Blog, Media, Newsletter & Resources
Beyond the feedback: calling all iPhone users
Ten Minutes, Big Impact: Together we can help Apple enhance our children’s online protections Dear Parents of iPhone/iPad users, Are you confused or frustrated by Apple’s built-in parental controls? Do you have Family Sharing and basic ScreenTime limits in...
Summer 2026 Newsletter
Your Child May Be Ready to Use It. Are They Ready to Manage It? Toy Story 5 puts a familiar parenting question into a very different setting. Bonnie gets a new tablet, Lilypad, and suddenly the toys face a new kind of competition for her attention. Pixar...
iParent101 ToGo™-> Digital Driver’s License: The First Portable Device
What Is It? The first device that leaves the home is one of the biggest digital milestones in childhood. It may be a smartwatch, tablet, or smartphone. The device matters less than what it represents: technology beginning to travel with your child into the world. For...
iParent101 ToGo™ Instagram Instants: The Conversations Parents Never See
What Is It? Your child's digital world is becoming more private than public. Instagram's new Instants feature reflects that shift. It lets users send quick, in-the-moment photos directly to selected friends instead of posting them for everyone to see. Instants are:...
Spring 2026 Newsletter
Real Truths. Real Solutions.What Families Actually Need from Tech Right NowFull NewsletterMost families are trying to fix everything at once.That’s why very little actually changes.Sleep. Homework. Phones. Attitude. Motivation.It feels productive.It often creates more...
Anxiety Matters Podcast: From Screen Battles to Screen Balance –>Dr. Adam Pletter’s Strategies for Healthier Tech Habits
There's a pervasive influence of technology on mental health, particularly in the context of anxiety management for children and adolescents. The Bonnies are joined by Dr. Adam Pletter, a fellow psychologist and an expert in navigating the challenges posed by digital...
iParent101 ToGo™ ‘Meet5’: The App for Making Friends — Not Matches
What It IsMeet5 is a friend-making and community app, not a dating app. It helps people connect through real-world group activities like hikes, dinners, game nights, and shared interests. The goal is moving connection off the screen and into group settings, not...
Winter 2025 Newsletter
🛟 No Lifeguard on Duty 🛟(Full Newsletter)I’ve been sharing the same message for years: kids need staged access to digital life. Not bans. Not chaos.None of this is new. But the urgency is. This is a public health moment and families deserve clarity, not fear.When you...
Podcast: Is My Child Ready for a Smartphone? | Adam Pletter, PsyD
A child’s first smartphone is a modern “rite of passage” and today’s parents face a challenging decision – when is the right time? Peer pressure and fear of missing out loom heavily, yet there are significant risks to introducing a smart device before a child is...
Digital Risk to Digital Readiness: The Starter iPhone Approach
In this conversation, Mark and Dr. Adam Pletter discuss the significant impact of technology on parenting and child development. They explore the challenges parents face in managing their children's technology use, the importance of scaffolding in introducing...
Fall 2025 Newsletter
Trick-or-Treating & the Starter iPhone🎃 Halloween and Tech: Finding the sweet spotEvery Halloween, parents run a quiet experiment in independence.First outings are hands-on: walking beside your child, pointing out which houses are welcoming, when to wait, and when...
Publications & Features
- Kids can wreak havoc on their parents’ devices. Experts explain how to avoid a tech horror story. Yahoo! Life
- If your kid has a smartphone, is it OK to look through it? Why experts recommend that parents ‘disclose’ monitoring Yahoo! Life
- What teens think parents should know about phones The Washington Post
- “6 Apps You Really Should Use To Spy On Your Kids” The Huffington Post
- Child Psychologist’s 5 Keys for a Simple Digital Family Rules Contract Juniper Publishers
- “’You are the boss’: Parents of Fortnite-obsessed kids turn to Facebook, experts for help.” Good Morning America
- “The Smartphone Generation: Less Sex, Fewer Drinks, More Depression” National Public Radio
- “The Dark Side of Discord, Your Teen’s Favorite Chat App” The Wall Street Journal
- “The Danger of Internet Challenges” Web Md
- “Shh…my son doesn’t play ‘Fortnite'” Mashable
- ‘Toddlers Are Delighted With Themselves’ The Atlantic
- “Our 9-year-old has an unhealthy obsession with online games. What can we do?” Washington Post
- “Increased Hours Online Correlate With An Uptick In Teen Depression, Suicidal Thoughts” National Public Radio
- “Even experts can’t agree on whether technology is dangerous for kids” Quartz
- “Balanced view urged for parents on digital life” China Daily
- “8 Ways You Can Ease Your Anxiety When You Send Your Kid to Kindergarten” Readers Digest
- “9 ways parents can help kids cope with jealousy” Washington Post