Show Notes
Parents obsess over teen phone usage, but experts Dr. Cam and Dr. Roseann Capana Hodge reveal the real problem isn’t the device—it’s emotional dysregulation. Teens spend an average of 7.25 hours daily on phones, yet 37 states banning phones in schools misses the point entirely. The core issue: teens use phones to self-soothe and avoid uncomfortable emotions rather than developing genuine coping skills. Passive scrolling, doom-scrolling, and emotional numbing through devices create nervous system dysregulation that worsens mental health long-term—but confiscating phones doesn’t teach kids to regulate themselves.
More from Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam
Your teen isn’t tuning you out because they don’t care. Learn the three real reasons they stop listening and three simple habits that get you heard when it counts. The series finale with adolescent psychologist Dr. Cam Caswell.
Middle schooler won’t listen, won’t cooperate, or won’t get out of bed without a fight? Here’s the surprise. That same kid is often engaged, funny, and working hard in a great teacher’s classroom. In this episode of Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam, veteran middle school teacher Sean Kane shares what great teachers know about getting middle schoolers to cooperate, and how you can use it at home.
When a teen gets defiant or starts with the back talk, most of us push harder. More rules, louder voice, fewer explanations. And the harder we push, the further they pull away or shut down completely. José Rolón, known as NYC Gay Dad, raised his son and twin daughters as a single dad for ten years. He’s the first LGBTQ dad on the cover of Parents Latina and co-host of the Love Take Two podcast, and he shares how he stays strict and fair without the yelling.
If your teenager has grown distant and withdrawn, you’re not alone—and the solution might not be what you think. In this episode of Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam, Rachel Martin, COO of the Born This Way Foundation (founded by Lady Gaga and her mother), shares over a decade of research on what teens really need to thrive mentally and emotionally.
How to Stay Connected With Your Teen Without Smothering Them | Zara Kadir