Ep 183 Madonna King - Screen Time, Kids, and the Rules Nobody Taught Us

We are living in a global experiment consumed by life on screens. It’s difficult for adults to navigate, it’s near impossible for our kids. When it comes to screen time it’s more than social media, it’s the games, the school iPad, the tracking apps. And the big problem is, the rules are changing faster than any of us can keep up with them. Award-winning journalist and author Madonna King joins this conversation to share the findings in her new book, ‘Screenwise: Taking Back Control of Screen Time for Toddlers and Teens’. Madonna interviewed over 300 children, along with principals, teachers, police, and other experts - and what she uncovered goes well beyond ‘get the kids off Instagram’. This is a conversation about the bigger digital world our kids are growing up in; because technology is ultimately reshaping how children learn, make friends, and handle their failures. Madonna's message is simple: Understand the environment and make decisions accordingly. We don't need to remove technology to do it well, but we do need to know what's behind the screen. In this episode, we’ll explore: - Why the social media ban is a ‘tiny slice of the screen pie,’ and what it leaves out - What happens to a 13-year-old boy's feed within 30 minutes of listing his interests online - The one thing 300 kids said they want from their parents (it isn't more rules) - Why a year 7 and a year 12 child are a ‘generation apart’ from a technology perspective, and what that means for your parenting - The ‘friendship skills’ screens are erasing, and how to amplify this learning for our kids - The tracking app risk parents don't see - from Snap Maps to Life360, and the conversation to have before your teen turns uses them - The common threat most parents make that stops kids coming to them when something goes wrong - The "dinosaur" move that turned Madonna's daughter's friends into her allies Key moments: 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:18 Screens aren’t just social media 00:08:50 Parenting two generations 00:13:40 Forgiveness and instant gratification 00:17:47 Kids copy what we do 00:24:43 The tracking app trap 00:28:09 What kids really want 00:31:20 Finding your child's mentors 00:41:02 The boundary chart 00:47:43 AI and algorithms explained - 👉About Madonna King Madonna King is an award-winning journalist and the author of Being 14, Fathers and Daughters, Ten-ager, and Saving Our Kids. Her latest book is Screenwise: Taking Back Control of Screen Time for Toddlers and Teens. Connect with Madonna: https://madonnaking.com.au/ - 🟡Subscribe and follow along for more meaningful conversations with extraordinary people about living a boldly, connected, standout life. - 👉Here’s how we can stay in touch https://pragmaticthinking.com/ https://www.instagram.com/alihill/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/fromalihill/