ShiftED Podcast #52 In Conversation with Emily Cherkin: Replace Judgement with Curiosity

What if our children's screen time challenges aren't actually about them at all? When Emily Cherkin noticed her 7th-grade students increasingly absorbed by social media, they quickly pointed out an uncomfortable truth: "My parents are texting while driving, playing Candy Crush, always on Facebook." This pivotal realization—that screen addiction is fundamentally an adult problem affecting children—sparked Emily's journey toward helping families navigate digital life more intentionally.Drawing from her experience as both educator and parent, Emily highlights the dramatic shift in both educational technology and personal device use over the past decade. She reveals the fascinating paradox of modern parenting: we overprotect our children in the physical world while dangerously underprotecting them online. Despite kidnapping being parents' #1 fear (statistically requiring a child to stand on a street corner for 750,000 years to be kidnapped), we readily hand kids devices that guarantee exposure to the real dangers of social media and cyberbullying.The consequences are profound. Today's children are struggling to develop crucial skills like frustration tolerance, perseverance, and comfort with boredom. When parents constantly rescue, protect, and solve problems for their children—both online and offline—they inadvertently undermine confidence and resilience. As Emily notes, "Learning happens in moments of friction," and we're systematically removing those essential learning opportunities.But there's hope in simple strategies. "Replace judgment with curiosity" by shifting from accusatory statements to genuine questions. Practice "living out loud" by verbalizing your own technology use. Turn off notifications to reduce anxiety and improve focus. These small changes create significant impacts on family dynamics around technology.Ready to transform your family's relationship with screens? Listen now for practical wisdom on becoming tech-intentional in a digital world.