10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World - by Jean M Twenge (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Jean Twenge, PhD, award-winning professor of psychology and author of the "lavishly informative" (The New York Times) Generations, returns with a concrete and accessible guide to raising resilient, successful, happy children in a time of overwhelming technological intrusion.

Parenting today often feels like an uphill battle, with technology invading every corner of our kids' lives. From the rise of social media addiction to the growing mental health crisis among children and teens, parents are grappling with how they can create a healthy, balanced relationship with technology for their kids.

Bestselling author Jean Twenge provides the much-needed playbook parents have been asking for. Drawing on her decades as a psychologist studying the impact of technology and mental health and her personal experience as the mother of three teenagers, Twenge offers ten actionable rules for raising independent and well-rounded children. From setting "No Social Media Until Sixteen" boundaries to creating no-phone zones like bedrooms and family dinners, these rules are grounded in evidence yet simple enough to incorporate into any family routine.

Short, empowering, and timely, this book equips parents with the tools to combat not just immediate harms such as online bullying but also helps to nurture essential life skills, preparing kids and teens to become autonomous adults.

Review Quotes

"10 Rules is exactly the book parents everywhere need, right now, to help them keep their kids safe and healthy. It's easy-to-use and grounded in Dr. Twenge's decades of careful scholarship and her experiences as a mom. Highly recommend."
--Julie Scelfo, Founder, MAMA - Mothers Against Media Addiction

"Jean Twenge was the first to sound the alarm when her 2017 viral Atlantic article asked: 'Have smartphones destroyed a generation?' Since then, she has been a leading voice--and my research partner--in documenting the rising damage to children's development caused by the phone-based childhood. In this book she goes beyond documentation and tells us all what we can do as parents to protect our children without cutting them off from technology and each other. If you can apply even a few of these ten rules, you'll have a happier family and healthier kids."
--Jonathan Haidt, NYU-Stern School of Business and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Anxious Generation

"Renowned researcher Jean Twenge offers clear guidelines for raising healthy, balanced kids in the digital age. This isn't anti-tech; it's a sanity-saving guide for parents who want their kids to thrive without letting screens take over their lives."
--Delaney Ruston, MD, creator of the Screenagers movies, author of Parenting In The Screen Age

"Jean Twenge's work has always been ahead of the curve. Now, she is personally bending that curve, giving parents and kids the straightforward tools to stave off a generational slide into unhappiness. Let's hear it for ideas and ten action items--including more independence in the real world--that work!"
--Lenore Skenazy, President, Let Grow and author of Free-Range Kids

"This book is the how-to guide that every parent needs to read. Jean Twenge offers a clear roadmap for managing devices and screen time. Her smart, practical rules empower parents to delay their kids' smartphone ownership, change their minds about how tech is used at home, or say no outright. If you want your kids to flourish, follow her advice!"
--Katherine Martinko, author of Childhood Unplugged: Practical Advice to Get Kids Off Screens and Find Balance

"This is the book every parent has been looking for--a practical guide that cuts through the hype with real-world advice to make your children safer and happier starting today."
--Michele Borba, Ed.D., Educational Psychologist and bestselling author of Thrivers

"Jean Twenge hits it out of the park with her insightful new book, which equips parents with sound advice and realistic ways to set and enforce feasible rules around technology. Before you say yes to a tablet, smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, laptop, or gaming console, read this book!"
--Brooke Shannon, Founder & Executive Director of Wait Until 8th

About the Author

Jean M. Twenge, PhD, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, is the author of more than 190 scientific publications and several books based on her research, including Ten Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World, Generations, iGen, and Generation Me. Her research has been covered in Time, The Atlantic, Newsweek, The New York Times, USA TODAY, and The Washington Post. She has also been featured on Today, Good Morning America, Fox and Friends, CBS This Morning, Real Time with Bill Maher, and NPR. She lives in San Diego with her husband and three daughters.