Digital Detox: The Two-Week Tech Reset for Kids

by Molly Defrank

"This brilliant book is a game-changer."--WENDY SPEAKE, author of The 40-Day Social Media Fast and Exchanging Parents' Angry Reactions for Gentle Biblical Responses"Hope and practical direction for parents." --FRANCIS and LISA CHAN, New York Times bestselling authorsIt's time to flip the switch and get your kids back. Mom of six Molly DeFrank was sick of screen-time meltdowns. She wanted more for her family, so she pulled the plug, declaring a digital detox for her kids. The transformation blew her She got her sweet, happy kids back.The detox was easier than she could have hoped, and the results were better than she could have dreamed. In just two weeks, her children were free from the grip of digital devices. Their moods shifted immediately, and their creativity exploded. They learned how to entertain themselves and enjoy life without screens.Her experiment led to a total tech overhaul that changed her family's life. Here's how she did it in just fourteen days, and how you can too.Digital Detox offers step-by-step guidance that will help you· overcome your fear of firing your "electronic babysitter"· cultivate your child's giftings outside of screens· confidently set the right tech boundaries for your family· develop a long-term plan to sustain lasting changeBest of all, you'll transform screen zombies into friendly, happy, grateful kids.You can put technology in its right place. This book will show you how.

Genres: Parenting, Self Help, Nonfiction

245 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2022

About the author

Molly DeFrank is the founder of the online Digital Detox, where she helps free families from their addictions to devices. She has a degree in international relations and worked as a press aide for former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. These days, she is a stay-at-home mom and foster mom to five kids ages eleven and under. She spends most of her time telling them to put on their shoes.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I wake up in cold sweats every so often thinking, what did we bring to the world? . . . Did we really bring a nuclear bomb with information that can . . . blow up people’s brains and reprogram them?” Tony Fadell, senior vice president, Apple
Digital Detox The Two-Week Tech Reset for Kids by Molly DeFrank is an encouraging, serious look at doing a digital detox for the whole family. She shared her experiences and created a long-term plan.
Anyone else ready to put down there phones? Tablets? Play outside? Read some great books?
The author makes that argument about screen time effects with dopamine and sleep patterns. Adults need to be the model for success.
I’m not going to lie, this book felt stressful. With prayer and a strong support group I can see this happening. My hope is that we’re all going to move in this direction.
I highly recommend if your serious about detoxing your family.
The author created lot of helpful scenarios and guides you through the process. Shes a person who has successfully approached this issue.
Thanks Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley.

[Abby Rooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I inhaled this book. Front to back FULL of recommendations and helpful tools to reset my kids’ screen usage. Maybe the most important book I’ve ever read! It has already impacted our family. I needed this book to help me know that it is possible to get rid of the “screen babysitter.” I will be recommending this to all of my friends and re-reading every year!

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: Did you know that 5-8 year olds spend an average of 3.5 hours on screens daily? I think in our modern day and age technology can be such a helpful tool, but really it needs to be just that: a tool. Digital Detox is such a helpful and practical book for evaluating your screen time and implementing habits that work for your family. Molly DeFrank walks you through steps to a two-week digital detox that helps you see how screens affect your family and how you want to use them in everyday life. The book is filled with research, stories, and tips that show you it is possible to be completely screen-free for two weeks, and it’s actually worth it! I’d highly recommend this one if you’ve got elementary-age kids or teens. If you’ve got littles and have already introduced a lot of screen time (tablets and video games, etc.), I think this is a great read too. And I love that Molly also gives advice for parents’ screen usage. If you start good habits now, you can just keep them up as your family grows! If you’d like to see your screen time habits for your family change, definitely check this one out!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

[Misty Beller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for families! It's such a challenge in today's world to keep kids grounded and not overwhelmed by technology to the point it has a negative impact on their behavior and habits. Molly Defrank does an excellent job giving strategies and insights to help raise healthy and balanced kids in today's digital world. I recommend it!

[Sophie Allers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very simple and practical. My kids are a week into a detox and we’re all better for it. Highly recommend listening to at least some of this book and trying it for yourself.

