Shows / ScreenStrong Families
ScreenStrong Families
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…
Episodes
ScreenStrong FamiliesProtecting Attention, Learning & Healthy Development in a Digital World (#271)
How are screens changing the way children learn, connect, and develop—and what can schools do about it? In this episode, Melanie Hempe, RN, founder of…
ScreenStrong Families"No Smartphone, No Regrets!": A Mom’s 10-Year Journey with Jodie Watson (#270)
What does it look like to raise ScreenStrong kids for 10 years—and stick with it all the way through high school? In this episode, Melanie reconnects with…
ScreenStrong FamiliesPsychiatrist Tips: Why Your Teen Needs a Job (and Fewer Screens) with Dr. Adriana Stacey (#269)
What if one of the best ways to help your teen spend less time gaming and scrolling is to give them something meaningful to do in the real world? In this…
ScreenStrong FamiliesI Didn’t Miss Out (Part 2): What I Gained Growing Up Without Screens with Andrew Hempe (#268)
In Part 1, Andrew Hempe explained what he gained from growing up without smartphones or video games. In Part 2, he answers the questions parents and teens ask…
ScreenStrong FamiliesI Didn’t Miss Out (Part 1): What I Gained Growing Up Without Screens with Andrew Hempe (#267)
What if growing up without a smartphone or video games didn’t mean missing out—but actually meant gaining more? In this episode of the ScreenStrong Families…
ScreenStrong FamiliesPsychiatrist Answers: Should Schools Be Using Less Technology? with Dr. Adriana Stacey (#266)
How much technology should kids really be using at school? In this episode of the ScreenStrong Families Podcast, Melanie Hempe and Dr. Stacey explore the…
ScreenStrong FamiliesENCORE: How School Screens Impact Social Emotional Learning with Dr. Richard Freed (#92)
Originally aired: March, 2022 Melanie welcomes back Dr. Richard Freed, author of Wired Child and a practicing Clinical Psychologist and supervisor studying the…
ScreenStrong FamiliesENCORE: How Teachers and Parents Can Support Phone-Free Schools with Dr. Adriana Stacey (#214)
In this episode, Melanie and Dr. Stacey explore how teachers and parents can collaborate to create a phone-free school environment. Teachers can support the…
ScreenStrong FamiliesENCORE: A Smartphone-Free Adolescence: Melissa’s Story (#172)
Originally aired November 8, 2023. In this episode, Melanie has a very special guest—her daughter, Melissa! In this episode, we will hear how Melissa feels…
ScreenStrong FamiliesENCORE: A Psychiatrist's Tips on Managing Screen Time with Dr. Adriana Stacey (#106)
Today we welcome back Dr. Adriana Stacey, a Board Certified Psychiatrist, for part two of her discussion with Melanie. In this episode they cover why going…
ScreenStrong FamiliesENCORE: Summer Strategies: Keeping Middle Schoolers ScreenStrong This Summer (#190)
Do you want to prevent your middle Schooler from becoming dependent on screen time this summer? Join Melanie as she offers practical strategies to Emily, a…
ScreenStrong Families10 Things Your 14-Year-Old Boy Can Do This Summer with Evan Hempe (#265)
Fourteen-year-old boys face a tricky gap every June—too old for camp, too young for a job, and just bored enough to default to hours of gaming. Evan Hempe…
ScreenStrong FamiliesWhy Screens Are Changing the Classroom: What Parents Need to Know About Kids, Schools & Attention (Part 2) (#264)
In Part 2 of Melanie Hempe’s conversation with educator and Screen Schooled co-author Joe Clement, they continue unpacking the hidden impact of screens on…
ScreenStrong FamiliesWhy Screens Are Changing the Classroom: What Parents Need to Know About Kids, Schools & Attention (Part 1) (#263)
In today’s episode, Melanie Hempe sits down with educator and co-author of Screen Schooled, Joe Clement, to unpack what’s really happening to kids in today’s…
ScreenStrong FamiliesWhat Happens When You Take Your Teen’s Phone Away: Understanding Screen Addiction & Withdrawal (#262)
