General (07)
Susana Barrios
From:durfeycraig778@gmail.com
Sent:Saturday, 32 PM
To:Sam.Waldoch@asm.ca.gov; max.wernher@sen.ca.gov; senator.umberg@senate.ca.gov;
<cityclerk@ggcity.org>Attention: Limiting Distractions, Supporting Wellness/ Policy
on Student Phone Use, Cyberbullying, and Social Media Safety
Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open
attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message.
10-11-
2025
PRESS RELEASE
(P.R.D.D.C.)
PARENTS FOR THE RIGHTS OF DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED CHILDREN
CRAIG A. DURFEY FOUNDER OF P.R.D.D.C.
P.O.BOX 2001 GARDEN GROVE, CA 92842
SOCIALEMOTIONALPAWS.COM
FACEBOOK: CRAIG DURFEY
U.S. HOUSE OF CONGRESS H2404 - HONORING CRAIG DURFEY FOR HIS FIGHT AGAINST AUTISM
... Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California.
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2003-03-27/pdf/CREC-2003-03-27.pdf
1
new website socialemotionalpaws.org
The Honorable Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
1430 N Street, Suite 5602
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
State Board of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, CA 95814
Senator Tony Strickland
1021 O Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-4036
Senate Education Committee
1021 O Street, Room 6740
Sacramento, CA 95814
SEDN.committee@senate.ca.gov
Phone: (916) 651-4105
Senate Health Committee
1021 O Street, Room 3310
Sacramento , CA 95814
SHEA.Committee@senate.ca.gov
Phone: (916) 651-4111
Assembly Education Committee
Address
1020 N Street, Room 159
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone
(916) 319-2087
Assembly Business and Professions Committee
Address
1020 N Street, Room 379
Sacramento, CA 95814
2
Phone
(916) 319-3301
Assembly Health Committee
Address
1020 N Street, Room 390
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone
(916) 319-2097
Assemblyman Tri Ta
1021 O Street, suite 5540,
Sacramento CA 95814
(916) 319-2070
Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal
1021 O Street, suite 8320,
Sacramento CA 95814
(916) 319-2069
Craig Durfey
My last press release called will CA State legislators and now U.S. Congress
address professional standards to prevent child Federal with states training to
prevent emotional harm abuse gap from screentime, CA SCR 736 year 2019 blue
light harm yet from field work we don’t have any true awareness with screentime
at birth through the critical child’s brain development. Dr Richard Freed book
Better than Life says social media education degrades and it’s an extension
labor, to Esports has been label as a sport it’s not very addictive yet many
schools have the activate causing medical harm to all sorts from it to behavior
issues unwanted in schools, within the this email with will find evidence to my
website in depth. We don’t have schools prepared or oversight to prevent activity
screentime the sampling their don’t know how much screentime during the day
the only on who has a policy with much more needs to be done for Laguna Beach
Unified School District Board of Education CA.
New laws enacted by CA State to address related to social media screentime
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/sb-976-protecting-our-kids-from-
social-media-addiction-act2023--1
3
to address Great opportunity to utilize space address awareness the screentime
addictions, cognitive delay, brain rot, anxieties by presentation. From website
Anxious Nation is a feature documentary Anxious Nation is a feature documentary
focusing on the epidemic anxious-nation-is-a-feature-documentary-focusing-on-the-
epidemic focusing on the epidemic of anxiety among our youth with SCR 73 Blue
light to CA State 63 commission to report back AB 1282, Lowenthal.
To request early advancement of the date to now report and enact funding Mental
health: impacts of social media124270.1. (a) The department, in consultation with
the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, shall
report to the Senate and Assembly Committees on Health, the Senate Committee
on Judiciary, the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection, and
other relevant policy committees of the Legislature, a statewide strategy to
understand, communicate, and mitigate mental health risks associated with the
use of social media by children and youth. The report shall include all of the
following:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB12
82 and https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/ab-56-social-media-warning-
labels2025-2026
AB-638 Mental Health Services Act: early intervention and prevention programs
Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), an initiative measure enacted by the voters
as Proposition 63
(e) Prevention and early intervention funds may be used to broaden the provision
of community-based mental health services by adding prevention and early
intervention services or activities to these services, including prevention and
early intervention strategies that address mental health needs, substance misuse
or substance use disorders, or needs relating to cooccurring mental health and
substance use services.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB63
8
The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) (42 U.S.C.A. ...
"Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results
in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation"; or.
"An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm."
PEDIATRICIANS URGE PARENTS TO LIMIT KIDS’ “SCREEN TIME” OCT 28,2013
EIGHT YEARS AGO NEWS STORY CAUSING It's been linked with violence, cyber
bullying, school woes, obesity, lack of sleep and a host of other problems. It's not
a major cause of these troubles, but "many parents are clueless" about the
4
profound impact media exposure can have on their children, said Dr. Victor
Strasburger, lead author of the new American Academy of Pediatrics policy.
Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education Resolution No. 25-20
Supporting Efforts to Optimize Computer Screen Time and Reduce Excessive
Computer Screen Time. LBUSD Board Meetings School Board Meeting - August
14, 2025 (Open Session) The board meeting agenda item technology screen time
was posted on YouTube at Resolution No. 25-20 Supporting Efforts to Optimize
Computer Screen Time and Reduce Excessive Computer Screen Time - Google Docs AT
47 minutes and 17 seconds: School Board Meeting - August 14, 2025 (Open Session)
YouTube ending at two hours and eighteen minutes.
Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education from their board
meeting with interest I support their efforts to move forward to desire to be first
as the founder with eight years advocating for change want to say thank you with
limited information from the Dept of education as you listen, we are delaying true
wellness over silos in government.
The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) (42 U.S.C.A. ...
"Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results
in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation"; or.
"An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm."
PEDIATRICIANS URGE PARENTS TO LIMIT KIDS’ “SCREEN TIME” OCT 28,2013
EIGHT YEARS AGO NEWS STORY CAUSING It's been linked with violence, cyber
bullying, school woes, obesity, lack of sleep and a host of other problems. It's not
a major cause of these troubles, but "many parents are clueless" about the
profound impact media exposure can have on their children, said Dr. Victor
Strasburger, lead author of the new American Academy of Pediatrics policy.
AB-1043 Age verification signals: software applications and online services.(
2025-2026)
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/ab-1043-age-verification-signals-software-
applications-and-onlin
SB 976, Skinner. Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act. Existing
law, the California Age-Appropriate
Design Code Act, requires, beginning July 1, 2024,
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/sb-976-protecting-our-kids-from-
social-media-addiction-act2023--1
5
AB-56 social media: warning labels.(2025-2026)
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/ab-56-social-media-warning-
labels2025-2026
Foot notes below:
LBUSD Board Meetings School Board Meeting - August 14, 2025 (Open Session)
The board meeting agenda item technology screen time was posted on YouTube
at
The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) (42 U.S.C.A. ...
"Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results
in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation"; or.
"An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm."
PEDIATRICIANS URGE PARENTS TO LIMIT KIDS’ “SCREEN TIME” OCT 28,2013
EIGHT YEARS AGO NEWS STORY CAUSING It's been linked with violence, cyber
bullying, school woes, obesity, lack of sleep and a host of other problems. It's not
a major cause of these troubles, but "many parents are clueless" about the
profound impact media exposure can have on their children, said Dr. Victor
Strasburger, lead author of the new American Academy of Pediatrics policy.
AB-1043 Age verification signals: software applications and online services.(
2025-2026)
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/ab-1043-age-verification-signals-software-
applications-and-onlin
SB 976, Skinner. Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act. Existing
law, the California Age-Appropriate
Design Code Act, requires, beginning July 1, 2024,
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/sb-976-protecting-our-kids-from-
social-media-addiction-act2023--1
AB-56 social media: warning labels.(2025-2026)
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/ab-56-social-media-warning-
labels2025-2026
District Device and Social Media Policy
Policy on Student Phone Use, Cyberbullying, and Social Media Safety
BP 5131.8 Reclaiming Attention: Limiting Distractions, Supporting Wellness
Policy on Student Phone Use, Cyberbullying, and Social Media Safety
6
https://www.lbschools.net/about/cellphone-policy/home
Laguna Beach Unified School District
Board of Education Resolution No. 25-20 Supporting Efforts to Optimize
Computer Screen Time and Reduce Excessive Computer Screen Time
Resolution No. 25-20 Supporting Efforts to Optimize Computer Screen Time and Reduce
Excessive Computer Screen Time - Google Docs
Digital Madness: How Social Media Is Driving Our Mental Health Crisis--and How
to Restore Our Sanity Hardcover – September 13, 2022
by Nicholas Kardaras (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (61) 3.5 on Goodreads 411 ratings
See all formats and editions
From the author of the provocative and influential Glow Kids, Digital Madness
explores how we’ve become mad for our devices as our devices are driving us
mad, as revolutionary research reveals technology's damaging effect on mental
illness and suicide rates―and offers a way out.
Dr. Nicholas Kardaras is at the forefront of psychologists sounding the alarm
about the impact of excessive technology on younger brains. In Glow Kids, he
described what screen time does to children, calling it “digital heroin”. Now, in
Digital Madness, Dr. Kardaras turns his attention to our teens and young adults
and looks at the mental health impact of tech addiction and corrosive social
media.
In Digital Madness, Dr. Kardaras answers the question of why young people’s
mental health is deteriorating as we become a more technologically advanced
society. While enthralled with shiny devices and immersed in Instagram, TikTok,
Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat, our young people are struggling with record
rates of depression, loneliness, anxiety, overdoses and suicide. What’s driving
this mental health epidemic? Our immersion in toxic social media has created
polarizing extremes of emotion and addictive dependency, while also acting as a
toxic "digital social contagion”, spreading a variety of psychiatric disorders.
The algorithm-fueled polarity of social media also shapes the brain's architecture
into inherently pathological and reactive "black and white" thinking―toxic for
politics and society, but also symptomatic of several mental disorders. Digital
Madness also examines how the profit-driven titans of Big Tech have created our
unhealthy tech-dependent lifestyle: sedentary, screen-staring, addicted,
depressed, isolated and empty―all in the pursuit of increased engagement, data
mining and monetization.
7
But there is a solution. Dr. Kardaras offers a path out of our crisis, using
examples from classical philosophy that encourage resilience, critical thinking
and the pursuit of sanity-sustaining purpose in people’s lives. Digital Madness is a
crucial book for parents, educators, therapists, public health professionals, and
policymakers who are searching for ways to restore our young people’s mental
and physical health.
