Recommended Reading
Deepen your understanding of the smartphone and social media crisis affecting our children. These books provide research, insights, and practical guidance for protecting childhood.
The Anxious Generation
by Jonathan Haidt
A comprehensive look at how the rewiring of childhood through smartphones and social media is creating an epidemic of mental illness. Haidt explores the sudden shift in teen mental health and provides evidence-based solutions for parents, schools, and society.
Superbloom
by Nick Jikomes
An exploration of how technologies designed for connection are tearing us apart. Jikomes examines the biological and psychological mechanisms behind our screen addictions and offers a path forward to reclaim our attention and relationships.
Irresistible
by Adam Alter
A deep dive into the rise of addictive technology and the business of keeping us hooked. Alter reveals why so many of us can't resist constantly checking our devices and provides insights into how tech companies engineer behavioral addiction.
Prepared
by Diane Tavenner
What kids truly need for a fulfilled life. Tavenner offers a practical guide to raising self-directed, resilient children who can thrive in a complex world—without being tethered to screens. Essential reading for parents seeking alternatives to device-dependent childhood.
How to Raise an Adult
by Julie Lythcott-Haims
Break free from the overparenting trap and prepare your kids for real life. Former Stanford dean Lythcott-Haims reveals how helicopter parenting and constant digital supervision harm children's development and independence. A must-read for raising capable, confident adults.
iGen
by Jean M. Twenge
Why today's super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious, more tolerant, less happy—and completely unprepared for adulthood. Twenge's groundbreaking research reveals the dramatic shifts in teen behavior and mental health since smartphones became ubiquitous.
Recommended Websites & Organizations
Smartphone Free Childhood
A grassroots movement uniting parents across the United States to delay smartphone use and create phone-free schools. Join thousands of families taking a collective stand to protect childhood and restore normal development.
Visit SmartphoneFreeChildhoodUS.comBark
Parental control and monitoring software that helps keep kids safer online. Bark monitors texts, email, YouTube, and 30+ social media platforms for signs of issues like cyberbullying, depression, online predators, and more.
Visit Bark.usCenter for Humane Technology
Leading organization dedicated to realigning technology with humanity's best interests. Founded by former tech insiders, they provide resources, research, and advocacy to address the negative impacts of persuasive technology.
Visit HumaneTech.comMust-Watch Documentaries
The Social Dilemma
Available on Netflix
A powerful documentary featuring former tech executives and employees from Facebook, Google, Twitter, and more, revealing how social media platforms are designed to manipulate and addict users. Essential viewing for understanding the engineered addiction behind our screens.
Watch this with your teens. It's one of the most effective tools for helping young people understand why their devices are so hard to put down.
Note: These books provide the research and reasoning behind our movement. Knowledge is power when it comes to protecting our children from the smartphone epidemic.