Screens and Teens by Dr. James Dobson

October 5-6, 2023
Guests: Dr. Kathy Koch and Ryan Dobson

Part 1
For many teens, their smartphones have become their best friend and safety blanket. According to research, 56% of teens associate the absence of their cell phone with at least one of these three emotions: loneliness, feeling upset or anxious. On today’s edition of Family Talk, Dr. Kathy Koch (pronounced Cook), author of Screens and Teens: Connecting with Our Kids in a Wireless World, urges parents to set reasonable limits for their children and to remember that it’s not their phone; it’s their parents’ phone. Insist on regular phone "blackouts." Encourage your teen to engage with you, have a meaningful conversation inside the home, play board games, do a jigsaw puzzle, read a physical book, or shoot hoops with a sibling.

Part 2
When one family committed to two tech-free days a week, their 8-year-old son was thrilled that his father had time to teach him how to play baseball. And his mother had time to bake cookies with him. The boy gushed, “Our family is normal again. And I got my Daddy back!” On today’s edition of Family Talk, Dr. James Dobson talks with Dr. Kathy Koch (pronounced Cook), author of Screens and Teens: Connecting with Our Kids in a Wireless World on the ever evolving relationship between teenagers and screen time. Parents, if you want your teen to develop character and self-discipline, demonstrate that the smartphone is a tool, not a toy.