Hello Reader!

I hope this newsletter finds you like a first sip of coffee or that evening cup of tea—comforting, energizing, and perhaps offering a small moment to pause before the day begins or ends.

I can't believe it's already June.

When I first started Infinite Screentime, I used to send seasonal updates sharing what I was learning from conversations with parents, educators, researchers, and young people. Somewhere along the way, life got busy, the work grew, and those updates became less frequent. I'd like to bring them back.

As I write this, I'm sitting on the deck of a ship floating somewhere in the Mediterranean, thinking about Venice.

Did you know Venice is built on an inverted forest? Nearly 10 million wooden piles were driven deep into the marshy lagoon floor, creating the foundation for one of the most remarkable cities in human history. It's an astonishing feat of engineering. A technology of its time. And those who learned how to build upon it flourished.

It struck me that every generation inherits technologies that reshape the landscape around them.

Today, our children are growing up on a different kind of infrastructure—smartphones, social media, AI, gaming platforms, algorithms, and digital networks that increasingly shape how they learn, connect, create, and understand themselves.

The technology is here whether we like it or not.

The question is: What are we building on top of it?

That's the purpose of this newsletter.

Not to tell you what to think. Not to offer simple answers. But to share stories, research, questions, and observations from the front lines of parenting and education in a digital age. My hope is that each edition helps us move beyond fear and toward understanding, beyond judgment and toward curiosity.

In this issue, you'll find a few of the conversations, ideas, and people that have been shaping my thinking lately.

I'm glad you're here!

The Screen Wasn't the Story. The Relationship Was.

I reread this article in SCMP several times because it's far more nuanced than "gaming is good" or "gaming is bad." What stood out wasn't the screens—it was the relationships. A new Hong Kong study suggests that when parents participate in their children's gaming worlds, trust, communication, and connection often follow. That's a conversation worth having. Here is my commentary about it:

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Heard Around Infinite Halls

The biggest news from Infinite Screentime has, of course, been the launch of the podcast. After many months of conversations, recording, editing, and planning, seeing Infinite Halls finally out in the world felt a little like releasing tiny sparks of stories into the ether.

And people are listening! As of writing this newsletter, Infinite Halls has already surpassed 100 downloads.

Thank you to everyone who has listened, shared an episode, or sent a note of encouragement.

“Don’t tell them what to do. You have to learn how to be a good bystander and just say, I’m worried about this.” -- Christine Go from EP 1 "Unboxing a Future"

S1 | EP1: Unboxing a Future... Jun 3 · Infinite Halls: Real Sto... 31:39   ​

A new story launches in...

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... and I can't wait for you to hear it. It's a conversation about how technology from the future is helping kids right now—opening doors to communication, connection, and possibilities that previous generations could only imagine.

One Minute. One Idea. Every Tuesday.

Every Tuesday, I share one small idea to help families navigate technology with a little more intention and a little less anxiety.

Tips on Tuesday isn’t about controlling screens—it’s about understanding them. Through simple activities, conversation starters, and thoughtful observations, we explore the skills that matter most in a digital age: creativity, critical thinking, self-awareness, empathy, and connection. If you’re a parent trying to raise humans (not just manage devices), I’d love to have you join the conversation on Instagram.

When You Meet Your Screentime Squadmate

There are moments when something small turns into something much more meaningful than you expected.

Last June, during my 30th Wellesley reunion, I sat down for coffee with Dr. Linda Charmaraman, whose research I had long admired. What struck me wasn't just what she studies, but how she approaches it—centering youth voices, holding both the risks and possibilities of digital life, and resisting easy answers. In a very Wellesley way, one conversation quickly became an idea: we should continue this conversation in Hong Kong.

Last month, that idea became a room full of parents, educators, and community members exploring what it means to raise humans in a digital world.

I'm deeply grateful to Victoria Shanghai Academy for supporting Linda's visit and to the remarkable leaders who are thoughtfully investing in the intersection of technology, education, and wellbeing. I had the opportunity to participate in a Digital Wellbeing panel alongside Andrew Chiu, Head of Technology and Innovation (Secondary) at Victoria Shanghai Academy, and Dr. Cecilia Yuxi Zhou, Assistant Professor at The Education University of Hong Kong.

One theme emerged again and again: the goal is not simply protecting children from technology, but helping them flourish with it. Rather than focusing only on risks and restrictions, we discussed how parents can nurture healthy habits, strong relationships, critical skills, and the values that help young people thrive both online and offline. Flourishing happens when we move beyond fear and black-and-white thinking and embrace technology as a tool for connection, learning, creativity, and resilience.

I'm also grateful to the Wellesley community in Hong Kong for doing what it does so well: bringing people together around important questions. What stayed with me most wasn't a single insight, but a shared willingness to sit with complexity, listen deeply, and learn from one another.

If you're not familiar with Linda's work at the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab at the Wellesley Centers for Women, it's well worth exploring. Her research continues to challenge simplistic narratives and offers a more hopeful, nuanced vision of young people's digital lives.

Gathering Stories for Season 2

With Season One now recorded, edited, and scheduled to arrive in your feed every two weeks, my attention is already turning toward the next set of conversations.

What fascinates me most is that there is no single "right" way to parent through technology. This summer, I'll be interviewing families and communities approaching the challenge from very different angles: parents involved in movements to delay smartphones and social media, families guided by faith-based values, households navigating technology multi-generationally with the grandparents as co-parents, and even families making decisions driven by a healthy dose of FOMO. Beneath all these different approaches is the same question: How do we raise thoughtful, resilient humans in a digital world?

I'm also thrilled to have Wellesley student Lucy Lyu joining the project this summer. Lucy somehow manages to have more podcast experience than the rest of us combined because she produced an award winning series in high school, and now she's helping organize interviews, shape stories, and bring fresh energy to what comes next for Infinite Halls.

As always, if you know a family with an interesting technology story, hit reply. The best conversations often start with a simple question around a kitchen table.

Share Me and Share the Love!

Know a parent who's currently negotiating screen time, debating AI, hiding from Instagram, or wondering if they're the only one figuring this out as they go? Forward this their way. We're all just comparing notes.

OMG! This took me so lonng to write, I need to start writing my summer round up now! LOL.

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