Press

Logo & Branding

Guidelines we ask you to follow when using our logo.

OAKLAND, CA - September 25, 2018 -- ScreenAge BootCamp (SABC) today announced the first all-inclusive solution for parents overwhelmed by the challenge of preserve their family’s’ mental health in the ScreenAge. Unlike universal controls, self-monitoring apps or downloadable templates alone, the Bootcamp teaches parents step-by-step how to set limits, adopt healthy media habits and take control of technology in their own families. All programs are led by parent coaches, customizable for any family and available immediately starting at $9 per month.

“The information isn’t getting to parents in a way they can understand and use,” said Anya Kamenetz, lead education blogger at National Public Radio and author of The Art of Screen Time, How Your Family Can Balance Digital Media and Real Life. “Parenting in the digital age is nuanced and personal - not something to be solved with an app, phone control or contract. The winning formula is a combination of positive, supportive family relationships and age-appropriate structure.”

Reports on excessive media use and new monitoring tools are being released weekly, but neither is actionable on its own. Common Sense Media’s 2018: Social Media, Social Life: Teens Reveal Their Experiences revealed that while 72% of teens know they’re being manipulated by social media, they are still unwilling to change their behavior. While kids recognize the need for limits, their brains are not equipped to resist the lure of addictive media. Kids need their parents now more than ever.

“Tech addiction is the ‘Inconvenient Truth’ of our time,” said Marissa Verson Harrison, co-founder of ScreenAge Bootcamp. “Like global warming - the negative outcomes are hard to quantify, habits are entrenched and denial is easy. It’s a complex problem, normalized by society. Yet parents -- not tech companies or institutions -- are uniquely qualified to shape their child’s values. Teaching kids how to manage digital media in daily life is our moral obligation as parents.”

The ScreenAge Bootcamp platform combines the most effective elements of elite bootcamps -- learning, coaching, systems and accountability -- a proven system for lasting behavior change.

SABC’s subscription-based programs start at $9 per month, allowing parents to choose the program that fits their family's needs. For parents introducing devices for the first time, Bootcamp Basic offers video tutorials, downloadable templates and a moderated private coaching community. For parents whose kids are already using devices, or those seeking to curb their own use, Bootcamp Plus offers an immersive experience with additional content and extensive live coaching.

ScreenAge BootCamp will be rolling out a full series of courses to help parents raise focused, confident kids in the “ScreenAge.” Coaching topics will include tech-life balance, cultivating focus, time management, goal setting and life skills -- the stuff they don’t teach kids in school.

Top 5 Things Parents Should do First

1. Look in the Mirror: Be mindful of your own use and change your own bad habits first. Your role modeling healthy tech-use habits is an extremely powerful motivator and kids smell hypocrisy.
2. Narrate Use: If you must use your phone with your kids in the room, narrate what you’re doing and why. Demonstrate that you value time with them and face-to-face relationships are more important than incoming “pings.”
3. Maintain the Relationship. Parent-child relationships are already stressed during adolescence as teens become more independent. When frustrated, repeat the mantra “be more mature than the teenager.” Once you’ve lost the relationship, you’ve also lost the ability to influence their behavior.
4. Get Involved: Instead of how was your day, you might ask, did you see anything interesting online today? Ask what social media accounts they use and ask to see their profiles. If they love video games, try playing with them.
5. Use Monitoring. A whole industry of tech monitoring tools has flooded the market in 2018 -- read the reviews and chose the one that works for you. If you trust your kids are not overusing digital media, the monitoring will prove you right. But adolescence is hard and behaviors change quickly, it’s best to set up monitoring as a condition of use.

About ScreenAge Bootcamp

ScreenAge BootCamp (SABC) is the first online coaching platform to offer a series of integrated online courses and support communities for parents who are overwhelmed by the challenges of parenting adolescents in the “ScreenAge.” SABC combines multimedia lessons, technology recommendations, live coaching and community support. For more information or to signup, go to: https://screenagebootcamp.com/

Press contact:

Juliet Travis, Liftoff Communications

Email: [email protected]

Cell: 510-612-9622