GenFree: Unplugging 2 Connect

🎙️ Raising Screen-Conscious Kids in a Digital Worldwith Emily Cherkin & her daughter, SylvieIn this episode of Gen Free: Unplugging to Connect, Kathleen Barlow sits down with Emily Cherkin, also known as “The Screen Time Consultant”, and her daughter Sylvie for a candid conversation about growing up with intentional tech boundaries.Emily Cherkin is a nationally recognized screen time expert, educator, and advocate for intentional technology use. Known as “The Screen Time Consultant,” she is a former middle school teacher whose work has been featured in major outlets like the New York Times and Washington Post. She has also addressed both the U.S. Senate and British Parliament on issues related to screen time and education technology.Together, they explore how technology is shaping childhood, education, and relationships, and what families can do about it.💡 Key TakeawaysHow screen use in schools has changed and what’s being lostWhat it’s actually like to grow up without a smartphoneThe social dynamics of being “the kid without a phone”How group chats, social media, and constant access impact teensThe benefits of phone-free schools and device boundariesPractical ways parents can model healthy tech habitsKids don’t necessarily feel deprived without smartphones, but they do feel differentPaper-based learning still offers cognitive benefits that screens can’t replaceBoundaries work best when they’re consistent, modeled, and values-based🔗 Resources & LinksEmily Cherkin🌐 Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thescreentimeconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠🐟 Substack: ⁠⁠⁠https://firstfish.substack.com⁠⁠⁠📘 Book: The Screen Time SolutionKathleen Barlow🐠 ⁠https://swimmingupscreen.com⁠⚡️ ⁠https://smartphonefreechildhoodus.com⁠🧑‍🧑‍🧒 ⁠https://childfirstpolicycenter.org⁠🎧 Enjoying the Podcast?Gen Free: Unplugging to Connect explores how reducing screen time can help us live more connected, intentional lives—featuring conversations with Gen Z voices, parents, and experts leading the movement.If you found this episode helpful, be sure to follow/subscribe, rate, and review Gen Free: Unplugging to Connect on Apple and Spotify.Sharing the show with a friend or family member helps grow this conversation and supports more families in creating intentional, connected lives beyond screens. 🧡

Harrison Haynes was the victim of online harm as a teenager, beginning when he was only 12 years old. He has courageously turned this difficult experience into advocacy and is the founder of DIM (Digitally Intentional Movement). He also serves as the chair of the end OSEAC (Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children) Survivors Council. Harrison and I were able to chat about his studies at James Madison University, his ambitions to become a social worker, his new role of husband, and even about a recent chronic illness that he refuses to let keep him down. Despite some of the difficult content that we discussed, I found this to be an inspiring conversation with Harrison, and hope that you'll join us!

Bradley is an 8-year-old second grader and a member of Gen Alpha, who had a conversation with his Lolli (aka his grandmother, Kathleen), about what it's like attending his Waldorf-inspired charter school. Whether it's learning to knit, gardening, or reading in the school's cozy library (which even boasts a fireplace!), Bradley is enthusiastic about school and engaged in the learning process there. Screens are not a part of the curriculum, other than mandatory state testing, and Bradley does not hesitate to weigh in on his feelings about it all. Please enjoy Kathleen's conversation with her oldest grandson, and see if you agree that the benefits of focusing on the whole child, while limiting digital technology in schools, are undeniable!

Ryan Huh is a director and photographer based out of the NYC metro area. He is fascinated by the power of stories to inspire the collective imagination, starting from a single moment passed down through generations. He holds a BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in Film/TV Production. His recent documentary, Starting Over, was awarded the Lookup.Live grant. He is currently in post-production on his debut narrative short film, Profile.

Elianajoy Volin is a senior at Kenyon College, majoring in English with a Creative Writing emphasis, a concentration in Gender and Sexuality Studies, and a minor in Neuroscience. She is passionate about living an intentional, low-screen lifestyle. From spending her childhood without a TV, to a year abroad studying at the University of Exeter in Devon, England, to spending a few days living at a monastery in France, Elianajoy is practicing the art of human connection. She is interested in researching and working in the fields of mental health, public health, writing, and queer joy, and is deeply committed to enacting positive change in her own communities.

In this episode, Kathleen engages in a heartfelt conversation with Liddy and Corinne Johnson about the challenges of navigating digital technology and social media. Liddy, a 17-year-old advocate against social media addiction, shares her personal journey from addiction to recovery, while her mother, Corinne, discusses her advocacy for parental rights and digital safety. Together, they explore the generational differences in digital technology use, the importance of real-life connections, and the legislative efforts to protect children from harmful digital content. The episode emphasizes the need for open communication between parents and children, the significance of setting boundaries with digital technology, and the power of advocacy in creating positive change.

Hillary Kimball is a 16-year-old high school student who was published in the Salt Lake Tribune for an editorial based on the challenges of growing up in the age of digital technology. Hillary enjoys cheerleading at her school and loves to travel. 

Ngozi Edema is a children’s book author and time management coach who helps busy moms, writers, and entrepreneurs reclaim their time and turn minutes into milestones. With nearly two decades of writing experience, she’s passionate about storytelling and believes productivity should feel purposeful, not overwhelming. Through her coaching, books, and podcast, she empowers others to create space for their goals and finishwhat matters most.

Michael Perrone resides with his wife and 6 children in the PNW. He’s a consultant who helps fathers lead in their home, their work and in their community. His mission is to help 1 million fathers unleash their leadership potential. 