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Madness-Driving-Crisis-
Restore/dp/125027849X/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.g1nxRGkhPeQcTFrYNhBqeJ
x6unmrdHkvVzbIA8IUAWvrVdlwH7om_Op83WUG-
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YPLHrKLpLHu4jVshIHfyE69gjdygwy1O-
9Wv2QCjvc0IpG_X6KSz6iNRyZieqE3tvPeTUGIyp2LkiCaUoYIC5rjV3SUYRRHFThLV
WhOBV5B_Q.9RiAtJWmD-FK9l9ODQsV7KjDHsZocqGuAxUHSRv2P-
8&dib_tag=se&keywords=digital+madness+book&qid=1760231416&sr=8-1
Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids - and How to Break the
Trance Paperback – September 26, 2017
by Nicholas Kardaras (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (1,317) 4.1 on Goodreads 2,924 ratings
See all formats and editions
From addiction expert Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, a startling argument that
technology has profoundly affected the brains of children―and not for the better.
We’ve all seen them: kids hypnotically staring at glowing screens in restaurants,
in playgrounds and in friends' houses―and the numbers are growing. Like a virtual
scourge, the illuminated glowing faces―the Glow Kids―are multiplying. But at
what cost? Is this just a harmless indulgence or fad like some sort of digital hula-
hoop? Some say that glowing screens might even be good for kids―a form of
interactive educational tool.
Don’t believe it.
In Glow Kids, Dr. Nicholas Kardaras will examine how technology―more
specifically, age-inappropriate screen tech, with all of its glowing ubiquity―has
profoundly affected the brains of an entire generation. Brain imaging research is
showing that stimulating glowing screens are as dopaminergic (dopamine
activating) to the brain’s pleasure center as sex. And a growing mountain of
clinical research correlates screen tech with disorders like ADHD, addiction,
anxiety, depression, increased aggression, and even psychosis. Most shocking of
8
all, recent brain imaging studies conclusively show that excessive screen
exposure can neurologically damage a young person’s developing brain in the
same way that cocaine addiction can.
Kardaras will dive into the sociological, psychological, cultural, and economic
factors involved in the global tech epidemic with one major goal: to explore the
effect all of our wonderful shiny new technology is having on kids. Glow Kids also
includes an opt-out letter and a "quiz" for parents in the back of the book.
https://www.amazon.com/Glow-Kids-Screen-Addiction-
Hijacking/dp/1250146550/ref=sr_1_2?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.g1nxRGkhPeQcTFrYNhBqe
Jx6unmrdHkvVzbIA8IUAWvrVdlwH7om_Op83WUG-
5lJyV7WMy9kKfYnPx0YwpDP6RiYkX0Hgt4ZXpJggVSEqTA_xTxRMQEjT2bhvr_OSt
YPLHrKLpLHu4jVshIHfyE69gjdygwy1O-
9Wv2QCjvc0IpG_X6KSz6iNRyZieqE3tvPeTUGIyp2LkiCaUoYIC5rjV3SUYRRHFThLV
WhOBV5B_Q.9RiAtJWmD-FK9l9ODQsV7KjDHsZocqGuAxUHSRv2P-
8&dib_tag=se&keywords=digital+madness+book&qid=1760231416&sr=8-2
Wired Child: Reclaiming Childhood in a Digital Age Paperback – March 12, 2015
by Richard Freed (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (90) 4.0 on Goodreads 78 ratings
See all formats and editions
A practical guide to building your child’s bond with family and fostering school
success amid the allure of digital screens
Kids’ obsessive use of video games, social media, and texting is eclipsing their
connections with family and school—the two most important contributors to their
well-being. The result: a generation of kids who suffer from soaring rates of
emotional and academic problems, with many falling prey to an epidemic of video
game and internet addictions.
In Wired Child, learn why a bevy of social media friends won’t keep teens from
feeling empty inside and turning to cutting for relief. See how our kids have
become smartphone experts who struggle in reading, math, and the other
educational basics that colleges consider in deciding admissions.
Wired Child gives you the confidence and skills you need to safely navigate your
children through a rapidly shifting media landscape. Dr. Freed offers concrete
parenting strategies that will help you create the strong family kids need and
encourage their school success. You’ll also learn how to protect kids from
destructive tech addictions, and instead guide them to use technology
productively as a positive force for their future.
9
https://www.amazon.com/Wired-Child-Reclaiming-Childhood-
Digital/dp/150321169X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YBL5K411TCXX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QNM
aWbr90I472sUyArBhyGfxMkrHPMge_ARch8rRWwo.4XydpfsvTNMukWwn1J2lLiUJh
apTxmnZBxPjYxuaCjs&dib_tag=se&keywords=dr+richard+freed&qid=1760231900
&sprefix=dr+richard+fre%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-1
Better Than Real Life: The Secret Science Addicting Kids to Screens—and How to
Save Childhood Paperback – June 18, 2025
by Richard Freed (Author)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars (45)
See all formats and editions
The hidden science addicting kids... stealing childhood
“It’s just a game”… “Social media is how kids talk today”… “Online video is just
like TV”
If these claims are true, why can’t kids look up from their screens? Why are
children and teens turning their backs on family, school, the outdoors, and all
things real world to live on phones and video game players?
Richard Freed, a child and adolescent psychologist, reveals why in his book
Better Than Real Life, as he unveils Silicon Valley’s secret science of persuasive
design. The psychological science is so powerful that it is able to persuade
youth, at a genetic level, that sitting sedentary on playtime screens is better than
running and playing, better than engaging with school, better than spending time
with family. The result is a tragic public health crisis for kids.
Dr. Freed—who has devoted his career to exposing what’s hiding behind kids’
screens and who has been featured in the New York Times and Wall Street
Journal—asks a crucial question: “Who’s protecting the kids?” He shows that
leading “health based” institutions, which claim to shield children, are actually
funded by industry and promote unsafe screens.
Parents and others who care for youth need the truth about the impact of
consumer tech on kids and how to provide them healthy and happy lives. Freed
uncovers how a small group of tech-involved parents is rejecting the push to put
kids on screens to instead provide their own children a science-based childhood
focused on real-life activities.
Better Than Real Life shows how you can provide your kids the healthy lives they
need—in the real world. Get the book today.
10
https://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Real-Life-
Screens/dp/B0FDQYFKPW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HXIG6N7A6H6D&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zkK
C9qkoNHZ8Blm90-U6Aw.TTa6_s6oWoqa5YzjfukpzOisKFfqKCcQhps-
9kPvZ7g&dib_tag=se&keywords=dr+richard+freed+better+than+life&qid=1760232
898&sprefix=dr+richard+freed+better+than+life%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-1
Parenting in the Screen Age: A Guide for Calm Conversations Paperback –
September 16, 2020
by Delaney Ruston MD (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (38) 4.1 on Goodreads 39 ratings
See all formats and editions
Does every conversation with your child or teen about screen time blow up into a
fight? Or maybe you avoid bringing up the topic but silently harbor worry and
frustration. How can you better understand what you’re up against — and most
importantly, ensure the healthiest screen time possible? In Parenting in the
Screen Age, award-winning filmmaker, and mental health advocate Dr. Delaney
Ruston distills more than a decade of communications research into a definitive
guide for today’s parents. Packed with evidence-based insights on screen time
from researchers, input from kids and teens, and solutions drawn from Dr.
Ruston’s own messy parenting struggles, this guide shows you how to start — and
sustain — productive family talks about technology. You’ll learn how to: Bring up
screen time without making your child or teen defensive; Talk through difficult
issues like online social cruelty, sexting, and mental health; Engage your child in
creating boundaries around Netflix, video gaming, and social media; Have screen
time limits that actually work — with less of the sneaking or arguing. During the
COVID pandemic or after, this book will help you lead your child to become more
tech-wise and life balanced — empowering them to build a healthier relationship
with our digital world, now and into their future
https://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Screen-Age-Guide-
Conversations/dp/1735639605/ref=sr_1_10?crid=JUXQP4CFZL1O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ
9.YLYYpMr29XSjXG6sDGf0RSRl94ybjQrHX7ONsCnRUKj_63PXq9OCqaQ92YJXQPr
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d=1760233119&sprefix=screentime+book%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-10
Reset Your Child's Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and
Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time.
11
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/reset-your-childs-brain-a-four-week-
plan-to-end-meltdowns-rais-2
When reading to learn, what works best for students — printed books or digital
texts?
Reset Your Child's Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and
Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time.
Reset Your Child's Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and
Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time Audible
Logo Audible Audiobook – Unabridged
Victoria L. Dunckley MD (Author), Coleen Marlo (Narrator), Tantor Audio
(Publisher)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (718)
See all formats and editions
Increasing numbers of parents grapple with children who are acting out without
obvious reason. Revved up and irritable, many of these children are diagnosed
with ADHD, bipolar illness, autism, or other disorders, but don't respond well to
treatment. They are then medicated, often with poor results and unwanted side
effects. Based on emerging scientific research and extensive clinical experience,
integrative child psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Dunckley has pioneered a four-week
program to treat the frequent underlying cause, Electronic Screen Syndrome
(ESS).
Dr. Dunckley has found that everyday use of interactive screen devices - such as
computers, video games, smartphones, and tablets - can easily overstimulate a
child's nervous system, triggering a variety of stubborn symptoms. In contrast,
she's discovered that a strict electronic fast single-handedly improves mood,
focus, sleep, and behavior, regardless of the child's diagnosis. Offered now in this
audiobook, this simple intervention can produce a life-changing shift in brain
function - all without cost or medication. Dr. Dunckley provides hope for parents
who feel that their child has been misdiagnosed or inappropriately medicated, by
presenting an alternative explanation for their child's difficulties and a concrete
plan for treating them.
https://www.amazon.com/Reset-Your-Childs-Brain-
audiobook/dp/B07CLC9S1Z/ref=sr_1_6?crid=JUXQP4CFZL1O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y
LYYpMr29XSjXG6sDGf0RcOWkYK0BY7I8xqVsqYYDzorVKKjxwYOfWbjDCwAi5s7x
d5O4q-
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12
4yigiFTJg2hku-ANstsjIcF6FOi3b_A82Sw5KZc0.yM1detDrtL8HwSng9h9-
26vEEt5Rku_MnNvoDMtVedk&dib_tag=se&keywords=screentime+book&qid=1760
233325&sprefix=screentime+book%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-6
Teacher pointing to raised hands in classroom
Voices
Contributor: Distance learning? Even my students will tell you that’s not the
future
May 26, 2020
We can learn a lot about the importance of print by asking students themselves.
