Prevent children from owning smartphones before high school, opting instead for flip phones or simple phone watches, to avoid giving them constant access to the entire internet and its potential harms during critical developmental periods.
Restrict children from using social media platforms until they are 16 years old, as these platforms are deemed unsafe and expose them to harmful content and performative pressures during a sensitive developmental period.
Advocate for and implement school policies that require students to lock up their phones (e.g., in lockers or pouches) during the school day to eliminate distractions and foster a learning environment, preventing constant conflict with kids who cannot help but check their devices.
Actively promote unstructured outdoor play, independent exploration, and real-world responsibilities for children to restore a fun, adventurous childhood and develop crucial social and self-supervision skills, rather than leaving them to a phone-based childhood.
Engage with parents of your children’s friends to collectively implement phone policies and encourage free play, ensuring your child doesn’t feel isolated or deprived by the changes and fostering a shared community norm.
Dedicate one day a week, like “Free Play Friday,” with no scheduled activities, allowing children to gather, play independently, and have real-world experiences, potentially with a small allowance for fun, making it an exciting alternative to screen time.
Enroll children in summer camps that enforce a phone ban to provide them with a crucial digital detox, fostering healthy social interactions, personal development, and a return to their natural personality.
Promote involvement in team sports and religious communities for children, as these activities are shown to be highly protective of mental health and foster a sense of belonging, cooperation, and community rooting.
Promote children’s participation in cooperative musical activities like playing in a band, orchestra, or singing in a choir, as this fosters neuroplasticity, broad brain connectivity, and self-transcendent experiences through synchrony and attunement.
Support legislation that prevents independent child play (e.g., an 8-year-old walking to a store) from being considered evidence of child neglect, thereby encouraging parents to allow children more freedom to explore and play unsupervised without fear of legal repercussions.
Contact your state and national legislators to express strong support for the Kids Online Safety Act (COSA), a critical bill aimed at implementing age verification and regulating social media for minors.
Engage in conversations with friends, family, and other parents about the problems and solutions presented in “The Anxious Generation” (anxiousgeneration.com) to foster collective action and normalize new, healthier behaviors for children.
Donate to Dr. Jonathan Haidt’s research and advocacy efforts via anxiousgeneration.com to support his work in understanding and addressing the mental health crisis in youth.
Donate to or support Let Grow (letgrow.org), a wonderful organization dedicated to advocating for and restoring childhood independence and free play.
Actively work to reclaim control over your attention from constant digital distractions, recognizing that this is a fundamental prerequisite for personal flourishing and effective learning, especially for students.
Turn off nearly all notifications on your phone, keeping only essential ones (e.g., Uber for arrival alerts), to drastically reduce constant interruptions and allow for greater focus and an interior life.
Delete social media applications from your smartphone; if necessary, access them only via a computer to reduce constant availability, break compulsive checking habits, and free up mental space.
Regularly take walks in beautiful environments, moving slowly, without headphones or your phone, to simply observe and notice your surroundings, fostering feelings of awe, reducing anxiety, and developing a deeper connection to the world.
Ensure that phones are put away during meals to foster present social interaction, mutual attention, and a fuller experience of eating and family time, modeling healthy collective behavior.
Recognize and actively prioritize sleep as the fundamental basis for overall mental health, physical health, and performance, ensuring adequate rest for optimal functioning.
To improve sleep quality, ensure your mattress is tailored to your specific sleeping posture (back, side, stomach) and temperature preferences (hot or cold sleeper) for optimal comfort and support.
Dissolve one packet of LMNT in 16-32 ounces of water upon waking and during physical exercise, especially in hot conditions, to ensure adequate hydration and critical electrolyte intake (sodium, magnesium, potassium).
Take AG1 daily as a nutritional insurance policy to ensure adequate intake of vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and adaptogens for stress management, augmenting a diet of unprocessed foods.
Utilize medical-grade red light and near-infrared light devices (like Juve) to potentially improve muscle recovery, skin health, wound healing, acne, pain, inflammation, mitochondrial function, and vision.
Brew coffee with an Aeropress to achieve a perfect, non-bitter taste quickly, typically within three minutes, for an excellent daily coffee experience.