At The Woods Academy, we believe that raising children in a digital world requires more than managing devices — it needs nurturing character, balance, and discernment.
During a recent Coffee & Conversation for parents, Director of Technology Eric Smith and Assistant Head of School Jodie Schoemaker led a thought-provoking discussion on “A Parent’s Guide to Screentime & Devices.” Drawing insights from Jonathan Haidt’s Anxious Generation and Richard Culatta’s Digital for Good: Raising Kids to Thrive in an Online World, the session explored how families can help children grow into responsible, confident digital citizens who use technology with purpose and integrity.
Two Paths Forward: Raising Digital Natives
Smith and Schoemaker presented two key frameworks shaping the national conversation on youth and technology:
- The Anxious Generation warns that the decline of play-based childhood and the rise of phone-based living have contributed to increasing anxiety, depression, and loneliness in young people.
- Digital for Good takes a proactive view, emphasizing that the goal isn’t to remove technology, but to teach children the skills and values to thrive in a connected world.
At The Woods Academy, we embrace this balanced approach — one that combines clear boundaries with intentional skill-building.
The Woods Academy’s Approach to Digital Well-Being
Our goal is not simply to limit technology, but to help children understand its power and responsibility. Through classroom lessons, advisory sessions, and daily routines, Woods students learn how to use technology in alignment with our school’s core values: respect, compassion, community, and integrity.
Some of the ways this comes to life include:
- Digital Citizenship & Media Literacy:
- Beginning in Lower School, students learn how to identify reliable information, recognize online bias, and interact respectfully in digital spaces.
- In Middle School Advisory, discussions center on topics like managing social media, online safety, and digital empathy — helping students navigate real-world scenarios before they arise.
- Technology in Balance:
- A no-phone and no-smartwatch policy ensures students stay present, focused, and engaged with their peers and teachers.
- Chromebooks are used intentionally — as tools for collaboration, research, and creativity, not distraction.
- Teachers model healthy tech habits and guide students to understand when and how to step away from screens.
- Character Education Integrated Daily:
- Through programs like our Prayer Partners, students learn that kindness, curiosity, and responsibility apply both online and offline.
- When a tech-related challenge arises, our educators see it as a teachable moment — reinforcing that choices in the digital world reflect one’s character in the real one.
Five Principles for Positive Digital Habits
Parents were encouraged to use these five principles as a foundation for building digital well-being at home:
- Be Balanced. Encourage online activities that support creativity, communication, and learning — balanced with physical play and family time.
- Be Informed. Teach children to think critically, question what they read, and discern fact from misinformation.
- Be Inclusive. Model empathy and kindness in every online interaction.
- Be Engaged. Use technology as a force for good — to learn new skills, solve problems, and make positive contributions.
- Be Alert. Discuss openly the importance of online safety, privacy, and maintaining a positive digital footprint.
Skill-Building and Guardrails: A Dual Approach
Smith and Shoemaker emphasized that thriving in the digital world requires both skills and guardrails.
Skill-Building at Home:
- Create tech-free zones (like bedrooms and mealtimes).
- Delay smartphones until at least the 8th grade.
- Wait until age 16 for social media use.
- Use parental controls and review online activity together.
Guardrails at School:
- Enforce phone-free learning environments.
- Integrate digital citizenship lessons in every grade.
- Provide structured guidance through homeroom, advisory, and counseling programs.
This partnership between home and school helps ensure that every child learns not just how to use technology, but how to lead with integrity in digital spaces.
Recommended Tools & Resources
To support families at home, Smith and Shoemaker shared these helpful tools and organizations:
- Wait Until 8th – A movement encouraging parents to delay smartphones until 8th grade
- Common Sense Media – Family tech planners and parental control guides
- Parents’ Ultimate Guide to Parental Controls
- Bark, Qustodio, NetNanny, Aura
Continuing the Conversation
Technology will continue to evolve — and so will the challenges and opportunities it brings. At The Woods Academy, we are committed to partnering with parents to ensure our students develop not only the academic skills to succeed but also the character and judgment to lead with confidence in every part of their lives.
Together, we can raise a generation of curious, compassionate, and digitally balanced Mighty Owls who are ready to thrive in both the real and virtual worlds.