Screen Guardians Podcast
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.
Episodes
We 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...
Why 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...
You 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 p...
If 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 — ...
If 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 T...
Parenting 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 n...
In 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.
He...
An 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 m...
I 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: classro...
In one of the most grounded and deeply human conversations we've had the honor to be part of, Kevin and I sat down with Dr. Currie Myers—America's Criminologist—for an episode that reached well beyond crime statistics and research papers.
It reached into the heart of why we do this work.
Because behind every warning about o...
In recent years, the conversation around reducing screen time in schools has moved from quiet concern to active policy change. Educators, parents, and mental health professionals are paying closer attention to how constant tech use impacts student focus, emotional regulation, and classroom engagement.
At the heart of this shift is a deeper question:...
This episode explores the powerful connection between digital learning and brain development, featuring insights from neurotherapist Susan Dunaway. From screen-based reading to educational apps in early childhood, we examine how technology in schools may be reshaping cognitive growth, memory, and emotional regulation in ways parents and educators ca...
When a kindergartener walks into their classroom, the space is built for them. The chairs are small. The crayons are thick. The books are softbound and full of pictures. Slowly, over the years, their world expands—more words, more tools, more responsibility as their brains and bodies are ready for it.
But when it comes to technology in schools, something is off.
We're handing our youngest students open access to the digital equival...
I've always believed in the power of a story—especially when it comes from someone who's lived every moment of it.
That's why I invited Ben Tracy onto the Screen Guardians platform. Ben isn't just a digital safety advocate.
He's a man who ran across the United States—3,100 miles, 125 days, 120 marathons—all for one purpose:...
This heartfelt episode explores how school-issued devices can quietly expose children to harmful content—and what parents can do to stay informed and involved.
Sometimes parenting in a digital world feels less like walking a line—and more like walking a tightrope. No net. No guarantees. Just hope that we've done enough to protect them.
Recently, I sat in conversation with two deeply thoughtful parents and my co-host, Detective Kevi...
There are conversations I wish we didn't have to have.
But here we are—because ignoring hard truths doesn't protect our children. And pretending the digital world isn't changing at an alarming pace only leaves families more vulnerable. That's why we created the Screen Guardians podcast. It's not just information we're sharing—it's a lifeline for parents, educators, a...
There are some conversations that feel too big to begin.
Talking about the digital world and our kids—what they're exposed to, what they're carrying, how their brains and hearts are shaped by screens—that's one of those conversations. It's big. It's overwhelming. And for parents and educators alike, it can feel like we're already behind.
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There are moments in parenting when something small nudges at your attention—and then, without warning, that "small" thing becomes a defining shift. That's what happened to Gretchen Shanahan in 2018.
She remembers it clearly—the way the questions started stacking up in her mind. Why are my kindergartners using iPads during indoor recess? How much screen time are they...
What happens when protecting children takes a back seat to bureaucracy, miscommunication, or worse—inaction?
In one of the most emotionally charged and urgent episodes of the Screen Guardians Podcast, host Katie Longhauser and co-host Detective Kevin Cronister dive deep into a real-life case that shocked a local school community and ignited a movement for legislative...
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