Register for this event to help your kid — and yourself — manage screen time

Digital distractions got you down? Finding it hard to communicate with your kids or students without a screen getting in the way? 

Education Lab will host “Hanging up: How to talk with kids about managing screen time,” a free, live webinar on Zoom at 1 p.m. Tuesday. 

This winter, we heard from 160 people, including parents and educators, about how they’ve seen students’ grades and social interactions suffer as a result of spending time on their screens, where videos, games and social dramas draw their attention. 

This webinar is designed to connect families with school and screen time leaders who are working to help students and families moderate their use of cellphones and digital devices. Attendees will have a chance to ask questions and receive live help.

Our panelists include: 

Kris Hagel, executive director of digital learning for the Peninsula School District in Gig Harbor. He helped plan and implement a districtwide policy restricting social media and cellphone use beginning with the 2023-24 school year and is collecting feedback from students, staff and families. 

Emily Cherkin, the Seattle-based founder of The Screentime Consultant. Using her expertise as a parent, former middle school teacher, and researcher she serves as a speaker and educator around screen time research. Her book, “The Screentime Solution: A Judgment-Free Guide to Becoming a Tech-Intentional Family,” was published in January 2024 by Greenleaf Book Group.

William Jackson, the principal of Seattle’s Nathan Hale High School. His school introduced a “distraction-free policy” at the start of the 2023-24 school year. He was also recently named as the state’s Secondary Principal of the Year by the Association of Washington School Principals.

Ed Lab engagement reporter Jenn Smith will moderate this hourlong discussion.

Jackson said his school’s approach to developing a policy emphasized addressing student mental health and engaging students, families, and educators in the process.

Cherkin says parents can benefit from better balancing their own screen time and understanding their own phone use. They can also become more aware of how their child is using screens and how their child is acting while on a cellphone, mobile tablet or smartwatch. 

Hagel said temporarily banning cellphones “is only a piece of a broader problem.” 

He says students need to learn the skills to succeed in college and the workforce, where they’re expected to moderate their own use and keep themselves on track. 

“The next conversation we have to have is how do we prepare them for the future and ensure that they understand how to moderate their use moving forward,” Hagel said. 

To participate in this webinar and submit questions in advance, register online at st.news/screentime.