Screens Aren’t the Enemy: What Kids Actually Need From Us, with Brynn Putnam and Ash Brandin, EdS

boundaries interaction mental health overwhelm Mar 19, 2026

You’re listening to Voices of Your Village, and today we’re talking about screens, because my feed has been feeling so black-and-white lately. Screens are bad. Screens disconnect us. Avoid them at all costs. And I just don’t think that’s true, and I also don’t think it’s helpful.

So we’re having a real conversation about what it looks like to raise kids in the world we’re actually living in, not the one we miss from when we were growing up. Screens are morally neutral. The question is what we do with them, what our kids are getting from them, and how we can use them as a tool for connection, instead of a source of tension.

I’m joined by Ash Brandin, aka The Gamer Educator and author of Power On, and Brynn Putnam, the creator of Board, a face-to-face game console that blends the tactile pieces of board games with a digital screen so families can play together in a way that fuels connection. We talk about digital play being real play, why leisure doesn’t have to be productive, and how to build trust now so kids come to you later, when tech gets more complicated and has higher stakes.

Alright folks, let’s dive in.

Connect with Brynn:

Instagram: @board.fun

X: @brynnputnam

Website: https://board.fun/

Connect with Ash:

Instagram: @thegamereducator

Website: https://thegamereducator.com/

Order the book: Power On: Managing Screen Time to Benefit the Whole Family

Substack: https://thegamereducator.substack.com/

Connect with us:

Instagram and TikTok: @seed.and.sew