I especially appreciate that the author notes that tech can be a part of our lives and our kids lives, but taking a 2 week break allows you to assess how much and what tech you want to include.

[Cynthia Cline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I put off reading this book for awhile because i was stressed about what I would find. I’m not surprised by the evidence in the effects of screens. I saw some of it in my own kids. But what i was surprised by was how motivating/encouraging this book was.

It wasn’t a “embrace the suck” or “entertain your kids all the time” kind of book. Molly provided practical advice, she provided real life examples, and she was honest without judgement.

I’m so thankful to have read this book and started our own detox.

[Dani]

I have decided to take the pressure off my nonfiction reads and not give them star ratings. But I will share my thoughts!

I listened on audio and really enjoyed her balanced and non judgmental approach to the topic of tech usage in our homes. She lays out very practical steps to approach a tech fast and explains the science behind it without getting too technical.

Screens are addictive and it’s easy to slip into habitually using them to keep ourselves in a constant state of entertainment. We noticed this in our home and wanted to have a reset. The results for our family were incredibly eye opening. More connection, more intentionality with how we used our time, etc.

She also includes a section on various suggestions for how to approach tech use after the fast. Overall this book was very helpful and I will definitely be purchasing a copy to reread and highlight. The various book lists and lists of screen free activities would be helpful to have in physical format.

[Misti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be more relevant if my children were younger. I think that a digital detox is a great idea for younger families. This book did give some good ideas that could be implemented even if you didn't want to make your kids go cold turkey for 2 weeks in the area of technology.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book! It was mostly geared toward kids younger than teen age but overall it had a lot of good info.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

With great info but a bit repetitive.

[Tiffany Hedgpeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

great idea but definitely needs more practical ideas (and understanding) of teens.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I jokingly refer to myself as our family’s resident Screen Time Nazi. (As I write this, I’m realizing that is likely an incredibly offensive term. . . now welcoming suggestions for an alternative title!) We do not forbid all screens in our household, but our kids’ access to them is extremely limited. This level of regulation is an anomaly among my friend group, so my ears perked up when I heard Molly DeFrank on a podcast recently: here was a kindred spirit who had recognized the detriments of screen time for her kids and decided to make some changes. Though I wasn’t necessarily in need of DeFrank’s book (much of which I could have written myself!), I wanted to give it a listen as I hoped it might provide the motivation I needed to be more consistent with our family’s screen rules.

In Digital Detox, Moly DeFrank (a stay-at-home mom/foster mom to six kids) shares of the meltdowns, frustrations, and aha moments that led her to make some changes with her family’s approach to technology. After noticing the detrimental effects of excess screen time on her kids’ behavior, sleep, imaginations, attention spans, and more, she and her husband decided to try an experiment: they would take away ALL screens for two weeks and see what might happen. The experiment was a success, and in Digital Detox, DeFrank guides parents in implementing their own family detox through four simple UNDO steps (Unplug cold turkey; Notice your kids’ interest/talents/opportunities for growth; Develop a list of screen fun together; and Open the books). Then, in Part Two, DeFrank provides ideas for creating a long-term tech plan once the detox is over, as well as answers to other questions that might arise regarding sustaining the results (such as how to approach tech and learning, ideas for a parent tech detox, suggestions for getting other family members on board, and more).

This is much more of a HOW book than a WHY book; parents not noticing a problem with their kids’ screen usage likely won’t find that motivation here (though if you’re looking for that, check out Stolen Focus, reviewed below). But for families who are already eager to make some changes and in need of tips, this is an invaluable resource. DeFrank not only puts forth an inspiring example to emulate, she also offers countless tips, suggestions, and other considerations to keep in mind. I appreciate that she doesn’t simply guide parents in STOPPING technology; she also offers advice on how to best fill all that extra time. I especially loved the chapters on using the time away from screens to study our kids’ and identify their strengths and passions, as well as the chapters on replacing screens with books (with lots of great book recommendations).

While I don’t feel the need for a full Detox for our own family, I did come away from this book with some great takeaways for integrating moderate tech in healthy ways. This book also left me feeling encouraged in our decision to moderate our family’s tech usage; we are undeniably going against the norm with this approach, and I like knowing we are not alone.

