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If you keep your kids off social media and video games, will you be ruining their childhood? With the pressure for teens to engage online, is it really a good idea for a parent to delay the smartphone? College student Evan Hempe says yes. After seeing his older brother crash and burn because of video games, Evan’s mom Melanie Hempe (last week’s podcast guest and founder of ScreenStrong) vowed to raise Evan and his twin brother differently. Evan shares why his phone-free childhood was a remarkable gift as we talk about:
4:39 I was afraid of my older brother because of what the games did to him
7:08 Having a “real” childhood
14:37 There’s such a difference between kids who grew up with phones and kids who didn’t
17:08 How can you get your kids interested in other hobbies other than video games
22:04 The truth is social media is not essential for socializing
Evan Hempe is a student at Liberty University who has a wide range of interests such as piano and art. If you’re at a major sports event at Liberty, you’ll hear him on the mic welcoming the crowd and kicking off the game. He has spoken alongside of his mom, Melanie Hempe, founder of ScreenStrong.
Learn how to raise your child the ScreenStrong way on their website
Learn more about the Kids’ Brains and Screens Student Course
Watch Arlene’s free video Screen Kids: In Their Own Words about her kids also going through high school without phones.
Read Arlene’s book Screen Kids (co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman)
Get your free “Reset Your Tech” tip sheet https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe
Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]
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