In today’s episode, Mandee sits down with Kellyn Smythe from Pacific Quest to unpack a topic many families are quietly struggling with: screen addiction—and…
ScreenStrong FamiliesWhy Kids Are Craving Disconnection: Helping Families Thrive Offline in a Screen-Filled World (#261)
In today’s episode, Mandee sits down with Gayle Cheatham, founder of Thrive Offline, to explore a growing reality many families are feeling—but don’t always…
ScreenStrong FamiliesThe Courts Are Catching Up: What the Google & YouTube Verdicts Mean for Your Kids (#260)
What if your child’s struggle with screens isn’t a lack of discipline—but the result of how these platforms are built? In this episode, we unpack two major…
ScreenStrong FamiliesRaising Creators, Not Consumers: A Philosophy for Life & Parenting with Bradley Morris (#259)
We’re either creating or consuming—and that choice shapes who our kids become. In this powerful episode of The ScreenStrong Families Podcast, host Mandee…
ScreenStrong FamiliesIt’s Not Strict, It’s Protective: The Truth About Phone-Free Schools with Kathleen Barlow (#258)
Host Mandee Hamann welcomes ScreenStrong Ambassador Kathleen Barlow for a heartfelt and eye-opening conversation about preserving childhood in today’s…
ScreenStrong FamiliesAre Classroom Screens Helping Kids Learn, or Quietly Working Against Their Brains? with Neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath (#257)
Are classroom screens really helping children learn—or quietly working against how their brains develop? In this episode, neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney…
ScreenStrong FamiliesThe Case for Screen-Free Schools: Protecting Kids’ Minds & Character with Dr. Kathleen O'Toole (#256)
What happens when schools trade screens for books, discussion, and teacher-led classrooms? In this powerful episode of The ScreenStrong Families Podcast, host…
ScreenStrong FamiliesENCORE: What Parents Need to Know About Roblox, Sleepovers, and Snapchat with Officer Gomez (#168)
Join us in this episode as we dive into the world of Roblox, sleepovers, and Snapchat with invaluable insights from our friend Officer Gomez, a School Resource…
ScreenStrong FamiliesIs Your Child’s Brain Overstimulated? What Addiction Medicine Tells Us with Dr. Steven Klein (#255)
In today’s episode, host Mandee Hamann sits down with Dr. Steven Klein (Caron Treatment Center), a physician-scientist specializing in addiction medicine and…
ScreenStrong FamiliesYearly Wrap-Up: 2025 Highlights (#254)
Thank you all for listening and engaging with the podcast this past year. Here are just a few highlights from our 2025 episodes. Happy New Year! Episodes…
ScreenStrong Families5 Simple Shifts for a More Peaceful Holiday (#253)
In today’s episode, Melanie shares five simple but powerful strategies to help your family enjoy a peaceful, connected, ScreenStrong Christmas. If you’ve ever…
ScreenStrong FamiliesENCORE: The Endless Non-Tech Gift Ideas with Evan Hempe (#130)
For this special holiday encore episode, Melanie is joined by her son Evan to discuss practical holiday gift ideas—and encourage people to skip smartphones and…
ScreenStrong FamiliesThe Holiday Blind Spot Every Parent Needs to Hear About with Dr. Adriana Stacey (#252)
In this holiday episode, Melanie Hempe and Dr. Stacey unpack the #1 screen mistake parents make at Christmas: giving in and gifting devices. They reveal the…
ScreenStrong Families10 Things I’m Thankful For Because I Grew Up Without Toxic Screens with Evan Hempe (#251)
In this special Thanksgiving episode, Evan Hempe steps behind the microphone to share a powerful personal perspective you won’t want to miss. As a young adult…
ScreenStrong FamiliesThe Best Phone for Kids: The Answer Every Parent Is Searching For (#250)
What is the best phone for kids? It’s the question parents everywhere are asking—and today, we’re finally going to answer it. In this episode, Melanie is…
ScreenStrong Families"Protect Youth in the Digital Age" Expert Panel Discussion (#249)
In this special episode, we share audio from a virtual panel discussion hosted by Thrive Forward Therapy, “Protecting Youth in the Digital Age.” How can…