Overwhelmingly, college students report they concentrate, learn or remember
best with paper, according to my research and studies conducted by colleagues.
For instance, students say that when reading hard copy, “everything sinks in
more” and can be pictured “more vividly.” When reading digitally, they admit they
get distracted by things like online social media or YouTube.
However, not all students relish reading in print. Several of the more than 400 I
surveyed commented that digital texts seemed shorter than the print versions
(when they’re actually the same length) or declared that digital is more
entertaining and print can be boring. They said things like digital screens “keep
me awake” or “print can tire you out really fast” no matter how interesting the
book.
Such attitudes support research that finds when students are allowed to choose
how much time to spend reading a passage, many speed more quickly through
the digital version — and do worse on the comprehension test.
Reading digitally only started becoming a norm about a decade ago, thanks to
advancements in technology and consumer products such as e-readers and tablet
computers. Meanwhile, another seismic shift was beginning to happen in
education. Academic courses, and then whole degree programs, became
available online at universities before such technology-driven offerings
percolated down through the lower grades.
As academic e-books made their way onto the market, students and faculty alike
saw these more affordable digital versions as a way to combat the high cost of
print textbooks. Open educational resources — teaching and learning materials
available free (almost always online) — also became another popular option.
In 2012, the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Communications
Commission unveiled a plan for all K-12 schools to transition from print to digital
13
textbooks by 2017. The rationale? Improve education, but also cost savings. The
big three textbook publishers (Pearson, McGraw-Hill Education, and Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt) were quick to develop digital initiatives for K-12 materials. The
pace accelerated in higher education as well, most recently with inclusive-
access models, where publishers provide reduced-price digital texts to all course
enrollees.
Regrettably, both the textbook industry and school decision-makers rushed to
embrace digital reading platforms without assessing potential educational
implications. Yet below the radar, teachers and students have often recognized
the educational mismatch.
A recent survey by the research group Bay View Analytics found that 43% of
college faculty believe students learn better with print materials — the same
message students have been sending, when we bother to ask. Yes, cost issues
need to be addressed, and yes, digital has a vital place in contemporary
education. But so does print.
There’s a pressing need to rethink the balance between print and digital learning
tools. When choosing educational materials, educators — and parents — have to
consider many factors, including subject matter, cost, and convenience.
However, it’s also important to remember that research findings usually tip the
scales toward print as a more effective learning tool.
What can parents and educators do? For starters, explore students’ perceptions
about which reading medium helps them concentrate and learn more easily.
Conduct a short survey and discuss the results with students in class or at home.
Make sure everyone who has a stake in students’ education — teachers,
librarians, administrators and parents — thinks about the consequences of their
choices.
The pandemic drove society to educational triage, not just by pivoting to digital
materials but also by reducing curricular rigor. As schools continue to reopen and
rethink their educational goals, research about learning should be used to help
find the right balance between screens and print in the digital age.
Naomi S. Baron is professor emerita of linguistics at American University and
author of “How We Read Now: Strategic Choices for Print, Screen, and Audio.”
Op-Ed: Do students learn best via printed books or digital texts? - Los Angeles
Times
14
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/valley-high-celebrates-renovated-
arts-centergreat-oportunity-for
Reset Your Child's Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and
Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time Audible
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Victoria L. Dunckley MD (Author), Coleen Marlo (Narrator), Tantor Audio
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Increasing numbers of parents grapple with children who are acting out without
obvious reason. Revved up and irritable, many of these children are diagnosed
with ADHD, bipolar illness, autism, or other disorders, but don't respond well to
treatment. They are then medicated, often with poor results and unwanted side
effects. Based on emerging scientific research and extensive clinical experience,
integrative child psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Dunckley has pioneered a four-week
program to treat the frequent underlying cause, Electronic Screen Syndrome
(ESS).
Dr. Dunckley has found that everyday use of interactive screen devices - such as
computers, video games, smartphones, and tablets - can easily overstimulate a
child's nervous system, triggering a variety of stubborn symptoms. In contrast,
she's discovered that a strict electronic fast single-handedly improves mood,
focus, sleep, and behavior, regardless of the child's diagnosis. Offered now in this
audiobook, this simple intervention can produce a life-changing shift in brain
function - all without cost or medication. Dr. Dunckley provides hope for parents
who feel that their child has been misdiagnosed or inappropriately medicated, by
presenting an alternative explanation for their child's difficulties and a concrete
plan for treating them.
https://www.amazon.com/Reset-Your-Childs-Brain-
audiobook/dp/B07CLC9S1Z/ref=sr_1_6?crid=JUXQP4CFZL1O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y
LYYpMr29XSjXG6sDGf0RcOWkYK0BY7I8xqVsqYYDzorVKKjxwYOfWbjDCwAi5s7x
d5O4q-
TwhtE7BPXfSM9Rt9Rd7e1hAraHTpmZNwx4R_lm4NumP3HypdfBOQfTWTS9gmtdp
XXE_A89D1OAGM3RqTVU8HFu5FOludUgaAXSON2gMfbqn_vdviNoW_kCVmW84-
4yigiFTJg2hku-ANstsjIcF6FOi3b_A82Sw5KZc0.yM1detDrtL8HwSng9h9-
26vEEt5Rku_MnNvoDMtVedk&dib_tag=se&keywords=screentime+book&qid=1760
233325&sprefix=screentime+book%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-6
15
When the text is longer than about 500 words, readers generally perform better
on comprehension tests with print passages. The superiority of print especially
shines through when experimenters go beyond questions having superficial
answers to those whose responses require inferences, details about the text, or
remembering when and where in a story an event took place.
Part of the explanation for discrepancies between print and digital test scores
involves the physical properties of paper. We often use the place in the book (at
the beginning, halfway through) or location on a page as a memory marker. But
equally important is a reader’s mental perspective. People tend to put more effort
into reading print than reading digitally.
We have great opportunity to bring awareness about experts from videos in
school location to students under SB 224 K-12 Health year 2021- 2022 education
law about screen time a link from the list have been combine into one list. Valley
High raised the curtain on its newly renovated performing arts center this week.
The $37 million project created a new professional space for students and the
community to enjoy, school officials said at Monday’s ribbon-cutting celebration.
Great opportunity to utilize space address awareness the screentime addictions,
cognitive delay, brain rot, anxieties by presentation. From website
Valley High celebrates renovated arts center/great oportunity for
Thank You
Craig Durfey
Founder of P.R.D.C.
16
9/19/25, 11:48 AM
BoardDocs® Plus
4Itt-VE
LONG BEACH
UNIFIED • SCHOOL DISTRICT
Book Policy Manual
Section Article 5 - Students
Title Reclaiming Attention: Limiting Distractions, Supporting Wellness
Code 5131.8
Status Active
Adopted September 3, 2025
Policy on Student Phone Use, Cyberbullying, and Social Media Safety
Purpose:
The Long Beach Unified School District Governing Board recognizes that while it supports the advancements and
contributions of communication science and technology, especially as tools for addressing equity challenges and
change efforts in complex systems (National Equity Project), the excessive use of smartphones, personal wireless
devices and social media in school settings is contributing to academic underperformance and a growing mental
health crisis among students nationally and globally. Researchers Louis Phillipe-Beland and Richard Murphy show
in the Journal of Labour Economics that in England, for example, restrictions on phone use caused student test
scores to improve by 6.41% of a standard deviation. "This effect is driven by the most disadvantaged and
underachieving pupils." Their research also finds that the impact of banning phones for these students
is equivalent to an additional hour a week in school, or to increasing the school year by five days (Beland, L.-P., &
Murphy, R. 2016). The Long Beach Unified School District Governing Board here distinguishes between
technology that contributes meaningfully, positively, and productively to student creativity, the educational
standards of the district, and the District's Graduate Profile, and technology that uses persuasive architecture
(Rose, J., & Macgregor, 0, 2021) to harm student's ability to achieve those goals. The addictive and disinhibited
design of social media and platform enabled technologies is significantly affecting students' attention, learning,
emotional well-being and overall school safety. This has led to increased distraction in class, students suffering
from anxiety and/or depression, increased conflict and engagement in unsafe online behaviors, and erosion of
social and emotional norms important for healthy interpersonal interaction and human development (Twenge, J.
M., Spitzberg, B. H., & Campbell, W. K., 2019). Schools are also contending with cyberbullying, exposure to
inappropriate content, and the misuse of school or district logos by anonymous social media accounts. Despite
repeated concerns, social media companies rarely intervene, leaving educators with limited tools to safeguard
students. This policy addresses the harmful impacts of excessive phone use, social media, and platform enabled
technologies in school settings, and aims to create learning environments that prioritize focus, cognitive
resilience, self -efficacy, well-being, equity, and respectful, safe interactions for all students.
It is our duty to protect students from the harmful effects of excessive phone use and social media while they are
in our care. Just as we recognize the need to attempt to safeguard them from dangers like tobacco (Baumeister,
R. F., 2017), drugs, and weapons, research now shows that social media addiction can be just as harmful.
Studies link it to rising anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and cognitive decline (Katella, K., 2024).). The
constant barrage of harmful content, curated by algorithms and machine learning using persuasive architectures
to drive target advertising strategies, combined with the dopamine -driven cycle of likes and notification nudges
are eroding students' mental health and focus and can lead to detrimental behaviors that are contrary to their
educational goals (Mark, G., 2023, p. 252) Schools should be safe spaces where students are shielded from these
dangers and common norms of Attention can be cultivated and respected (Tran, J. L., 2015). Classrooms should
serve as "attentional sanctuaries," free from distractions, where students can fully engage in learning and build
the focus needed for future success (Burnett, D. G., & Mitchell, E., 2025). By combining cell phone limits with
social media safety protocols, LBUSD will create a unified approach to enhancing student well-being, and
improving academic outcomes.
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Personal and/or Wearable Communication Device Restrictions
Personal and/or wearable communication devices such as smartphones, smart watches, smart glasses, gaming
devices, wired and/or wireless headphones, personal cameras or other mobile communication devices shall be
restricted at school for student use based on the differentiated guidelines listed below. However, students are
strongly encouraged to refrain from bringing personal electronic communication devices to school.
1. Students in Transitional Kindergarten through 5th grade must keep all phones and personal electronic
devices turned off and stored in their backpacks/bags throughout the school day. Once students arrive on
campus, these devices must remain off and out of sight during all school hours.