My Rating: 4 Stars // Book Format: Audiobook

[Heather Soles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Digital Detox addresses the detrimental side effects of overusing technology in the lives of kids (from toddlers to teens) as well as what parents can do to take initiative, both in the short term and long term. Author Molly DeFrank describes how to start a 2 week digital detox from technology (TV, video games, social media, etc.) and then how to set up a long term technology regimen that works for you and your family. I appreciate her perspective that not all tech is bad, but needs to be used to enhance life, not replace it.

If you are a parent looking to start fresh with the technology in your house and narrow down what you value as a family, this book has many practical tips and true life stories from families who have tried and found success in this method. I hope you enjoy and find it helpful!

[ArynTheLibraryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A step-by-step guide to a digital detox, packed with the science to build your WHY. The combination of guidance, science, and strategy, paired with stories of success and slips, make this a wonderful resource. I haven’t taken our kids off screens cold turkey yet, but I have implemented a few things, and plan to do more in the near future.

This was an easy read, and encouraging.

I received a copy of this book from #netgalley. I chose to review it here, all thoughts are my own.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical how-to book for parents. It provides eye-opening research on the damage technology can do/is doing to our kids. It also provides the encouragement you’ll need to apply this newfound knowledge to your real life. This book isn’t anti-technology, but it helps you whittle down and decide what types of tech (and the apps on them) are most important for both your children and your family. Does mindlessly browsing social media really help our teens (or us as parents?) This book helps us realize that perhaps we as parents could exchange time spent on Instagram for time spent reading aloud to our kids or playing tag in the yard. Our elementary age children can exchange hours of Fortnite for time cultivating new hobbies or skills.

Also, I am a HUGE proponent of developing a love for reading in children and this book supports this whole heartedly. And if you think your kid hates to read, think again! (Audiobooks and reading aloud are great alternatives.)

I was particularly interested in the section that described how digitally detoxing children from trauma backgrounds radically improved behaviors that otherwise would have been recognized as ODD, ADHD, general anger issues, etc. I can attest that this is true. My foster son came with VERY limited language at age 4 and he has radically improved since the tablet has been pried away from him. I truly believe a lot of his behaviors stemmed from technology masked as being “educational” when in reality it was causing developmental delay.

All in all, I highly recommend this book! You will not regret reading it.

[Sadie VanderKodde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was equal parts convicting and fascinating. Articulated clearly and sprinkled with humor, it was an easy read that gave me hope to go ahead with a two-week reset with my own kids. Of course, there's a certain amount of terror involved in making such a drastic change, and dealing with the fallout of my kids' attitudes, but the data Defrank shared throughout this book made me realize how necessary it is.

I see so much truth to her claims that digital addictions are ruining us and our kids - both in my own kids and the students I work with in an elementary school. I loved these quotes:

"What our kids really need to develop is sustained attention, impulse control, and active listening. Screens cultivate the opposite" (169).

"Our kids are continually overstimulated. Then we expect them to throttle down and focus on a typical lecture [in school], and they can't" (171). She goes on to quote Stanford psychology expert Nir Eyal as saying, "Becoming indistractible is the most important skill for the 21st century - and it's one that many parents fail to teach their kids" (178).

She challenges assertions that tech is a necessary part of our kids' lives and education, even showing studies that have proven technology is more detrimental than beneficial to learning.