Richard Freed, PhD, is a psychologist, author of the recently released book Better Than Real Life, and his insights have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other media outlets. Dr. Freed has devoted his career to revealing how Silicon Valley is using its clandestine science of persuasive design to pull childhood away from the real world to exist on social media, video games, and online video. He is determined to bring knowledge of this addictive science—which now exists among a handful of tech elite—to all of those who care for kids. He believes a science-based childhood focused around family, school, and the outdoors must be made available to all youth. Freed lives in Walnut Creek, California and is the proud father of two daughters.

Morgan Monet is a 27-year-old licensed marriage and family therapist and proud “elder” Gen Z-er. She works at the intersection of mental health, identity, and connection, and brings a thoughtful, relational approach to her work, centering the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals and anyone seeking more authentic relationships with themselves and others. Her work emphasizes mindfulness, emotional grounding, and curiosity as tools for resilience in a fast-paced, often disembodied world.  As someone who deeply values human presence and intentional living, she’s both fascinated and concerned by the ways technology shapes our nervous systems, relationships, and sense of self. On today’s episode, she joins her mom to explore how we can stay rooted and connected in a tech-saturated age, without losing sight of what really matters.

Morgan is a 17-year-old high school senior whose mom is Hillary Wilkinson, co-founder of ⁠"Healthy Screen Habits."⁠  Morgan and her older brother have been raised by parents who practice a minimalist approach, when it comes to screen time.  Morgan has a TED talk called ⁠"Embracing Community"⁠, in which she beautifully speaks about the people in her neighborhood whom she interacts with on the regular, and how important and enriching these interactions are in her life. Morgan is a high school senior who plans to go to college in the fall to study Health & Exercise Science, with the ultimate goal of becoming a dentist. Morgan has enjoyed being the captain of her high school weightlifting team, and is also a fan of mountain biking and exercise in general. Morgan and I discussed the positive impact of physical movement on both our physical and mental health. We also talked about the necessity of becoming aware of screen overuse, and the practice of being intentional about limiting screen time whenever possible. She has some great insights about living life as a Gen Z-er in today’s world, and shares some simple yet solid advice on how to scale back when tech time creeps its way up, to the extent of becoming excessive.

Jayden Davis is the Programs and Office Manager at an organization called The Policy Project, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kathleen and Jayden connected over an initiative called The Focused Student, in which TPP worked to get a bill passed during the 2025 legislative session. The two-pronged initiative would enable students to have improved focus in school, both by being off cell phones and by ensuring that they were not going hungry during the school day.During this podcast episode, Kathleen and Jayden talk about the results of their efforts with The Focused Student project, as well as what is considered today to be the gold standard of school cell phone policies. They also discuss Jayden's personal experiences with balancing screen time in her life, what she observed in this regard as a student at BYU, as well as some worrisome screen habits that are so common among many people today, old and young alike.

Seán Killingsworth is the 22-year-old founder of The Reconnect Movement. Reconnect is a student-led club that hosts phone-free social events at universities. Reconnect is currently established on 3 campuses and expanding. At 17, Seán began speaking about the effect of social media and phones on Gen Z. He has spoken at Virginia Tech, The Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando, Dopamind, The Suicide Prevention Center of Virginia, and guest lectured at Georgetown University. Seán launched the weekly Power Hour to organize citizens and pass the Kids Online Safety Act. Endorsed by the Anxious Generation and Accountable Tech, the Power Hour generated thousands of letters and calls to key legislators. He is an organizing facilitator for Design It for Us where he will continue to advocate for State and Federal legislation.

* Disclaimer: Since our conversation, Gabriela's org has undergone some re-branding. You can now find her at APPstinence.org, rather than APPstinent.org. Meet Gabriela - graduate student at Harvard and founder of an organization called APPstinence. This is what Gabriela has to say: "I’ve always had two wolves inside when it comes to media consumption. On the one hand, my father’s experiences of the Vietnam War showed him the immense power of media messaging to manipulate and control, and as a result he kept a close eye on his kids and tech. On the other hand, I was born and raised in the Silicon Valley at a time when the world was so optimistic about the potential for social media to alleviate us of our loneliness. Soon, the two wolves came to a head.Despite my father’s diligence, social media snaked its way in and I was hooked from a very young age. Realizing how complicated and strangely pressurized social media was making my life, I decided to try to cut back. Over 6 long years I navigated the stormy waters of getting offline. I repeated the error I see many make, which is to try and self-regulate, “find balance”, only to realize I was doing myself a disservice trying to fight products designed for my capture. I concluded that I had to walk away altogether if I wanted to find peace and stop “fighting.” I now do not have personal social media accounts (Instagram, Tik Tok, X, etc) and use a flip phone as my main phone. The peace of mind, clarity of thought, intimacy of relationships, and perspective this lifestyle has given has been far too good to keep to myself, and so I developed the life philosophy of “appstinence” so anyone can get in on it (check out or Mission and Philosophy page for more on what the concept entails). I made the 5D Method so anyone can try it.I kickstarted Appstinence to show others that living without social media is not the distant utopian lifestyle it seems, and to crystalize my message to Gen Z (but is generalizable to all ages): The frustration you feel with you screen time isn’t your fault— you are not morally deficient because you can’t put your phone down. Fighting for “balanced use” isn’t worth the fight, not nearly. Walk away. Pick your battles. Just because we grew up on these platforms does not mean we have to continue depending on them for our social lives. We can choose differently. We can live fully without them.