2. Students in Transitional Kindergarten through 5th grade must keep all phones and personal electronic
devices turned off and stored in their backpacks/bags at all times while participating in before- and after -
school extended learning programs.
3. Students in 6th through 8th grade must keep all phones and personal electronic devices turned off and
stored in their backpacks/bags throughout the school day. Once students arrive on campus, these devices
must remain off and out of sight during all school hours.
4. Students in 6th through 8th grade must keep all phones and personal electronic devices turned off and
stored in their backpacks/bags at all times while participating in before- and after -school extended
learning programs.
5. Students in 9th through 12th grade must keep all phones and personal electronic devices turned off and
stored in their backpacks/bags during instructional time, from the beginning to the end of each class
period.
6. All students grades TK-12 must keep all phones and personal electronic devices stored in their
backpacks/bags all times while using restrooms, and also while participating in field trips and/or work
based learning experiences that occur during the school day.
A student shall not be prohibited from possessing or using a personal and/or wearable communication device
under any of the following circumstances:
1. In case of emergency, or in response to a perceived threat of danger
2. When an administrator grants permission to the student to possess or use a mobile communication device
(including in designated areas), subject to any reasonable limitation imposed by that administrator
3. When a licensed physician or surgeon determines that the possession or use is necessary for the student's
health and well-being
4. When the possession or use is required by the student's individualized education program (IEP) or 504
plan
Student Expectations and Acceptable Use
Cyberbullying, Inappropriate Use of Social Media Platforms and Misuse of Electronic Devices
Any student who engages in cyberbullying, whether on campus or off campus, in a manner that causes or is
likely to cause a substantial disruption to school activities or attendance, may be subject to disciplinary action.
This includes the use of personal or wearable communication devices and/or social media to intimidate, harass,
threaten or harm others. Disciplinary measures may include suspension or expulsion, in accordance with district
policies, administrative regulations and applicable law. The district may also involve law enforcement if a student
is suspected of engaging in any activity that violates the law.
Use of Personal and/or wearable communication devices for Filming, Recording, and Photography
Students may not use Personal and/or wearable communication devices to film, record or photograph others in a
way that violates their privacy. This includes capturing images, audio, or video of students, staff, parents,
guardians, caregivers, vendors or visitors without explicit permission from the individuals involved.
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Filming, recording or photography is strictly prohibited during times when phone use is not allowed. This includes
the entire school day for students in Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade, and during instructional time
for high school students which includes from the beginning to the end of each class period.
Students are also prohibited at all times from recording or photographing any individuals engaged in fights,
physical altercations, acts of violence or criminal behavior, on campus or at school or district -sponsored events.
At no time may students film, record or photograph anyone in restrooms or locker rooms.
Impersonation and Electronic Misrepresentation
Students are prohibited from using electronic devices or online platforms to impersonate another person with the
intent to harm, threaten, intimidate or cause substantial disruption to the school environment. This includes
creating fake profiles, sending messages or posting content that falsely represents another individual. Students
who engage in such conduct may be subject to disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion, in
accordance with district policies that address threats, harassment or disruption of school activities. Additionally,
such behavior may violate state law and result in legal consequences. The district may also involve law
enforcement if a student is suspected of engaging in any activity that violates the law.
Inappropriate Use of Apps
The use of digital applications Capps") by students on personal or school -issued devices must support learning,
safety and respectful interactions. Inappropriate use of apps includes, but is not limited to, accessing or sharing
explicit content, engaging in cyberbullying or harassment, using anonymous messaging or location -based
platforms to intimidate or threaten others and participating in online challenges that encourage harmful or
disruptive behavior. Students are also prohibited from using apps to impersonate others, falsify identities, or
bypass school Internet filters, monitoring systems or usage restrictions. Certain apps that promote or facilitate
academic dishonesty, gambling, hate speech or self -harm are considered especially dangerous and are not
permitted on school premises or during school hours.
The district reserves the right to take disciplinary action when the use of apps causes a substantial disruption to
school activities or creates an unsafe environment for students or staff. Violations may result in the restriction of
device privileges, suspension or other consequences consistent with Board policy, administrative regulations and
applicable law.
School -Level Implementation
Site -Based Plans for Response and Intervention
Each school site must establish a clear plan outlining expectations for appropriate use of personal and/or
wearable communication devices and the staff response, intervention and consequences for misuse. These plans
should be shared with students and families at the start of the school year and may include progressive
discipline, device confiscation and restorative practices that reflect the values of equity and student well-being.
Site administrators may adopt additional procedures that align with district policy and applicable laws.
Addressing Misuse and Confiscation
When a student uses a personal and/or wearable communication device in an unauthorized manner, school staff
may intervene. This can include disciplinary action and confiscation of the device. Confiscated devices must be
stored securely and returned to the student, their parent or guardian, or turned over to site administration or law
enforcement if necessary. School officials should contact the student's parent, guardian or caregiver if a personal
and/or wearable communication device is confiscated.
If a school official reasonably suspects that a student's device contains evidence of a violation of school rules or
the law, a search may be conducted in accordance with Board Policy 5145.12 (Search and Seizure).
Classroom Management
Teachers may require students to store their personal and/or wearable communication devices in designated
classroom locations, such as phone caddies or locking systems, during instructional time to support focused
learning. This expectation must be approved by the school principal in advance. If implemented, teachers must
notify students' parents, guardians or caregivers at the start of the school year or prior to the time the
expectation is introduced after the school year begins.
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Repeated Violations and Enforcement
Repeated violations may result in progressive response and intervention, including parent contact, restricted
device privileges and suspension if appropriate. In certain cases, parent retrieval of confiscated devices may be
required. All enforcement measures must comply with applicable laws and district policies.
District Responsibility and Liability
The Long Beach Unified School District is not responsible for personal and/or wearable communication devices
that students choose to bring to school or school -sponsored activities. The district will not reimburse for any
devices that are lost, stolen or damaged, even if they are confiscated by staff.
Communication and Emergency Protocols
Effective enforcement depends on ongoing communication among students, families, teachers and
administrators. School and district expectations regarding device use must be shared with families annually.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to contact school offices for urgent messages during the school day. In
emergencies, students may use a school phone to communicate with a parent or guardian.
References
The Office of the Surgeon General. (2023). The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on Social Media and Youth
Mental Health . In The US Department of Health and Human Services.
https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/youth-mental-health/social-media/index.html
Baumeister, R. F. (2017). Addiction, cigarette smoking, and voluntary control of action: Do cigarette smokers lose
their free will? Addictive Behaviors Reports, 5, 67-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2017.01.003
Beland, L.-P., & Murphy, R. (2016). III Communication: Technology, distraction & student performance. Labour
Economics, 41(1), 61-76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2016.04.004
Burnett, D. G., & Mitchell, E. (2025). Attention sanctuaries: Social practice guidelines and emergent strategies in
attention activism. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.15313
Katella, K. (2024, June 17). How Social Media Affects Your Teen's Mental Health: A Parent's Guide. Yale Medicine;
Yale Medicine. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/social-media-teen-mental-health-a-parents-guide
Mark, G. (2023). Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity (p.
252). Hanover Square Press.
National Equity Project. (n.d.). Liberatory Design. National Equity Project.
https://www. nationalequityproject.org/frameworks/liberatory-design
Rose, J., & Macgregor, O. (2021). The Architecture of Algorithm -driven Persuasion. Journal of Information
Architecture, 6(1), 7-40. https://doi.org/10.55135/1015060901/211.009/2.037
State Superintendent Thurmond Calls for Restrictions on Cell Phone Use in Schools. (2024, August 13). California
Department of Education. https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr24/yr24re139.asp
Tran, J. L. (2015). The Right to Attention. Indiana Law Journal, 91(3). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2600463
Twenge, J. M., Spitzberg, B. H., & Campbell, W. K. (2019). Less in -person social interaction with peers among
U.S. adolescents in the 21st century and links to loneliness. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(6),
1892-1913. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407519836170
LBUSD Board of Education Policy
BP 5030 - Student Wellness
BP 5131 - Conduct
BP 5131.2 - Bullying
BP5141.52 Suicide Prevention Grades 7-12
BP 5144 - Discipline
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BP 5144.1 - Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process
BP 5145.3 - Nondiscrimination/Harassment
BP 5145.7 - Sexual Harassment
BP 5145.12 - Search & Seizure
BP 6163.4 - Student Use of Technology
State of California
Penal Code § 528.5 - Electronic Impersonation
Penal Code § 647(j) - Invasion of Privacy
Penal Code § 647.7 - Use of Devices in Locker Rooms/Restrooms
Penal Code § 647.6 - Harassment of Minors
Penal Code § 653.2 - Indirect Electronic Harassment
Penal Code § 647(b)(3) - Distribution of Harmful Matter to Minors
Penal Code § 289.6 - Distribution of Intimate Images (formerly "revenge porn")
Penal Code § 594 - Vandalism (includes digital graffiti or logo misuse)
Penal Code § 148.3 - False Emergency Reporting (e.g., "swatting")
Penal Code § 422 - Criminal Threats
Penal Code § 415 - Disturbing the Peace (including school disruption via posts)
Penal Code § 33000 et seq. - Hate Crimes
Assembly Bill 272 (2019) - Pupils: Use of Smartphones, An act to add Section 48901.7 to the Education Code,
relating to pupils
Assembly Bill 3216 (2024), amending California Education Code § 48901.7 - Phone -Free Schools Act
Education Code §§ 234-234.5 Safe Place to Learn
Education Code §§ 48900 & 48900.4 Suspension Grounds
Education Code § 48900(r) Cyberbullying
Education Code § 48900.2 Sexual Harassment
Education Code § 48900.4 Harassment
Education Code § 48900.7 Terroristic Threats
Education Code § 48901.5 Device Use
Education Code § 48901.7 Victim Rights
Education Code § 51512 Unauthorized Recording
Federal
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) - Online Privacy
Fourth Amendment, U.S. Constitution - Search & Seizure
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), 20 U.S.C. § 6301 et seq. - Student Success
Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688 - Gender Equity
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq. - Special Education
Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794 - Disability Rights
Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964 - Race/National Origin Discrimination
Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972 - Sex -Based Harassment
Definitions and Scope
Personal and/or wearable communication devices refers to cell phones, smartphones, and other personal
electronic devices (such as smart watches, headphones or audio earpieces, smart glasses and handheld games)
that are the personal property of a student and not issued by a school for educational purposes. The definition
does not include laptop computers or tablets.
