Tech Policy Expert on Kids’ Digital Devices: ’Parental Controls Don’t Give Parents Real Control’

Tech policy expert Clare Morell discusses the harms of screen usage and offers a radical, refreshing solution.

Even limited screen time draws children into digital worlds that can alter their desires, affections, and emotional health. Vera Livchak/Getty Images

It has been almost two decades since the first iPhone landed on the scene, but parents are still struggling with how to best guide their children through the digital landscape. Clare Morell is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, director of the center’s technology and human flourishing project, and author of “The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones.”

“I want the minds and hearts of the next generation to be shielded from the harms of digital technologies, and I want to help parents who are on the frontlines do that,” she said.

We asked her for advice for parents who wish to protect their children from the increasingly apparent negative effects of smartphones.

"The Tech Exit" by Clare Morell. "This book offers an escape plan for parents, a way out of screens if they’ve already given them to their kids [who] need to detox, and a guidebook of steps to follow to exit these technologies over the long term," she said. Courtesy of Clare Morell