ScreenStrong FamiliesLife Skills, Not Screen Skills with Katie Kimball of Kids Cook Real Food (#248)
In today’s episode, ScreenStrong Ambassador Liaison and host Mandee Hamann welcomes Katie Kimball, founder of Kids Cook Real Food and two-time TEDx speaker…
ScreenStrong FamiliesAre We Training Distraction? How Social Media Is Weakening Cognitive Skills in Teens with Dr. Adriana Stacey (#247)
This week, Melanie sits down with psychiatrist Dr. Adriana Stacey to discuss new research showing how social media use in adolescence may be changing the way…
ScreenStrong FamiliesThe Basement Generation with Amy Eytchison (#246)
In this powerful and eye-opening episode, host Melanie Hempe sits down with Amy Eytchison, a mother of four grown children, to have an honest conversation…
ScreenStrong FamiliesUnplugged and Thriving: Lessons from the Maine Coast Semester with Sarah Rebick (#245)
In this episode, Mandee Hamann sits down with Sarah Rebick to explore the unique qualities of the Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki and how they align with…
ScreenStrong FamiliesPhone-Free Classrooms: A Teacher’s Firsthand Report with Beth Pannenberg (#244)
In today’s episode, Melanie sits down with Beth, a high school teacher, to hear her firsthand experience with the new phone-free classroom policy this school…
ScreenStrong FamiliesRaising Teens Outside the Anxious Generation with Dr. Adriana Stacey (#243)
What really happens when kids grow up without smartphones, video games, and social media? In this eye-opening episode, Melanie Hempe sits down with Dr. Adriana…
ScreenStrong FamiliesKids, Screens, and the Rise of A.I. with Aaron Plaat (#242)
On this episode, host Mandee Hamann sits down with Aaron Plaat (aaronplaat.com) to unpack one of the most pressing questions for parents today: What does the…
ScreenStrong FamiliesENCORE: How to Get Smartphones Out of School with Officer Gomez (#116)
Melanie is joined once again by Officer Gomez—School Resource Officer (SRO) and sworn Deputy of the Boise County Sheriff’s Department—to discuss how to remove…
ScreenStrong FamiliesWhen Is Your Child Ready for a Phone? When You’re Ready for Them to See Porn with Doug Smith (#241)
The First Voice Matters: Talking to Kids About Porn Before the Internet Does Welcome to this powerful encore episode of the ScreenStrong Families Podcast with…
ScreenStrong FamiliesWhy There Are Treatment Centers for Gaming Addiction—And What That Should Tell Every Parent with Dr. Hilarie Cash (#240)
In this powerful episode of the ScreenStrong Families Podcast, Melanie Hempe sits down with digital addiction pioneer Dr. Hilarie Cash, one of the earliest…
ScreenStrong FamiliesBuilding Executive Function: Why Play Matters More Than Tech with Mariana Carazo (#239)
In this special episode, originally aired on the Developing Minds podcast and shared with permission, host Mariana Carazo sits down with Mandee Hamann from…
ScreenStrong FamiliesRaising Kids in a Screen-Saturated World—Without Losing Your Mind with Dr. Andrew Doan (#238)
In this powerful crossover episode, Dr. Andrew Doan welcomes Melanie Hempe—registered nurse, author, and founder of ScreenStrong—to share her deeply personal…
ScreenStrong FamiliesENCORE: The Science of Media Use and the Teenage Brain with Dr. Douglas Gentile (#23)
In this encore episode of the ScreenStrong Families Podcast, Melanie Hempe revisits an important conversation with Dr. Douglas Gentile, award-winning research…
ScreenStrong FamiliesNo Phones, No Problem: How One Family Raised Tech-Strong Teens Without Smartphones with Dan Rothert (#237)
In today’s episode, Melanie Hempe sits down with Dan Rothert—a former college soccer coach, now consultant, and proud ScreenStrong dad—to share how he and his…
ScreenStrong FamiliesWe Need to Talk About Kids & Porn Exposure with Dr. Adriana Stacey (#236)
In this urgent and eye-opening episode of the ScreenStrong Families Podcast, host Melanie Hempe is joined by child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Adriana…