Social Media Platforms: Social media describes Internet -based and mobile technology communication tools
with a focus on interactivity, user participation and information sharing in multiple ways. Social media refers to
venues such as blogs, video/photo posting sites, social networks and forums. Some typical social media sites
include: Facebook, Instagram, X, Linkedln, YouTube, Tik Tok and Pinterest. This policy is not limited to these
specific sites, but applies to all social media sites and communications platforms.
Digital Applications:
Digital applications, commonly referred to as "apps," are software programs designed to run on mobile devices
such as smartphones, tablets, and wearable technology, as well as on computers. These apps include, but are not
limited to, social networking platforms (e.g., Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat), messaging services (e.g., WhatsApp,
Discord), anonymous posting or chat apps (e.g., Yik Yak, Whisper), AI tools, gaming apps with social or
communication features and browser -based tools or extensions. Many apps are designed to engage users
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through real-time feedback, location tracking, content sharing, and algorithm -driven recommendations, which
can encourage compulsive use, diminish attention and expose users to inappropriate content or harmful
interactions.
Given their widespread influence, the use of digital applications in school settings requires thoughtful boundaries.
Students are expected to use apps responsibly and only in alignment with the school's educational mission and
policies governing acceptable use of technology.
Adopted :
September 3, 2025
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact
Libbie Hough
Communications Manager and Public Information Officer
Office: 919-245-2562;
lhough@orangecountync.gov
Orange County Board of Health Champions Youth Mental Health with Resolution on Screen Time
HILLSBOROUGH, NC (April 29, 2025) — In recognition of growing concerns over the effects of excessive
screen time and social media use on youth mental health, the Orange County Board of Health
unanimously approved a resolution aimed at promoting healthier screen habits among children and
adolescents.
Timed to coincide with Screen-Free Week (May 5–11, 2025), a national celebration that encourages
children, families, schools, and communities to enjoy life beyond screens, the resolution highlights the
urgent need for local action. Research cited in the resolution, including findings from the U.S. Surgeon
General and the American Psychological Association, underscores the association between excessive
screen use and rising rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges among youth.
The Orange County Board of Health calls on families, schools, and community organizations to promote
balanced technology use and encourages participation in Screen-Free Week activities. The resolution also
urges policymakers to support education, advocacy, and community initiatives that help children develop
healthier relationships with digital technology. To read the full resolution, visit the Board of Health’s
webpage.
Dr. Amy Fowler, pediatrician, member of the Orange County Board of Health, and Board of County
Commissioners emphasized the importance of the resolution: “Many kids I see are spending too much
time on screens and it is taking time away from more productive activities like sleep, outdoor play, and
engagement with friends and family. As we see screen time increase, we are also seeing its impacts on
mental health.”
Orange County residents are invited to take part in Screen-Free Week events and activities. For more
information about Screen-Free Week, visit screenfree.org.
The Orange County Health Department exists to enhance quality of life, promote the health, and
preserve the environment for everyone in Orange County. For information about the Health Department
visit OrangeCountyNC.Gov/Health
####
300 West Tryon Street | Hillsborough, NC | 919-245-2400 | OrangeCountyNC.Gov/Health
SCREEN TIME
GUIDELINES
BY AGES
6-12 years:
Iwo hours daily
of entertainment
2-5 years:
one hour of active
screen time
Toddlers:
avoid, except
video calls
gamequitters.com
Teens:
Two hours daily
of entertainment
Adults:
Two hours daily
of entertainment
�� ..(_ ORANGECOUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Improving health. Inspiring change.
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEAL TH
RESOLUTION ADDRESSING SOCIAL MEDIA USE, SCREEN TIME, AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
WHEREAS, according to a recent survey one-third of all teens report being online and using social media platforms "almost
constantly";1 and
WHEREAS, a 2023 U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory warned that while social media may offer benefits, there is growing
evidence of risks to youth mental health including anxiety, depression, and reduced quality of sleep;2 and
WHEREAS, studies have found correlations between time spent on social media and mental health including one study
that found risk of anxiety and depression doubled in youth that spent more than three hours daily on social media;3 and
WHEREAS, adolescence represents a critical time in the brain development and studies have reported social media may
result in addictive behavior, decreased attention span, and lower test scores;4,5,6 and
WHEREAS, growing reports suggest social media can expose youth to cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and heavily
edited comparisons that can lead to eating disorders, body dissatisfaction, and suicidal ideation;6 and
WHEREAS, evidence-based strategies to reduce the risks of social media include implementing device-free school policies,
setting screen-time limits at home, avoiding screens before bedtime, and educating families about the psychological effects
of social media;6 ,7,8 and
WHEREAS, time spent on social media and screens decreases time for exercise, sleep, in-person time with friends, and
other activities that are thought to improve mental health and healthy social development (for youth and adults).2,3 •4 ,5 ,6
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED on this 26th day of March 2025, that we the Orange County Board of Health:
1.Recognize social media use among youth as a significant public health concern and mental health risk.
2.Recommend parents and caregivers establish screen-time limits for their children/teens, particularly restricting
device use on school nights and before bedtime, to promote healthy sleep habits.
3.Urge parents to consider delaying getting their children smartphones and exploring pledges with other parents like
the "Wait Until 8th" initiative.9
4.Encourage parents and young people to explore the resources listed below to further understand the impact of
digital technology on youth development.
5.Support "Away for the Day" policies in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools that restrict
personal device use during school hours to support focus and well-being.
6.Suggest Orange County school districts or the county explore joining ongoing class action lawsuits against social
media companies, with the goals of funding additional mental health services for youth and/or requiring social media
companies to improve their age verification and parental controls.10
7.Support the countywide adoption of "Screen-Free Week" during May 5-11, 2025, as observed by Chapel Hill
Carrboro City Schools and encourage parents and children of the county to participate.11
8.Support statewide legislation, such as Senate Bill 55, that would join NC with other states in requiring school districts
to have policies around use of cellphones during the day and nationwide legislation that would require social media
companies to have more effective age/parental consent verification.12,13
9.Support educational efforts that inform families, schools, and policymakers about the risks of social media use and
the importance of digital wellness.
�.
Alison Stuebe, MD, MSc
Chair, Orange County Board of Health Orange County Health Director
919 245 2405 > 300 West Tryon Street > Hillsborough, NC 27278 > orangecountync.gov
Page 1 of 2
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:
1.Sidoti, Michelle Faverio and Olivia. “Teens, Social Media and Technology 2024.” Pew Research Center
(blog), December 12, 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/12/12/teens-social-media-and-
technology-2024/.
2.U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health (2023).
https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/youth-mental-health/social-media/index.html
3.Riehm KE, Feder KA, Tormohlen KN, Crum RM, Young AS, Green KM, Pacek LR, La Flair LN, Mojtabai R.
“Associations Between Time Spent Using Social Media and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among
US Youth.” JAMA Psychiatry. 2019 Dec 1;76(12):1266-1273. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.2325. https://
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6739732/
4.Lissak, Gadi. “Adverse Physiological and Psychological Effects of Screen Time on Children and Adolescents:
Literature Review and Case Study.” Environmental Research 164 (July 2018): 149–57.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.01.015.
5.Twenge, Jean. iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant,
Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us. (2017).
6.Haidt, Jonathan. The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of
Mental Illness. (2024).
7.Muppalla, Sudheer Kumar, Sravya Vuppalapati, Apeksha Reddy Pulliahgaru, and Himabindu Sreenivasulu.
“Effects of Excessive Screen Time on Child Development: An Updated Review and Strategies for
Management.” Cureus 15, no. 6 (June 2023): e40608. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.40608.
8.American Psychological Association, "Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence" (2023).
https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advisory-adolescent-social-media-use
9.Wait Until 8th. “Wait Until 8th.” Accessed March 19, 2025. https://www.waituntil8th.org."Wait Until 8th"
Campaign, www.waituntil8th.org.
10.Scofield, Sydnee. “Wake County school board joins lawsuit against social media giants.” ABC 11 News,
February 20, 2024. Accessed March 20, 2025. https://abc11.com/social-media-lawsuit-wake-county-schools-
board-of-education/14450653/
11.Screen-Free Week. Accessed March 19, 2025. https://screenfree.org/about/
12.“NC Senate Bill 55, Student Use of Wireless Communication Devices.” NC General Assembly. Accessed
March 19, 2025. https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S55
13.“Social Media and Children 2024 Legislation.” National Conference of State Legislatures.Accessed March 19,
2025. https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/social-media-and-children-2024-legislation.
Scan this QR code with your phone or go to
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16BIFTyyRehshQKjldeMP19k5JZlzL05G/view?usp=sharing
to access live resource links
919 245 2405 > 300 West Tryon Street > Hillsborough, NC 27278 > orangecountync.gov
Page 2 of 2
DIGITAL
MADNESS
How SOCIAL MEDIA
Is Driving Our
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS —
and How to Restore
Our Sanity
NICHOLAS KARDARAS, PH.D.
AUTHOR OF GLOW KIDS
$28.99 / $38.99 Can.
SOMETHING'S GONE
TERRIBLY WRONG
We're on fire, struggling with record rates
of depression, loneliness, anxiety, over-
doses, mass shootings, and suicide. While
COVID-19 exacerbated this crisis, we were
at record levels of psychiatric distress before
the pandemic. So what's driving our mental
health epidemic?
In Digital Madness, Dr. Nicholas Karda-
ras reveals the toxic impact of our tech
obsession and corrosive social media, espe-
cially on teenagers and young adults. As
we've become mad for our devices, our
devices increasingly have been driving us
mad. Social media platforms—Facebook,
YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, as
well as Google's search algorithms —are
designed to create extremes of emotion,
addictive dependency, and depression -
inducing sedentary isolation. These plat-
forms also shape the way that we think and
the way that we process information into
binary, black -and -white choices. Such polar-
ized thinking is dangerous for politics and
our society, and symptomatic of serious
mental disorders. We've been manipulated
and driven insane by a "New Technocracy"
of modern-day robber barons motivated by
greed and hubris.
But there is a solution. Dr. Kardaras
explains how classical philosophy that
encourages resilience, critical thinking,
and the pursuit of genuine purpose in our
lives can restore us to sanity. Digital Mad-
ness reveals the toxic and addicting impact
of Big Tech, and shows how to break free
from it.
