Growing Up Before Screens

and What That Taught Me About Raising Kids Today

I was part of the last generation of kids to grow up before smartphones and social media…and I’m endlessly grateful for that.

As a kid in the 90s, freedom and imagination reigned supreme.

We built new civilizations in the woods, turned snowpiles into Aggro Crags and sold Snoopy Sno-Cone slushies on the street corner just to see if anyone would buy.

It was unsupervised.
It was all outside.
And it was glorious.

Those early experiences shaped how I see the world. And now, as a father of four (all 11 and under), my wife and I do everything we can to recreate some version of that magic for our own kids.

But……

Raising play-based kids in a screen-based world has proven to be the single biggest challenge of our parenting journey so far.

---

Two Forces Every Modern Parent Feels

In The Anxious Generation, psychologist Jonathan Haidt names two realities that deeply resonate with what we’re facing as parents today:

• Digital Underparenting: when kids are given unlimited, unsupervised access to devices with little guidance or boundaries.

• Real-World Overparenting: when kids are protected from every risk, managed every minute, and rarely given space to explore.

And that middle ground—where kids are guided and free—feels increasingly hard to find in today’s modern world.

We don’t want to micromanage every moment—hovering so tightly that they never learn to fall, fail, or figure things out.

But we also don’t want to hand over their childhood to screens—outsourcing their play, imagination, and connection to a digital world that doesn’t share our values.

So what do we do?

---

What’s Been Working (For Now)

We’re still learning every day. But here are a few simple shifts that have helped our family find a better balance:

Awareness
We talk a lot about time limits and what role technology plays in our lives. At first, those conversations were awkward—but now they’re more normal. Our kids (mostly) understand why we set boundaries.

Friendship
We prioritize in-person time with friends. The more our kids socialize face-to-face, the less they reach for devices. It turns out real connection is still the best screen alternative.

Adventure
As soon as someone says “I’m bored”, we challenge them to get creative and go outside. Whether it's building with tools, making potions from nature, or setting up an obstacle course, we support them in exploring non-traditional adventures and taking small risks.

None of this is perfect. Some days are messier than others.

But it’s working…

---

Why I’m Sharing This

I was lucky to grow up in a world that taught me how to play, explore, and connect without a screen… and my career in tech has given me the perspective to recognize these challenges early on in my own parenting journey.

I started sharing what was working in our home not because we had it all figured out, but because I saw how many families were silently struggling—and I knew there had to be a better way forward.

If you’re curious to go deeper into this topic, I highly recommend Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation.

But more than anything?

Trust your gut.
Trust what you remember about childhood.
And trust that it’s still possible to give your kids the kind of offline magic you once had.

We just have to work a little harder for it now. ✌️
— Chris

I'm Christopher Sciullo, creator of the H.E.A.L. Method. I help parents balance their own tech use while guiding kids toward healthier screen habits—so we can all rediscover the wonder of life beyond the screen.