CCPS School Psychology Team Presents

Screen Smart

Together We Thrive

Screens are part of everyday life. They help us learn, communicate, create, work and stay connected. Screen Smart is designed to help CCPS families better understand digital habits and find a healthy balance that supports learning, relationships, sleep and well-being.

Helping Our Children Build Healthy Digital Habits

Technology is part of the world our children are growing up in. The goal isn't to make screens the enemy. It's to help children and teens develop healthy, balanced habits around technology.

The CCPS School Psychology Team has gathered research about the ways screen use can interact with sleep, attention, learning, relationships, brain development and emotional well-being. Through Screen Smart, we're sharing that information in an easy-to-use way, along with simple ideas families can try at home.

What are they doing?

Is the screen being used for learning, creating, connecting, gaming or scrolling?

When are they using it?

Is screen use interfering with bedtime, homework, meals or family time?

What is it replacing?

Could it be taking the place of sleep, movement, reading, creative play or face-to-face conversation?

How is it affecting them?

Does it seem to support — or interfere with — learning, relationships, attention or well-being?

Explore Screen Smart

Choose a topic below or scroll through the full resource.

Screen Smart graphic about giving screens a bedtime

Screen Smart Topic 1

Sleep

Did You Know? Giving screens a bedtime may help children sleep better.

Screens are common in children's and teens' bedtime routines. Research shows that many young people use screens during the final hour before sleep, and many have at least one screen device in their bedroom.

Interactive and stimulating activities can also make it harder for the brain and body to transition into sleep. Sleep supports learning, memory, decision-making and emotional regulation.

Try This at Home

Set a bedtime for recreational screens about an hour before sleep.
Charge phones and tablets outside the bedroom.
Keep bedrooms dark, quiet, and free from unnecessary electronic distractions.
Create a predictable nighttime routine.

Screen Smart Thought: Sometimes the easiest change isn't less screen time — it's changing when screens are used.

Screen Smart Topic 2

Attention

Did You Know? Frequent phone checking can compete with the sustained attention students need for learning.

Attention is a building block of learning. Students need to focus on instruction, filter distractions, and remain engaged long enough to complete a task.

Notifications, messages, and highly engaging content compete for attention. Research has found associations between frequent smartphone use during the school day and lower cognitive control, a skill connected to attention, self-regulation and academic success.

Try This at Home

Place phones out of sight during homework or reading.
Turn off unnecessary notifications.
Create short periods of uninterrupted work followed by a break.
Model the same focused habits when adults need to concentrate.

Screen Smart Thought: Protecting uninterrupted time gives the brain a chance to practice focusing.

Screen Smart Topic 3

Learning

Did You Know? Screens influence how children learn.

Digital tools can support learning, creativity and exploration. But digital distraction and frequent multitasking can compete with the deeper concentration needed for reading, studying and problem-solving.

That's why it can help to think about the purpose of screen use rather than focusing only on minutes or hours.

Try This at Home

Encourage creating, not only consuming.
Use technology to explore interests and practice skills.
Make room for books, hobbies, movement, and offline play.
Reduce digital distractions during focused learning time.

Screen Smart Thought: Balance isn't about eliminating technology. It's about making room for everything else children need, too.

Screen Smart graphic about real connections

Screen Smart Topic 4

Relationships

Did You Know? Sometimes simply putting a phone out of sight can change a conversation.

Technology can help children stay connected with friends and family, but digital communication isn't a complete replacement for face-to-face interaction.

Face-to-face time gives children opportunities to practice listening, recognizing expressions and tone of voice, reading social cues, and responding to others.

Try This at Home

Create phone-free family meals.
Put phones away during important conversations.
Consider a shared family charging station.
Watch, play, or explore digital content together sometimes.

Screen Smart Thought: Our children notice how adults use their phones, too.

Screen Smart Topic 5

Developing Brains

Did You Know? Children's brains develop through the experiences they practice again and again.

Researchers continue to study links between children's digital media habits and areas of development, including language, attention, executive functioning, visual processing, and early literacy.

The research does not mean that screens are automatically harmful. Instead, it reinforces the importance of giving children many different kinds of experiences as they grow.

Try This at Home

Read together.
Play board or card games.
Encourage outdoor activity and movement.
Make room for art, building, music, and hobbies.
Let children have time to explore and create.

Screen Smart Thought: The goal isn't simply less screen. It's more opportunities to experience the world in different ways.

Screen Smart Topic 6

Mental Wellness

Did You Know? How children use screens may matter as much as how much they use them.

Research has found associations between problematic or excessive screen and social media use and mental-health concerns, including anxiety, depression, and emotional or behavioral difficulties. But the relationship is complex. Research does not show that simply having a phone or spending time on a screen automatically causes mental-health problems.

What children do online, who they interact with, when they use their devices, what screen use may be replacing, and their individual strengths and vulnerabilities all matter. Phones and social media can also provide valuable opportunities for connection, friendship and support.

Families may want to pay particular attention to sleep disruption, appearance-based social comparison, cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, reduced opportunities for physical activity or face-to-face connection, and screen use that becomes difficult for a child to control.

Try This at Home

Protect sleep with a screen-free bedtime routine.
Look beyond the clock. Pay attention to what your child does online, who they interact with, and how screen use affects them.
Make room for physical activity, face-to-face relationships, family activities, and hobbies.
Set clear family technology expectations together.
Model healthy habits by putting your own phone away during conversations and family time.
Keep conversations about digital wellness ongoing.
Notice meaningful changes in sleep, mood, social interaction, school performance, or activities your child normally enjoys.

Screen Smart Thought: The goal isn't to make screens the enemy. It's to help children recognize when technology is supporting their well-being—and when it may be getting in the way.

Finding the Balance

Healthy technology habits won't look the same in every household—or even for every child in the same household.

A kindergartner watching a show with a parent is different from a teenager doing homework on a laptop. A video call with a grandparent is different from an hour of scrolling.

Screen Smart isn't about creating one perfect number. It's about helping families notice patterns and make intentional choices.

Start Small

Give phones a bedtime.

Create one screen-free meal each day.

Move the phone out of sight during homework.

Turn off unnecessary notifications.

Watch or play something together.

Replace a little scrolling with an activity your child enjoys.

Resources & Research

Screen Smart was developed from research and resources compiled by the CCPS School Psychology Team. Families who would like to learn more can explore the resources below.

Sleep

Learn more about healthy sleep habits and the relationship between screen use and sleep.

Attention

Explore research on smartphone use, attention, cognitive control, and student learning.

Learning

Explore research and information about digital media, distraction and student learning.

Relationships

Learn more about technology, friendships, family interaction and face-to-face connection.

Developing Brains

Explore research and guidance related to digital media habits, cognitive development, language and early learning.

Mental Wellness

Explore research and guidance about social media, screen use and the mental well-being of children and adolescents.

Tools for Families

Looking for practical ways to build healthier digital habits at home? These resources can help families get started.

Be Screen Smart — Together

Our children are growing up in a digital world. Helping them learn to navigate that world in healthy ways is something families, schools and communities can do together.

The goal isn't perfection. It's awareness, balance, connection and helping our students develop habits that allow them to learn, grow and thrive.

Screen Smart Together We Thrive