28 DIGITAL MADNESS
bias and agenda, Google decided to ditch its now meaningless "Don't
Be Evil" motto; it was removed completely from Google's corporate
code of conduct in 2018.19
Evil was now permissible —of course it was.
And one may argue this is indeed the inevitable way of growth and
power; as Lord Acton famously said, "Power corrupts and absolute
power corrupts absolutely." So why wouldn't this apply to the tech
industry and the people who created it? After all, we're talking about
more wealth and real power than any human being has ever expe-
rienced. The question that we need to ask then is how would their
perspectives —even their humanity itself —be warped by such power?
To be clear, none of this had been my original focus.
As a psychologist specializing in mental health and addiction, my
entire focus over the past decade had been "screen addiction," not the
larger context of the cultural and economic aspects of the problem.
Having seen firsthand the increasingly adverse clinical effects of screen
time, I'd become alarmed at how quickly these new magical devices
were creating serious problems for people —especially younger ones.
I started writing about, researching, clinically treating, and gen-
erally raising awareness about the impacts of the screen invasion on
our society and the attendant "tech addiction" that invariably came
with it. My entire focus had been technology addiction, as I went on
to develop treatment programs and protocols to address what was
becoming a growing global epidemic.
I had even been contracted by the U.S. military to do trainings for
the Department of Defense (DoD) mental health providers on how to
assess and treat video game addiction. Gaming addiction is so severe
in the military that there have been several documented and shocking
cases of military babies dying in the crib from parental neglect as their
fathers played marathon video game sessions. The problem became
so significant that the DoD had to create a new cause of death for the
infant death certificates: "Death due to Electronic Distraction."20
I began to realize that, like those neglectful video -game -playing
military fathers, we were all, to some degree or another, "electronically
distracted" not only from our lives but from the bigger picture as well.
Yes, tech addiction —bad. But that VR cow helped me to realize that
Susana Barrios
From:Craig A Durfey <cadurfey@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, October
To:durfeycraig778@gmail.com
Cc:
<cityclerk@ggcity.org>Attention: Limiting Distractions, Supporting Wellness/ Policy
on Student Phone Use, Cyberbullying, and Social Media Safety
Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open
attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message.
correction SCR 73 blue light year 2019
On Sat, Oct 11, 2025 at 9:32 PM < wrote:
10-11-
2025
PRESS RELEASE
(P.R.D.D.C.)
PARENTS FOR THE RIGHTS OF DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED CHILDREN
CRAIG A. DURFEY FOUNDER OF P.R.D.D.C.
1
P.O.BOX 2001 GARDEN GROVE, CA 92842
SOCIALEMOTIONALPAWS.COM
FACEBOOK: CRAIG DURFEY
U.S. HOUSE OF CONGRESS H2404 - HONORING CRAIG DURFEY FOR HIS FIGHT AGAINST AUTISM
... Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California.
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2003-03-27/pdf/CREC-2003-03-27.pdf
new website socialemotionalpaws.org
The Honorable Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
1430 N Street, Suite 5602
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
State Board of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, CA 95814
Senator Tony Strickland
2
1021 O Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-4036
Senate Education Committee
1021 O Street, Room 6740
Sacramento, CA 95814
SEDN.committee@senate.ca.gov
Phone: (916) 651-4105
Senate Health Committee
1021 O Street, Room 3310
Sacramento , CA 95814
SHEA.Committee@senate.ca.gov
Phone: (916) 651-4111
Assembly Education Committee
Address
1020 N Street, Room 159
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone
(916) 319-2087
3
Assembly Business and Professions Committee
Address
1020 N Street, Room 379
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone
(916) 319-3301
Assembly Health Committee
Address
1020 N Street, Room 390
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone
(916) 319-2097
Assemblyman Tri Ta
1021 O Street, suite 5540,
Sacramento CA 95814
(916) 319-2070
Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal
1021 O Street, suite 8320,
Sacramento CA 95814
(916) 319-2069
4
Craig Durfey
My last press release called will CA State legislators and now U.S. Congress
address professional standards to prevent child Federal with states training to
prevent emotional harm abuse gap from screentime, CA SCR 736 year 2019 blue
light harm yet from field work we don’t have any true awareness with screentime
at birth through the critical child’s brain development. Dr Richard Freed book
Better than Life says social media education degrades and it’s an extension
labor, to Esports has been label as a sport it’s not very addictive yet many
schools have the activate causing medical harm to all sorts from it to behavior
issues unwanted in schools, within the this email with will find evidence to my
website in depth. We don’t have schools prepared or oversight to prevent activity
screentime the sampling their don’t know how much screentime during the day
the only on who has a policy with much more needs to be done for Laguna Beach
Unified School District Board of Education CA.
New laws enacted by CA State to address related to social media screentime
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/sb-976-protecting-our-kids-from-
social-media-addiction-act2023--1
to address Great opportunity to utilize space address awareness the screentime
addictions, cognitive delay, brain rot, anxieties by presentation. From website
Anxious Nation is a feature documentary Anxious Nation is a feature
documentary focusing on the epidemic anxious-nation-is-a-feature-documentary-
focusing-on-the-epidemic focusing on the epidemic of anxiety among our youth
with SCR 73 Blue light to CA State 63 commission to report back AB 1282,
Lowenthal.
To request early advancement of the date to now report and enact funding
Mental health: impacts of social media124270.1. (a) The department, in
5
consultation with the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability
Commission, shall report to the Senate and Assembly Committees on Health, the
Senate Committee on Judiciary, the Assembly Committee on Privacy and
Consumer Protection, and other relevant policy committees of the Legislature, a
statewide strategy to understand, communicate, and mitigate mental health
risks associated with the use of social media by children and youth. The report
shall include all of the following:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1
282 and https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/ab-56-social-media-
warning-labels2025-2026
AB-638 Mental Health Services Act: early intervention and prevention programs
Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), an initiative measure enacted by the voters
as Proposition 63
(e) Prevention and early intervention funds may be used to broaden the provision
of community-based mental health services by adding prevention and early
intervention services or activities to these services, including prevention and
early intervention strategies that address mental health needs, substance
misuse or substance use disorders, or needs relating to cooccurring mental
health and substance use services.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB6
38
The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) (42 U.S.C.A. ...
"Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which
results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or
exploitation"; or. "An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of
serious harm."
PEDIATRICIANS URGE PARENTS TO LIMIT KIDS’ “SCREEN TIME” OCT 28,2013
EIGHT YEARS AGO NEWS STORY CAUSING It's been linked with violence, cyber
bullying, school woes, obesity, lack of sleep and a host of other problems. It's
not a major cause of these troubles, but "many parents are clueless" about the
profound impact media exposure can have on their children, said Dr. Victor
Strasburger, lead author of the new American Academy of Pediatrics policy.
6
Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education Resolution No. 25-20
Supporting Efforts to Optimize Computer Screen Time and Reduce Excessive
Computer Screen Time. LBUSD Board Meetings School Board Meeting - August
14, 2025 (Open Session) The board meeting agenda item technology screen time
was posted on YouTube at Resolution No. 25-20 Supporting Efforts to Optimize
Computer Screen Time and Reduce Excessive Computer Screen Time - Google
Docs AT 47 minutes and 17 seconds: School Board Meeting - August 14, 2025
(Open Session) YouTube ending at two hours and eighteen minutes.
Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education from their board
meeting with interest I support their efforts to move forward to desire to be first
as the founder with eight years advocating for change want to say thank you
with limited information from the Dept of education as you listen, we are
delaying true wellness over silos in government.
The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) (42 U.S.C.A. ...
"Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which
results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or
exploitation"; or. "An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of
serious harm."
PEDIATRICIANS URGE PARENTS TO LIMIT KIDS’ “SCREEN TIME” OCT 28,2013
EIGHT YEARS AGO NEWS STORY CAUSING It's been linked with violence, cyber
bullying, school woes, obesity, lack of sleep and a host of other problems. It's
not a major cause of these troubles, but "many parents are clueless" about the
profound impact media exposure can have on their children, said Dr. Victor
Strasburger, lead author of the new American Academy of Pediatrics policy.
AB-1043 Age verification signals: software applications and online services.(
2025-2026)
7
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/ab-1043-age-verification-signals-
software-applications-and-onlin
SB 976, Skinner. Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act. Existing
law, the California Age-Appropriate
Design Code Act, requires, beginning July 1, 2024,
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/sb-976-protecting-our-kids-from-
social-media-addiction-act2023--1
AB-56 social media: warning labels.(2025-2026)
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/ab-56-social-media-warning-
labels2025-2026
Foot notes below:
LBUSD Board Meetings School Board Meeting - August 14, 2025 (Open Session)
The board meeting agenda item technology screen time was posted on YouTube
at
The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) (42 U.S.C.A. ...
"Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which
results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or
exploitation"; or. "An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of
serious harm."
PEDIATRICIANS URGE PARENTS TO LIMIT KIDS’ “SCREEN TIME” OCT 28,2013
EIGHT YEARS AGO NEWS STORY CAUSING It's been linked with violence, cyber
8
bullying, school woes, obesity, lack of sleep and a host of other problems. It's
not a major cause of these troubles, but "many parents are clueless" about the
profound impact media exposure can have on their children, said Dr. Victor
Strasburger, lead author of the new American Academy of Pediatrics policy.
AB-1043 Age verification signals: software applications and online services.(
2025-2026)
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/ab-1043-age-verification-signals-
software-applications-and-onlin
SB 976, Skinner. Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act. Existing
law, the California Age-Appropriate
Design Code Act, requires, beginning July 1, 2024,
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/sb-976-protecting-our-kids-from-
social-media-addiction-act2023--1
AB-56 social media: warning labels.(2025-2026)
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/ab-56-social-media-warning-
labels2025-2026
District Device and Social Media Policy
Policy on Student Phone Use, Cyberbullying, and Social Media Safety
BP 5131.8 Reclaiming Attention: Limiting Distractions, Supporting Wellness
Policy on Student Phone Use, Cyberbullying, and Social Media Safety
https://www.lbschools.net/about/cellphone-policy/home
Laguna Beach Unified School District
9
Board of Education Resolution No. 25-20 Supporting Efforts to Optimize
Computer Screen Time and Reduce Excessive Computer Screen Time
Resolution No. 25-20 Supporting Efforts to Optimize Computer Screen Time and
Reduce Excessive Computer Screen Time - Google Docs
Digital Madness: How Social Media Is Driving Our Mental Health Crisis--and How
to Restore Our Sanity Hardcover – September 13, 2022
by Nicholas Kardaras (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (61) 3.5 on Goodreads 411 ratings
See all formats and editions
From the author of the provocative and influential Glow Kids, Digital Madness
explores how we’ve become mad for our devices as our devices are driving us
mad, as revolutionary research reveals technology's damaging effect on mental
illness and suicide rates―and offers a way out.
