Screen Captured: Helping Families Explore the Digital World in the Age of Manipulation

by Sean Herman, Dr. Renae Beaumont (Foreword)

If you’re a parent, you can’t escape the avalanche of news touting the negative effects of technology on children. You figure that screen time can’t be as bad as experts are making it out to be, and yet, you’re unsure which platforms to trust and may even have anxiety over what your kids are seeing online. You want to help them form good habits around technology use, but where can you turn for guidance?

In Screen Captured, Sean Herman separates technology fact from fiction for his fellow parents. He highlights the difference between positive screen time, which focuses on education, connectedness, and creativity, and being screen captured, where we are manipulated by tech companies to crave the infinite feed. He acknowledges privacy concerns but digs deeper to reveal the true a growing obsession among children with the social validation they receive online. Sean equips you with critical questions to ask so you can give your kids the best of technology—while eliminating the worst of it.

155 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2019

About the author

I am the father of an 8-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son. The experiences my daughter had online inspired me to start Kinzoo, a private messenger that turns screen time into family time. As Founder and CEO, I aim to make Kinzoo the most trusted brand in the world for incorporating technology into our children's lives, and I want to help parents mold their kids into responsible digital citizens. As a CFA Charterholder, I am uniquely qualified to analyze the future of technology from both the consumer and company perspectives. I live in Vancouver with my two children and wife of 13 years.

Reviews

[EMMA · Rating 5 out of 5]

What stayed with me after reading *Screen Captured* was its distinction between using technology with purpose and becoming shaped by technology without realizing it. Sean Herman moves beyond the familiar debate about screen time by asking a more meaningful question about how digital platforms influence children's habits, attention, and sense of validation.

I especially appreciated how the book avoids presenting technology as either entirely harmful or entirely beneficial. Instead, it examines the tension between educational and creative uses of digital tools and the design choices that encourage endless scrolling and dependence on social approval. The practical questions woven throughout the book help parents evaluate technology thoughtfully rather than react out of fear or confusion.

This book will resonate with parents, educators, caregivers, and anyone supporting children in a digital world. The strongest takeaway is that raising healthy technology users is less about counting minutes on a screen and more about helping children develop awareness, balance, and intentional habits that will serve them throughout life.

[Kyrsten Newlon]

I’m not sure I can adequately rate this book because I’m not a parent, but I love learning about digital literacy and online safety. This was so well crafted and offers such good advice, even for non-parents like myself. It’s reminded me to stay curious and never fall into ignorant bliss regarding social media or any online presence.

[Amber Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

What impressed me most was the balance. Sean Herman doesn't demonize technology; instead, he helps readers understand how it works and why awareness matters. That made the book feel practical rather than preachy.

[Jenna Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a parent of three teenagers, I found myself highlighting page after page. The discussion around social validation and online approval really helped me understand behaviors I've been seeing in my own children.

[Thomas Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated the author's ability to combine research with personal experience. The story about his daughter immediately drew me in and gave the entire book an authentic foundation.

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated the author's ability to combine research with personal experience. The story about his daughter immediately drew me in and gave the entire book an authentic foundation.

[Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on a very relevant topic. A must-read for any parent.