Clare Morell, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy center, has a new book out on June 3rd called The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones. Morell joined cultural commentator Emily Jashinsky to talk about her new book and what inspired her to write it.

For Morell, writing up policy ideas is necessary, but over time, parents kept asking her about the concrete steps they might take to protect their children. In addition, Morell was dissatisfied with the current proposals for mitigating screentime among children and so decided to write her own book. She even cites The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, which, as groundbreaking and vital as it is, could use some more advice for parents about what to do to help their own children. Haidt, it should be mentioned, has a Substack that serves as an ongoing exploration of research, policy, and solutions.

Digital Fentanyl

Morell notes how a lot of the conversations around children’s tech use boils down to moderation. How much is too much? Should screentime be allowed in the evenings, on the weekends, on road trips? This, however, misses the potency of screen usage. Morell calls screens “digital fentanyl.” She puts screens in the category of the “inherently harmful,” and so thinks the moderation approach is totally misplaced. We don’t need parents to moderate their kids’ tech use. We need them to plan a tech exit.

Maximally Addicting

Social media apps like Snapchat are built to be what Morell calls “maximally addicting.” While feigning interest in children’s mental health, Big Tech companies do nothing to show it. In fact, executives actually know, in many cases, that their products are hampering children’s development and damaging their mental health. The company also gets thousands of complaints about sextortion every month. A lot of these complaints, given the primary demographics that use the app, involve children and teens.

Detox and Go Outside

“It’s possible to reset a child’s brain,” says Morell. Despite how bad tech addiction can get for a child, it is possible for the brain to heal and reform itself. Outdoor play, which Haidt highly recommends in his own work, is a good place to start. Parents need to take away the phones for thirty days and replace that time with time outdoors. Natural childlike creativity and joy (and mischief) will inevitably result.

Haidt’s book especially seemed to turn the tide against Big Tech’s manipulative practices and create bipartisan concern over digital technology’s impact on children’s mental health. More schools are going phone-free. State governments are waking up to the crises. Morell’s book looks to be a welcome addition to the conversation. Policy helps. So do concrete steps that parents can take to protect children from the dangers of the online life.