Dr. Nicholas Kardaras is at the forefront of psychologists sounding the alarm
about the impact of excessive technology on younger brains. In Glow Kids, he
described what screen time does to children, calling it “digital heroin”. Now, in
Digital Madness, Dr. Kardaras turns his attention to our teens and young adults
and looks at the mental health impact of tech addiction and corrosive social
media.
In Digital Madness, Dr. Kardaras answers the question of why young people’s
mental health is deteriorating as we become a more technologically advanced
society. While enthralled with shiny devices and immersed in Instagram, TikTok,
Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat, our young people are struggling with record
rates of depression, loneliness, anxiety, overdoses and suicide. What’s driving
this mental health epidemic? Our immersion in toxic social media has created
polarizing extremes of emotion and addictive dependency, while also acting as a
toxic "digital social contagion”, spreading a variety of psychiatric disorders.
10
The algorithm-fueled polarity of social media also shapes the brain's architecture
into inherently pathological and reactive "black and white" thinking―toxic for
politics and society, but also symptomatic of several mental disorders. Digital
Madness also examines how the profit-driven titans of Big Tech have created our
unhealthy tech-dependent lifestyle: sedentary, screen-staring, addicted,
depressed, isolated and empty―all in the pursuit of increased engagement, data
mining and monetization.
But there is a solution. Dr. Kardaras offers a path out of our crisis, using
examples from classical philosophy that encourage resilience, critical thinking
and the pursuit of sanity-sustaining purpose in people’s lives. Digital Madness is
a crucial book for parents, educators, therapists, public health professionals,
and policymakers who are searching for ways to restore our young people’s
mental and physical health.
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Madness-Driving-Crisis-
Restore/dp/125027849X/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.g1nxRGkhPeQcTFrYNhBqe
Jx6unmrdHkvVzbIA8IUAWvrVdlwH7om_Op83WUG-
5lJyV7WMy9kKfYnPx0YwpDP6RiYkX0Hgt4ZXpJggVSEqTA_xTxRMQEjT2bhvr_OSt
YPLHrKLpLHu4jVshIHfyE69gjdygwy1O-
9Wv2QCjvc0IpG_X6KSz6iNRyZieqE3tvPeTUGIyp2LkiCaUoYIC5rjV3SUYRRHFThL
VWhOBV5B_Q.9RiAtJWmD-FK9l9ODQsV7KjDHsZocqGuAxUHSRv2P-
8&dib_tag=se&keywords=digital+madness+book&qid=1760231416&sr=8-1
Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids - and How to Break the
Trance Paperback – September 26, 2017
by Nicholas Kardaras (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (1,317) 4.1 on Goodreads 2,924 ratings
See all formats and editions
From addiction expert Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, a startling argument that
technology has profoundly affected the brains of children―and not for the better.
11
We’ve all seen them: kids hypnotically staring at glowing screens in restaurants,
in playgrounds and in friends' houses―and the numbers are growing. Like a
virtual scourge, the illuminated glowing faces―the Glow Kids―are multiplying.
But at what cost? Is this just a harmless indulgence or fad like some sort of
digital hula-hoop? Some say that glowing screens might even be good for kids―a
form of interactive educational tool.
Don’t believe it.
In Glow Kids, Dr. Nicholas Kardaras will examine how technology―more
specifically, age-inappropriate screen tech, with all of its glowing ubiquity―has
profoundly affected the brains of an entire generation. Brain imaging research is
showing that stimulating glowing screens are as dopaminergic (dopamine
activating) to the brain’s pleasure center as sex. And a growing mountain of
clinical research correlates screen tech with disorders like ADHD, addiction,
anxiety, depression, increased aggression, and even psychosis. Most shocking of
all, recent brain imaging studies conclusively show that excessive screen
exposure can neurologically damage a young person’s developing brain in the
same way that cocaine addiction can.
Kardaras will dive into the sociological, psychological, cultural, and economic
factors involved in the global tech epidemic with one major goal: to explore the
effect all of our wonderful shiny new technology is having on kids. Glow Kids
also includes an opt-out letter and a "quiz" for parents in the back of the book.
https://www.amazon.com/Glow-Kids-Screen-Addiction-
Hijacking/dp/1250146550/ref=sr_1_2?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.g1nxRGkhPeQcTFrYNhBq
eJx6unmrdHkvVzbIA8IUAWvrVdlwH7om_Op83WUG-
5lJyV7WMy9kKfYnPx0YwpDP6RiYkX0Hgt4ZXpJggVSEqTA_xTxRMQEjT2bhvr_OSt
YPLHrKLpLHu4jVshIHfyE69gjdygwy1O-
9Wv2QCjvc0IpG_X6KSz6iNRyZieqE3tvPeTUGIyp2LkiCaUoYIC5rjV3SUYRRHFThL
VWhOBV5B_Q.9RiAtJWmD-FK9l9ODQsV7KjDHsZocqGuAxUHSRv2P-
8&dib_tag=se&keywords=digital+madness+book&qid=1760231416&sr=8-2
12
Wired Child: Reclaiming Childhood in a Digital Age Paperback – March 12, 2015
by Richard Freed (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (90) 4.0 on Goodreads 78 ratings
See all formats and editions
A practical guide to building your child’s bond with family and fostering school
success amid the allure of digital screens
Kids’ obsessive use of video games, social media, and texting is eclipsing their
connections with family and school—the two most important contributors to
their well-being. The result: a generation of kids who suffer from soaring rates of
emotional and academic problems, with many falling prey to an epidemic of
video game and internet addictions.
In Wired Child, learn why a bevy of social media friends won’t keep teens from
feeling empty inside and turning to cutting for relief. See how our kids have
become smartphone experts who struggle in reading, math, and the other
educational basics that colleges consider in deciding admissions.
Wired Child gives you the confidence and skills you need to safely navigate your
children through a rapidly shifting media landscape. Dr. Freed offers concrete
parenting strategies that will help you create the strong family kids need and
encourage their school success. You’ll also learn how to protect kids from
destructive tech addictions, and instead guide them to use technology
productively as a positive force for their future.
https://www.amazon.com/Wired-Child-Reclaiming-Childhood-
Digital/dp/150321169X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YBL5K411TCXX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QNM
aWbr90I472sUyArBhyGfxMkrHPMge_ARch8rRWwo.4XydpfsvTNMukWwn1J2lLiUJ
hapTxmnZBxPjYxuaCjs&dib_tag=se&keywords=dr+richard+freed&qid=17602319
00&sprefix=dr+richard+fre%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-1
13
Better Than Real Life: The Secret Science Addicting Kids to Screens—and How
to Save Childhood Paperback – June 18, 2025
by Richard Freed (Author)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars (45)
See all formats and editions
The hidden science addicting kids... stealing childhood
“It’s just a game”… “Social media is how kids talk today”… “Online video is just
like TV”
If these claims are true, why can’t kids look up from their screens? Why are
children and teens turning their backs on family, school, the outdoors, and all
things real world to live on phones and video game players?
Richard Freed, a child and adolescent psychologist, reveals why in his book
Better Than Real Life, as he unveils Silicon Valley’s secret science of persuasive
design. The psychological science is so powerful that it is able to persuade
youth, at a genetic level, that sitting sedentary on playtime screens is better
than running and playing, better than engaging with school, better than spending
time with family. The result is a tragic public health crisis for kids.
Dr. Freed—who has devoted his career to exposing what’s hiding behind kids’
screens and who has been featured in the New York Times and Wall Street
Journal—asks a crucial question: “Who’s protecting the kids?” He shows that
leading “health based” institutions, which claim to shield children, are actually
funded by industry and promote unsafe screens.
Parents and others who care for youth need the truth about the impact of
consumer tech on kids and how to provide them healthy and happy lives. Freed
uncovers how a small group of tech-involved parents is rejecting the push to put
14
kids on screens to instead provide their own children a science-based childhood
focused on real-life activities.
Better Than Real Life shows how you can provide your kids the healthy lives they
need—in the real world. Get the book today.
https://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Real-Life-
Screens/dp/B0FDQYFKPW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HXIG6N7A6H6D&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zk
KC9qkoNHZ8Blm90-U6Aw.TTa6_s6oWoqa5YzjfukpzOisKFfqKCcQhps-
9kPvZ7g&dib_tag=se&keywords=dr+richard+freed+better+than+life&qid=176023
2898&sprefix=dr+richard+freed+better+than+life%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-1
Parenting in the Screen Age: A Guide for Calm Conversations Paperback –
September 16, 2020
by Delaney Ruston MD (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (38) 4.1 on Goodreads 39 ratings
See all formats and editions
Does every conversation with your child or teen about screen time blow up into a
fight? Or maybe you avoid bringing up the topic but silently harbor worry and
frustration. How can you better understand what you’re up against — and most
importantly, ensure the healthiest screen time possible? In Parenting in the
Screen Age, award-winning filmmaker, and mental health advocate Dr. Delaney
Ruston distills more than a decade of communications research into a definitive
guide for today’s parents. Packed with evidence-based insights on screen time
from researchers, input from kids and teens, and solutions drawn from Dr.
Ruston’s own messy parenting struggles, this guide shows you how to start —
and sustain — productive family talks about technology. You’ll learn how to:
Bring up screen time without making your child or teen defensive; Talk through
difficult issues like online social cruelty, sexting, and mental health; Engage your
child in creating boundaries around Netflix, video gaming, and social media;
Have screen time limits that actually work — with less of the sneaking or
arguing. During the COVID pandemic or after, this book will help you lead your
15
child to become more tech-wise and life balanced — empowering them to build a
healthier relationship with our digital world, now and into their future
https://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Screen-Age-Guide-
Conversations/dp/1735639605/ref=sr_1_10?crid=JUXQP4CFZL1O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMS
J9.YLYYpMr29XSjXG6sDGf0RSRl94ybjQrHX7ONsCnRUKj_63PXq9OCqaQ92YJXQ
PrJB6ABVrfj4Re4UfiKiTGuAEf3NcvTndc8RNO5l79gZUAJ30LeyihIdk7lSX14dzB29
gmtdpXXE_A89D1OAGM3RqTVU8HFu5FOludUgaAXSON2gMfbqn_vdviNoW_kCVm
WZvD2TBzwaDAVA_47GYkCUIO0IH8BKOgE2VxXkTmgLaQ.QE733_tIaDTDA4M-
MqGLw1T7q4yb1G4nmadSsDSNnsE&dib_tag=se&keywords=screentime+book&qi
d=1760233119&sprefix=screentime+book%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-10
Reset Your Child's Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and
Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time.