Ultimately, it comes down to our own laziness as parents. "We are missing out [on meaningful relationships with our kids] because we choose the easier thing instead of the worthwhile thing" (204). It's time to start fighting for what's best for our kids over what's easiest for us.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Digital Detox: The Tw0-Week Tech Reset for Kids by Molly Defrank is a game changer. I would have always considered us as reasonable parents when it comes to screen time with our kids. We would let them have a couple hours of monitored screen time per day. Over time their interest in other things became less and less and they would seem to just pass the time until it was time for more screens. We knew we needed a change but we didn't know how to do it, or what to do. This book gave us a formula for a re-set. The two week detox was exactly what we needed. The kids protested at first, which was expected. But just a day later, they both (13 years old and 10 years old) rekindled interested in other activities. Our 10 year old son started doing puzzles - I was surprised by that! Our teen daughter decided to clean out her drawers and organize her room then picked up some books that had been sitting on her shelf. The detox gave us a break (and as the book says, re-set their dopamine levels so they'd be entertained by slower paced, real world activities) and when we started with screens again, we dialed back the screen time dramatically for our kids and they were ok with it because they saw and felt the benefits. This book is gold!! It's well researched, relatable, fun to read and provides a simple solution and super useful tips to a problem that we ALL are dealing with. I highly recommend this book!!!!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly's wisdom and encouragement is a must have for parents of this generation. As a nurse and mama of 3 working alongside this current culture-parents need to step up and be in the know of what is going on behind their kids screens and take back their role as parent. This book is excellent truth and encouragement for us all.

Our kids don't have the brain development to make these decisions so young. Handing over the internet to a young child has high risk for long term damage. From my home work as a mom and various nursing work with teens- kids want to be seen and known. They need adults to walk alongside life with them and model something different than what the world tells us. We need to parent the whole child- this involves fully knowing what we allow into our homes (screens, gaming, social media, etc). These seemingly innocent activities behind a screen influence our kids hearts and minds- and much is not for good.

Kids are going to be exposed to this world. It's our job as parents to help them navigate it all. Giving kids screens without proper boundaries or rules is wrecking so much of 'just being a kid'. Kids get one chance at childhood - we get one chance at parenting- and it's our job to help protect what can cause damage. The science backs up Molly's words on screen addiction, behavior and exposure to harmful materials. Thank you Molly for being a light and helping us all become better parents. Our kids hearts and well-being matter so much.

[Sharon Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Digital Detox is a practical and engaging guide to help you take back control of the screen time in your home.

I read this book with my husband because we needed a reset. A couple years ago, we did this two week detox with our 3 kids (now ages 6, 8, and 10). We loved it! And continued with pretty minimal screen time. But our kids are now asking for more screens, so we needed to come up with a long term plan.

Molly isn’t advocating for total elimination of screens, but the research is clear. Our kids are spending an unprecedented amount of time on digital entertainment, and these habits are detrimental to their mental health and their real-life relationships. I found the research detailed in this book prompted some great conversations with my husband and with friends.

The section about the importance of teaching our kids to negotiate their boredom really stuck with me! It’s so easy rely on technology to manage behavioral issues, but I am so encouraged by Molly to keep doing the hard and rewarding work of engaging and training my kids. They need our time and our attention!

Molly’s writing is humorous and, most importantly, hopeful. It’s also intensely practical. Molly understands the challenges associated with parenting, busy schedules, and family dynamics, and she does a great job anticipating objections and excuses. She offers a ton of practical resources for family activities, schedules, and conflicts. She puts the responsibility where it belongs - on us as parents.

Technology is not the problem. It is a tool that we need to learn to manage for ourselves and our families. And if that’s what you’re trying to do, this book will help.

If you are a parent who sees the negative effects of technology in your home and feels overwhelmed by the challenge of breaking free, you should read this book. It will give you the motivation, principles, and resources to make meaningful changes in your home.

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Digital Detox is not only a guide to put technology in its rightful place, but it is also a reminder of our purpose and privilege as parents. This book has opened my eyes to the real effects that screentime has on our children. It has renewed my desire to roll up my sleeves and do the hard and beautiful work we are called to in our parenting journey. Through Digital Detox, Molly gave me the why, the how and the encouragement to be both purposeful with our family’s technology use and also intentional in investing in my children’s growth and character. Digital Detox is a practical, challenging, encouraging book and just what we need for such a time as this. Highly recommend for both parents and educators.

[Nicole Brownfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed my time reading Digital Detox! Molly incorporates wonderful research into her writing, but her work is equally practical. Her winsome writer’s voice brings so much encouragement and hope to our calling to parent intentionally when it comes to our kids and their access to digital media. Molly never loses sight of the big picture, but she also gives so many helpful tips for both during and after the detox (including the best uses of technology within families). After reading her book, I feel like I just had coffee with a friend and that friend is now cheering me on in this new digital detox endeavor. I highly recommend this book (as well as Molly’s “Recommended Reading” list) to parents and others who have influence in the lives of children.