ScreenStrong FamiliesOffline and Intentional: A Conversation with Tin Can Founder Chet Kittleson (#235)
In this inspiring episode, Mandee Hamann sits down with Chet Kittleson, entrepreneur and founder of Tin Can, a company on a mission to help kids and families…
ScreenStrong FamiliesENCORE: Walker's Story: Social Media and Teen Sextortion with Brian Montgomery (#166)
This episode deals with mature topics (suicide, cyberbullying, sextortion). Listener discretion is advised. In this powerful and deeply moving episode, Melanie…
ScreenStrong FamiliesWhy Your Child Can’t Put the Phone Down & the Power of Persuasive Design with Dr. Richard Freed (#234)
Why do smart, caring kids get stuck in harmful digital habits—and why do even the best parenting strategies sometimes fall flat? In this compelling…
ScreenStrong Families“He Was a Good Kid”: The Truth Behind the Netflix Show "Adolescence" (#233)
In this deeply personal and sobering episode, Melanie Hempe and Mandee Hamann unpack the haunting Netflix film Adolescence, a raw portrayal of the modern…
ScreenStrong FamiliesIntroducing the "Kids’ Brains & Screens Home Edition" (#232)
Big news! In this episode, Melanie Hempe and Mandee Hamann share an exciting announcement—Kids’ Brains & Screens now has a Home Edition! After the incredible…
ScreenStrong FamiliesFrom 16,000 Videos to Real Life: Colin’s Screen Detox Story (#231)
In this powerful episode, Mandee Hamann sits down with Andrea, ScreenStrong Ambassador, and her 8th-grade son, Colin, to share their eye-opening journey…
ScreenStrong FamiliesENCORE: The Broader Effects of Tech and How to Reconnect Your Kids with Tom Kersting (#49)
In this episode, Melanie speaks with author and therapist Tom Kersting, diving into the profound impact of technology on children’s social and emotional…
ScreenStrong FamiliesGet There Before The Trafficker: A Wake-Up Call for Parents with Aleda Renter (#230)
In this eye-opening episode, host Mandee Hamann sits down with Aleda Renter from Protect Me Project to discuss the alarming connection between screen use and…
ScreenStrong FamiliesA Psychiatrist's Tips on How to Detox Your Child’s Brain from Screens (#229)
In this episode, Melanie welcomes back Dr. Victoria Dunckley, an integrative psychiatrist and author of Reset Your Child’s Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End…
ScreenStrong FamiliesHow Screens Hurt Kids’ Brains: A Conversation with Dr. Victoria Dunckley, MD (#228)
In this episode, Melanie welcomes Dr. Victoria Dunckley, an integrative psychiatrist and author of Reset Your Child’s Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns…
ScreenStrong FamiliesA Psychiatrist's Perspective: Why Parents Are Right to Be Concerned About Social Media with Dr. Adriana Stacey (#227)
Melanie Hempe welcomes Dr. Stacey to discuss the recent pushback against phone-free school initiatives and social media regulations. A recent Wall Street…
ScreenStrong FamiliesThe Opt-Out Movement: Simplifying Family Life in the Digital Age with Erin Loechner (#226)
Host Mandee Hamann engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Erin Loechner, former social media influencer and founder of The Opt-Out Family movement…
ScreenStrong FamiliesProtecting Kids in the Digital Classroom: An Honest Look Into "Ed-Tech" with Andrew Liddell (#225)
In this thought-provoking episode, host Mandee Hamann sits down with Andrew Liddell, a career federal courts litigator, technology attorney, and passionate…
ScreenStrong FamiliesNavigating Screen Challenges: Real Questions, Real Solutions with Laura Wurzburger (#224)
Melanie Hempe is joined by Laura Wurzburger to tackle some of the most pressing screen-related parenting questions from our Facebook group. From managing…
ScreenStrong FamiliesThe Gen Z Perspective: Honest Truths About Social Media and Screens (#223)
In this inspiring episode of the ScreenStrong Families Podcast, Mandee Hamann sits down with Gabriela and Kaylee, the Founder and Vice President of APPstinent…