Frazzled parents turn to screen-time coaches, $8,000 detox camps to rein in kids’ tech

Frazzled parents turn to screen-time coaches, $8,000 detox camps to rein in kids’ tech Washington Post ^ | November 17, 2025 | Heather Kelly Posted on by grundle Managing technology has become an overwhelming part of modern parenting. Caregivers are trying to be IT departments, screen-time police, content filters and scam educators. They have to keep up with the latest risks, like AI companions, while struggling with their own tech usage. To cope, some adults are seeking outside help from specialists like Towle, parenting coaches, online communities and even camps where they can send their kids for a technology “detox.” “Technology kind of snuck up on us as a society,” said Michael Jacobus, executive director of the Reset Summer Camp for digital detox in Santa Barbara, California. “We didn’t really understand the addictive nature of it until it was too late.” For four weeks, a group of around three dozen teenagers lives in college dorms with no tech access. The camp costs just under $8,000 per camper. The first week, says Jacobus, is rough but eventually the kids who are 13 to 18 adjust to the schedules and relearn how to spend time offline. Since he started the camp in 2017, Jacobus says he’s seen the technology itself change but the problems largely stay the same: too many caregivers giving kids smartphones early, and then failing to maintain control of how much they’re used. “Quite honestly, parents are looking for outside sources because they are reluctant to be parents,” he said. (Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost. com . TOPICS: Miscellaneous KEYWORDS: Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC PO Box 9771 Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. 1 posted on by grundle Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by.
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