[Lindsay Tondee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend The Digital Detox book enough! Molly DeFrank has created a fantastic guide to tackling a two week detox from electronic devices, beginning with the problem we face as parents who have experienced side effects to screen time that we never expected. She provides digestible sections to help us navigate the detox, with a plethora of ideas to use when the kids claim boredom. I especially loved the comprehensive list of books to explore with your little ones, broken down by age level. Molly writes in personable, relatable prose and provides encouragement that we are their teachers and their guides. We are thrilled to be starting our digital detox today and feel confident this will truly help shift our family’s priorities to what matters most: each other!

[Hannah Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly DeFrank has done an excellent job on a tricky topic. Most parents truly do break out in a cold sweat when they think about detoxing their kids from screens. And yet, we all notice the way our kids become “tech monsters” very quickly. As a teacher, parent and christian, I applaud Molly for her hilarious writing, rich in practical advice and full of current research and evidence. If you have been thinking of detoxing yourself, your kids, your class or your family, this is the perfect impetus. Kids truly do spell love “TIME” and “ATTENTION.” Digital detox is a book that will give back to your family in dividends. It will remain on my personal bookshelf and will be referred too again. I highly recommend.

[Charlee Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth the read if you and your kids are on too many screens too often. Nothing novel for any parent of children or human alive in today’s technology world. The screens are addictive and they are messing with our neural connections and brain chemistry which is obviously even worse of a scenario for our little ones and their growing minds. Clearly written from a religious person but exclusive by any means on that nature - probably a homeschooler too. Really emphasizes the importance/magic/need for reading - love that! Generally, great support to back up great recommendations for a healthier family. I’ll come back and give it five stars if after we complete our two weeks, I still am sold on the straw it spins into gold in this book!

[Cali · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Digital Detox is an answer to wishes and prayers! I haven't even finished reading it yet, and it has already given me hope that our children don't have to be completely addicted to screens. The book provides both facts and anecdotes, with practical advice that has been tried and proven by the author Molly. I am confident that as I finish reading the book and following the steps to digitally detox myself and my family, that we'll have fewer behavior battles and be able to find more creativity and connection as a family. So grateful to have found this book when I did!

[Margaret Closs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book and think the topic is especially relevant after the past two years. I like that there is a certain amount of faith injected in the book, but faith is not required to get a lot out of this book. The one disappointment I had in this book is this seems to be a better book with suggestions for larger families. As a parent of an only child (not by choice), I would have appreciated more suggestions for people in a similar family situation. Overall well written, helpful tips and anecdotes.

[Michelle Castaneda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Digital Detox by Molly DeFrank is the book parents need in this digital age. Full of practical wisdom, this will give you the courage and incentive to take media away from your family in order to help them reset and find the best way to use media in the future. I think this book is beautifully written and full of hope. Great read. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

[Merlee Sheridan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a great grandparent I have watched the aspects of parenting and child behavior evolve with each generation but never have I seen mechanical devices affect the family as much as new technology has. Children are connecting with inanimate objects and not with each other. "Digital Detox" addresses this universal problem in a workable, positive way and will help families restore that feeling of togetherness once again. I've seen it work first hand and highly recommend this beautifully written book to everyone.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Digital Detox is a wonderful! So many enlightening yet encouraging things throughout this book! I personally did the detox and I saw amazing results. My 5 year old who struggled to focus was able to sit and focus so much longer… my kids didn’t fight near as much and played so much better together… so many other benefits. Thank you Molly for writing this much needed book, and thank you for all of your added resources and blogs to keep me informed and armed with ideas!!

[Kaitlin Byler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Digital Detox is the book to read if you are struggling to get a grasp on your kids’ screen time limits. She lays out how and why our kids are so easily entranced by electronics and how to break free from the screens. This book is an absolute must in todays tech obsessed world! I highly recommend as it has changed mine and my kids lives for the better!