removing screens can restore former traits and abilities, despite initial “withdrawal.” All families who’ve eliminated screens report it’s worth it.

    “Think to yourself, can you think of two different versions of your child—before the phone and after the phone?... You can get rid of that phone and get your child back.”
    — Mike McLeod (45:55)

10. Strategies for Breaking Out of the ‘Vortex’

(50:31 - 54:34)

• Argument Vortex, Negotiation Vortex

  • Kids/teens seek negative attention as a dopamine source, especially those with ADHD.

  • Parents should avoid long-winded lectures; instead, disengage tactically and reward positive behaviors.

    “You have to teach them that negative behavior will not provide them that dopamine rush and that there are better ways to get mom and dad’s attention.”
    — Jenny Yurich (54:08)

• Reject Helicopter Parenting

  • Over-involvement and prompting leads to dependence in adulthood.

  • The “ADHD paradox”: parents stepping in too much trains kids to not self-regulate, leaving them unprepared for real-life independence.

    “They look back on their first 18 years of life and they realized, hey, I never did anything by myself because my parents...helped me through everything.”
    — Mike McLeod (56:10)

11. Hope, Encouragement, & Final Messages

(56:26 - End)

• Hands-On, Screen-Free Childhood as the Path to Talent & Fulfillment

  • Play, outdoors, arts, and socialization are vital—more than GPA or test scores.

  • McLeod’s “Executive Function Playbook” offers strategies for all, not just ADHD families.

    “Screens make dreams and talents die.”
    — Ginny Yurich (56:55)

• Call to Action

  • Parents are capable of dialing back tech—even if it’s hard—and giving their families their best shot at real growth.
  • Reclaiming imagination, boredom, and independence is possible—one hour at a time, one screen-free moment at a time.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "ADHD is the preeminent disorder of executive functioning. Period." — Mike McLeod (12:41)
• "Play. Outdoor play is the original executive functioning curriculum." — Mike McLeod (13:40)
• "Screens are experience killers, and experiences are how executive functions are developed." — Ginny Yurich (25:21)
• “Never before has there been a product that literally has mountains and mountains of evidence about how horrible it is…” — Mike McLeod (26:18)
• “You have to teach them that negative behavior will not provide them that dopamine rush and that there are better ways to get mom and dad’s attention.” — Ginny Yurich (54:08)
• “Screens make dreams and talents die.” — Ginny Yurich (56:55)

Important Timestamps & Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-------------| | 03:05–08:05 | Mike’s Personal Story & Motivation | | 09:11–12:41 | Misunderstanding ADHD & The Reality | | 13:20–15:42 | Executive Functioning Explanation | | 15:42–21:05 | Working Memory & Brain Coaching | | 24:30–29:25 | Addictive Screens & Parental Fear | | 31:28–35:55 | Screens, Reading, Imagination Lost | | 37:40–41:39 | Problems with EdTech in Schools | | 41:39–43:00 | Homework & Real-Life Learning | | 45:55–48:56 | The Two Versions of Kids: Pre/Post Phone | | 50:31–53:48 | Argument/Negotiation Vortices, Negative Attention | | 54:34–56:26 | Helicopter Parenting, the ADHD Paradox | | 56:55–End | Final Hopeful Messages & Closing |

Key Takeaways

• ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder fundamentally about executive function—not just attention or hyperactivity.
• Executive function develops through real-world experience, play, and boredom, not structured curricula or digital “enhancements.”
• Modern screens, especially internet-connected devices, are unprecedentedly addictive and disruptive to child development.
• Parents’ fear of removing screens signals the gravity of addiction; withdrawal is temporary, and positive change is possible.
• What matters most for children’s future isn’t grades or homework, but their ability to self-regulate, socialize, and be curious about life.
• Over-parenting sabotages independence; children need space to struggle, plan, and grow.
• Schools and parents should challenge the normalization of screens—especially for young children and in classrooms.
• Hope: It’s never too late to help your child reclaim joy, talent, and independence by reducing screen time and returning to real-world living.

For further reading and actionable tips, Mike McLeod’s book, The Executive Function Playbook, is recommended for all parents—not just those parenting kids with ADHD.

End of summary.