247. Tween and Teen Screen Time: What Parents Need to Know About Healthy Use, Red Flags, and AI

247. Tween and Teen Screen Time: What Parents Need to Know About Healthy Use, Red Flags, and AI

Author: Therese Connolly March 24, 2026 Duration: 39:42

Is your tween or teen’s screen time healthy, or is it becoming a real problem?

Parents ask this all the time, and the answer is not as simple as counting hours. In this episode, Tess Connolly talks with physician and digital wellbeing expert Dr. Sajita Setia about what actually matters when it comes to tween and teen screen time, digital health, sleep, social connection, red flags, and AI.

This conversation goes beyond the usual “how many hours is too much?” debate. Tess and Dr. Setia break down how parents can tell the difference between healthy device use and harmful patterns, what warning signs to watch for, why sleep is one of the biggest overlooked factors, and how AI is already changing childhood and adolescence.

They also discuss the difference between “bloom scrolling” and “doom scrolling,” why devices in bedrooms are such a problem, and what parents can do right now to build more connection instead of more conflict.

If you are parenting a tween or teen and feeling behind, overwhelmed, or worried about screen time, this episode will help you:

  • understand what healthy screen use actually looks like
  • spot early red flags around problematic use
  • protect your child’s sleep, mood, and mental health
  • think more clearly about AI and kids
  • feel more confident setting limits without constant power struggles

Listen in, then share this episode with another parent who is trying to figure out how to navigate phones, social media, gaming, and AI with their child.

If this conversation resonates, make sure you’re on my email list for more support around parenting tweens and teens, screen time, connection, and emotional health.

Learn more about Dr. Sajita Setia and her work at https://sajitasetia.com/

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication


Navigating the tween and teen years alone comes with a unique set of daily tests, from managing defiance to negotiating screen time in a connected world. Single Parenting Reset Show: For Solo Parents of Tweens and Teens is here for that journey. Hosted by Therese Connolly, a licensed clinical social worker and family coach, this podcast moves beyond theory to offer actionable steps you can use immediately. Therese draws on both professional expertise and a genuine understanding of the solo parent reality, where you’re the only one setting boundaries and mending fences. Conversations focus on turning behavioral challenges into opportunities for growth, finding realistic ways to pull kids from their devices, and fostering a home where communication actually works. You’ll hear strategies for building your own confidence as a parent while strengthening your family’s connections, all without the sugar-coating. This is a space for single moms and dads seeking real-life support, where every episode aims to provide a practical reset for the week ahead. Tune in for a blend of compassionate guidance and concrete tools designed specifically for the solo parent raising adolescents.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Single Parenting Reset Show: For Solo Parents of Tweens and Teens — Manage Behavior Problems, Reduce Screen Time & Improve Communication
Podcast Episodes
274. Teen Behavior Problems: What Parents Should Do First [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:53
If your teen's behavior has been pushing every button lately—attitude, eye rolling, lying, shutting down, refusing to help, or constant battles over screens—you are not alone. Many parents start to wonder if they've lost…
273. How to Stop Arguing With a Teen Without Losing Connection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:24
Does every conversation with your teen seem to turn into an argument?You ask about homework, and they snap back. You remind them about a chore, and they roll their eyes. You bring up the phone, the attitude, the curfew,…
271. 3 Scripts to Handle Teen Attitude Without Losing Your Cool [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:21
Does your teen’s attitude instantly pull you into a fight?The eye rolls.The sarcasm.The “whatever.”The rude tone.The way one comment can shift the whole mood in your home.If you are parenting a tween or teen, teen attitu…
270. When Consequences Stop Working With Your Teen: What to Do Instead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:33
Your teen misses curfew. You take away the phone. They shrug.Your tween talks back. You ground them. They say, “Whatever.”You try to follow through, but nothing changes.If consequences have stopped working with your teen…
269.  The Exact Words to Say When Your Teenager Refuses to Listen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:09
Do you feel like you repeat yourself all day long with your teenager?In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW shares practical parenting scripts that help reduce power struggles and improve communication with tweens and teen…
268. Why Gentle Parenting Isn't Working (And What To Do Instead) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:24
Do you ever feel stuck between being the "too soft" parent who gets walked all over and the "strict" one who yells and regrets it later?Many single parents find themselves swinging between two extremes—permissive parenti…