preschool screen time is up 30% since 2019. mostly from tablets and "educational" apps. we did not solve the screen time problem. we just gave it a nicer name.

93% of edtech tools have zero rigorous evidence that they work. schools spend billions on products that have never been independently tested. we would never accept this in medicine or food safety. but for the apps kids use every day? the bar is basically nonexistent.

the fastest growing screen behavior in early childhood isn't gaming or TV. it's short form video. kids ages 0 to 8 went from 1 minute per day to 14 minutes per day in four years. a 1,300% increase. and nobody designed that content for learning. it was designed for retention.

only 52% of kids ages 5 to 8 read every day now. it was 64% just a few years ago. screens filled the gap. not books. if your kid still picks up a book on their own, protect that habit. it is rarer than you think.

51% of kids under 8 now own their own mobile device. not the family tablet. their own. i keep thinking about what that means for how they spend their free time. and what they are not doing instead.

80% of parents say social media does more harm than good for kids. the real question is what are we replacing it with. because "just stop using it" isn't a plan.

hot take: the best thing you can do for a reluctant reader is stop calling them a reluctant reader. identity precedes behavior.

the schools that are winning right now aren't the ones with the biggest tech budgets. they're the ones that figured out how to use audio and storytelling to replace screen time, not add to it.

the screen time crisis isn't equal. nearly 60% of kids in poverty get 14+ hours of screen time a week. when we talk about too much screen time, we need to talk about who gets hit hardest.

67% of parents think tech companies should do more to limit kids's screen time. we're not asking for perfection. just stop building platforms designed to keep kids watching as long as possible.