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/reset-your-childs-brain-a-four-
week-plan-to-end-meltdowns-rais-2
When reading to learn, what works best for students — printed books or digital
texts?
Reset Your Child's Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and
Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time.
Reset Your Child's Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and
Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time Audible
Logo Audible Audiobook – Unabridged
Victoria L. Dunckley MD (Author), Coleen Marlo (Narrator), Tantor Audio
(Publisher)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (718)
See all formats and editions
16
Increasing numbers of parents grapple with children who are acting out without
obvious reason. Revved up and irritable, many of these children are diagnosed
with ADHD, bipolar illness, autism, or other disorders, but don't respond well to
treatment. They are then medicated, often with poor results and unwanted side
effects. Based on emerging scientific research and extensive clinical
experience, integrative child psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Dunckley has pioneered a
four-week program to treat the frequent underlying cause, Electronic Screen
Syndrome (ESS).
Dr. Dunckley has found that everyday use of interactive screen devices - such as
computers, video games, smartphones, and tablets - can easily overstimulate a
child's nervous system, triggering a variety of stubborn symptoms. In contrast,
she's discovered that a strict electronic fast single-handedly improves mood,
focus, sleep, and behavior, regardless of the child's diagnosis. Offered now in
this audiobook, this simple intervention can produce a life-changing shift in brain
function - all without cost or medication. Dr. Dunckley provides hope for parents
who feel that their child has been misdiagnosed or inappropriately medicated, by
presenting an alternative explanation for their child's difficulties and a concrete
plan for treating them.
https://www.amazon.com/Reset-Your-Childs-Brain-
audiobook/dp/B07CLC9S1Z/ref=sr_1_6?crid=JUXQP4CFZL1O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y
LYYpMr29XSjXG6sDGf0RcOWkYK0BY7I8xqVsqYYDzorVKKjxwYOfWbjDCwAi5s7x
d5O4q-
TwhtE7BPXfSM9Rt9Rd7e1hAraHTpmZNwx4R_lm4NumP3HypdfBOQfTWTS9gmtdp
XXE_A89D1OAGM3RqTVU8HFu5FOludUgaAXSON2gMfbqn_vdviNoW_kCVmW84-
4yigiFTJg2hku-ANstsjIcF6FOi3b_A82Sw5KZc0.yM1detDrtL8HwSng9h9-
26vEEt5Rku_MnNvoDMtVedk&dib_tag=se&keywords=screentime+book&qid=176
0233325&sprefix=screentime+book%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-6
Teacher pointing to raised hands in classroom
Voices
Contributor: Distance learning? Even my students will tell you that’s not the
future
May 26, 2020
17
We can learn a lot about the importance of print by asking students themselves.
Overwhelmingly, college students report they concentrate, learn or remember
best with paper, according to my research and studies conducted by colleagues.
For instance, students say that when reading hard copy, “everything sinks in
more” and can be pictured “more vividly.” When reading digitally, they admit they
get distracted by things like online social media or YouTube.
However, not all students relish reading in print. Several of the more than 400 I
surveyed commented that digital texts seemed shorter than the print versions
(when they’re actually the same length) or declared that digital is more
entertaining and print can be boring. They said things like digital screens “keep
me awake” or “print can tire you out really fast” no matter how interesting the
book.
Such attitudes support research that finds when students are allowed to choose
how much time to spend reading a passage, many speed more quickly through
the digital version — and do worse on the comprehension test.
Reading digitally only started becoming a norm about a decade ago, thanks to
advancements in technology and consumer products such as e-readers and
tablet computers. Meanwhile, another seismic shift was beginning to happen in
education. Academic courses, and then whole degree programs, became
available online at universities before such technology-driven offerings
percolated down through the lower grades.
As academic e-books made their way onto the market, students and faculty alike
saw these more affordable digital versions as a way to combat the high cost of
print textbooks. Open educational resources — teaching and learning materials
available free (almost always online) — also became another popular option.
In 2012, the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Communications
Commission unveiled a plan for all K-12 schools to transition from print to digital
18
textbooks by 2017. The rationale? Improve education, but also cost savings. The
big three textbook publishers (Pearson, McGraw-Hill Education, and Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt) were quick to develop digital initiatives for K-12 materials. The
pace accelerated in higher education as well, most recently with inclusive-
access models, where publishers provide reduced-price digital texts to all
course enrollees.
Regrettably, both the textbook industry and school decision-makers rushed to
embrace digital reading platforms without assessing potential educational
implications. Yet below the radar, teachers and students have often recognized
the educational mismatch.
A recent survey by the research group Bay View Analytics found that 43% of
college faculty believe students learn better with print materials — the same
message students have been sending, when we bother to ask. Yes, cost issues
need to be addressed, and yes, digital has a vital place in contemporary
education. But so does print.
There’s a pressing need to rethink the balance between print and digital learning
tools. When choosing educational materials, educators — and parents — have to
consider many factors, including subject matter, cost, and convenience.
However, it’s also important to remember that research findings usually tip the
scales toward print as a more effective learning tool.
What can parents and educators do? For starters, explore students’ perceptions
about which reading medium helps them concentrate and learn more easily.
Conduct a short survey and discuss the results with students in class or at
home. Make sure everyone who has a stake in students’ education — teachers,
librarians, administrators and parents — thinks about the consequences of their
choices.
The pandemic drove society to educational triage, not just by pivoting to digital
materials but also by reducing curricular rigor. As schools continue to reopen
19
and rethink their educational goals, research about learning should be used to
help find the right balance between screens and print in the digital age.
Naomi S. Baron is professor emerita of linguistics at American University and
author of “How We Read Now: Strategic Choices for Print, Screen, and Audio.”
Op-Ed: Do students learn best via printed books or digital texts? - Los Angeles
Times
https://socialemotionalpaws.com/blog-post-1/f/valley-high-celebrates-renovated-
arts-centergreat-oportunity-for
Reset Your Child's Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and
Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time Audible
Logo Audible Audiobook – Unabridged
Victoria L. Dunckley MD (Author), Coleen Marlo (Narrator), Tantor Audio
(Publisher)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (718)
See all formats and editions
Increasing numbers of parents grapple with children who are acting out without
obvious reason. Revved up and irritable, many of these children are diagnosed
with ADHD, bipolar illness, autism, or other disorders, but don't respond well to
treatment. They are then medicated, often with poor results and unwanted side
effects. Based on emerging scientific research and extensive clinical
experience, integrative child psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Dunckley has pioneered a
four-week program to treat the frequent underlying cause, Electronic Screen
Syndrome (ESS).
Dr. Dunckley has found that everyday use of interactive screen devices - such as
computers, video games, smartphones, and tablets - can easily overstimulate a
20
child's nervous system, triggering a variety of stubborn symptoms. In contrast,
she's discovered that a strict electronic fast single-handedly improves mood,
focus, sleep, and behavior, regardless of the child's diagnosis. Offered now in
this audiobook, this simple intervention can produce a life-changing shift in brain
function - all without cost or medication. Dr. Dunckley provides hope for parents
who feel that their child has been misdiagnosed or inappropriately medicated, by
presenting an alternative explanation for their child's difficulties and a concrete
plan for treating them.
https://www.amazon.com/Reset-Your-Childs-Brain-
audiobook/dp/B07CLC9S1Z/ref=sr_1_6?crid=JUXQP4CFZL1O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y
LYYpMr29XSjXG6sDGf0RcOWkYK0BY7I8xqVsqYYDzorVKKjxwYOfWbjDCwAi5s7x
d5O4q-
TwhtE7BPXfSM9Rt9Rd7e1hAraHTpmZNwx4R_lm4NumP3HypdfBOQfTWTS9gmtdp
XXE_A89D1OAGM3RqTVU8HFu5FOludUgaAXSON2gMfbqn_vdviNoW_kCVmW84-
4yigiFTJg2hku-ANstsjIcF6FOi3b_A82Sw5KZc0.yM1detDrtL8HwSng9h9-
26vEEt5Rku_MnNvoDMtVedk&dib_tag=se&keywords=screentime+book&qid=176
0233325&sprefix=screentime+book%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-6
When the text is longer than about 500 words, readers generally perform better
on comprehension tests with print passages. The superiority of print especially
shines through when experimenters go beyond questions having superficial
answers to those whose responses require inferences, details about the text, or
remembering when and where in a story an event took place.
Part of the explanation for discrepancies between print and digital test scores
involves the physical properties of paper. We often use the place in the book (at
the beginning, halfway through) or location on a page as a memory marker. But
equally important is a reader’s mental perspective. People tend to put more
effort into reading print than reading digitally.
We have great opportunity to bring awareness about experts from videos in
school location to students under SB 224 K-12 Health year 2021- 2022 education
21
law about screen time a link from the list have been combine into one list. Valley
High raised the curtain on its newly renovated performing arts center this week.
The $37 million project created a new professional space for students and the
community to enjoy, school officials said at Monday’s ribbon-cutting celebration.
Great opportunity to utilize space address awareness the screentime addictions,
cognitive delay, brain rot, anxieties by presentation. From website
Valley High celebrates renovated arts center/great oportunity for
Thank You
Craig Durfey
Founder of P.R.D.C.
22
Susana Barrios
From:Craig A Durfey <cadurfey@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, October
To:Craig Durfey; Ryan Durfey; hauwie tie; Senator Gonzalez; Wernher, Max;
Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open
attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message.
I thought you would be interested in this story I found on MSN: Pew Research survey: Parents struggle
with children's heavy screen use - https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pew-research-survey-parents-
struggle-with-children-s-heavy-screen-use/ar-AA1O6Kj1?ocid=socialshare
1
Susana Barrios
From:Craig A Durfey <cadurfey@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, October
To:Craig Durfey; Ryan Durfey; Senator Gonzalez; hauwie tie; Wernher, Max;
Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open
attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message.
I thought you would be interested in this story I found on MSN: These teens turned their rooms into tech-
free zones. This was the result - https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/these-teens-turned-
their-rooms-into-tech-free-zones-this-was-the-result/ar-AA1MCGhh?ocid=socialshare
1