So sometimes parents panic. Sometimes we simplify. Sometimes we dodge. Sometimes we say, “We’ll talk about that later.” But Dr. Kathy Koch offers something parents desperately need to hear: Your child does not need a perfect answer first. Your child needs you first.

National health leaders continue raising concerns about what growing screen exposure is doing to children and teens. Research has pointed toward rising struggles involving sleep disruption, reduced physical activity, shortened attention spans, emotional withdrawal, social isolation, and challenges with mental health. Many teens now spend more time interacting with screens than sleeping or engaging face to face with people who love them.

Federal health leaders continue warning parents that excessive screen exposure is becoming a growing concern, not simply because screens consume time, but because screens increasingly shape development.