Book review: Power On

When I interviewed Ash Brandin about their new book there was a moment I shortened the title to introduce them. I just said “Ash’s new book Power On” and the conversation could have flowed from there. But it didn’t.

Instead, Ash paused and read the entire title: Power On: Managing Screen Time To Benefit The Whole Family.

And they did it because the subtitle is really important: Benefit the whole family.

You can listen to the conversation on the podcast or read my thoughts on the skills I realized I needed to develop after the discussion.

In Ash’s mind, screen time IS a tool for the whole family. We think about it as just something that only affects the child but it’s more.

Screen time is a way for parents to get time to make dinner knowing their child is safe, for a kid to learn about a topic. It can help a child practice a skill like planning or bring us together around shared content. And yes, sometimes screen time is just a way for a kid to get a break and exert control and autonomy.

There are lots of other ways to do those things, too. But sometimes screen time is the best one and will help the whole family the most.

I think this reframe helps us make decisions as caregivers. Instead of seeing how we can go as screen light as possible, we are thinking about everyone’s well-being so we can also do our best jobs as parents.

Ash starts with context about screen time usage and longer term impacts and reminds us that fears also aren’t new. Early on, beloved childrens program Sesame Street faced concerns from experts that the repetitive music would reduce attention spans and overtax nervous systems causing harm to children. The key in this is being intentional about screen time usage, not letting it just happen.

The book follows this context with effective tools for intentionality, namely the ABCs of screen time and the idea of using words like “notice” to reduce conflict. The ABCs are: access to screens, behavior around screens, and the content on the screen. For some parents this is review, for others it may give new language or strategies.

But if I’m honest the biggest unlock was the wider screen time framing and reminder that screen time can be a benefit, if we use it well.

There are many actors, circumstances and context in the family, all creating unique circumstances. Screens and games may be part of all of it, not inherently bad or good. And screen time is something we can modify in many ways to support our families. Ash reminds us that too much fear around screens or technology can blind us to making the right decisions for our complex selves and environments. It’s about screens, but it applies to many things: including phones, social media. Unobstructed, thoughtless access probably isn’t the right choice, intentionality is.

If you’re thinking about these topics, I think Ash’s book is a great resource and I’m glad they wrote it.