Sean Herman

Proud dad of two creating digital products that kids will love, and parents can trust. Founder @kinzoofamily and author of best-selling book Screen Captured

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

I've moved my bi-weekly newsletter, That Digital Dad, to Substack (again) given Revue is going away. Check it out and subscribe here 👇

https://t.co/9Q8P72GEVK

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

I wrote more about that here: https://t.co/gIaRkXnfuU

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

The screen time debate is back. But the conversation has changed.

For years, parents were told to focus on the clock: how many hours, how many minutes, how much was “too much.”

But the bigger issue was never just time. It was what kids were doing online, and what platforms were designed to do in return.

We’re finally starting to ask better questions.

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

@Jamie_Fitch Great point. I grew up at a time when you were online or offline. It's all mashed together now. Kids don't have the same constructs as their parents when it comes to screens which can create obvious conflict.

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

We keep talking about Roblox like it’s a game. A lot of kids use it more like a social network.

That distinction matters. When parents hear “gaming,” they think about screen time and purchases. When they hear “social media,” they think about strangers, inappropriate content, compulsive use and safety settings. Roblox has far more in common with the second category than many adults realize.

If we misunderstand the platform, we end up having the wrong conversations about it.

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

@drakmog Couldn't agree with you more. There is a lot of nuance beyond the blanket term of screen time.

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

I wrote more about that here: https://t.co/VCsbWQIMbc

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

The manosphere didn’t just go viral. It was rewarded.

What Inside the Manosphere shows is bigger than a few harmful influencers. It’s what happens when platforms keep boosting outrage, extremity and performance because that’s what drives attention.

I wrote more about that here 👇

https://t.co/3lxyP2hFOn

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

Read it here: https://t.co/aLESzSPblP

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

Parents are not exactly embracing AI for kids. In our recent community survey, fewer than 20% said they were comfortable with it.
And yet the rollout is happening anyway.

This edition of That Digital Dad breaks down why that matters, how it mirrors the social media cycle, and why waiting until harm appears is the worst time to start building protections.

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

We all know how this story ends, by @thatdigitaldad https://t.co/nQBuQN5pUr

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

More than 80% of parents in our community said they’re not comfortable with kids using AI products.

That should be enough to slow things down. Instead, AI is already showing up in schools, toys, tutoring tools and kids’ apps.

This edition of That Digital Dad looks at the pattern we keep repeating with new technology: adoption first, guardrails later. We saw it with social media. We may be watching it happen again with AI for kids.

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

@thaithaimakmak I'm

I'0

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

Read more: https://t.co/zUYXgYs0hW

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

Kids glued to screens again? You’re not imagining it. Most kids exceed recommended screen time and yet not all screen time is created equal. Did you know some online activities can actually boost creativity and problem solving skills?

How do you feel about your child’s screen time? Guilty, relaxed or somewhere in between?

📷 Check comment for the newsletter!

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

Kids today: not just users, but thinkers. Their voices on AI? Thoughtful, critical, hopeful.

https://t.co/fhamVfLSad

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

Exciting news: @CommonSense rolls out a fresh, AI-savvy digital lit curriculum for K‑8, just in time for the school year.

https://t.co/vFWL36VPn5

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

20% of teens now spend more time chatting with AI than with friends. That’s not companionship - it’s digital dependency.

How AI companions are changing teenagers' behavior in surprising and sinister ways https://t.co/rtAT3vRn5i

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

AI ‘friends’ for kids? https://t.co/pAA1f6u0p5 thinks so. And I assure you this venture-backed company is focused on growth above all else. But lawsuits and harmful content show we need more than timers, we need real child-safe AI architecture.

https://t.co/DXJJF1MWk0

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

Meta’s AI designed to flirt with kids. It is time we make “duty of care” law, not PR fixes.

https://t.co/WP9eriAjcz

[Sean Herman @thatdigitaldad]

I have yet to see empirical evidence on the impact of emotional connections being formed with AI, but anecdotally, this is extremely concerning.

A flirty Meta AI bot invited a retiree to meet. He never made it home. https://t.co/LcFS7eM4da via @SpecialReports