It's My Screen Time Too

Thanks for joining us on our journey into the madness of parenting in the screen time era. Here’s our top 5 list of the best of the best we’ve reviewed over the past 8 years!Deborah:5. Bolt4. Ted-Ed 3. Mitchells vs. The Machines2. Kid Cosmic1. Art for Kids Hub Katie5. Shaun the Sheep4. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power3. Dora and the Lost City of Gold2. Curses1. Puffin RockHonorable Mentions:Jingle JangleKlausPaddington 2ZombiesCosmic Kids Yoga Teen Beach MovieNumberblocksApple and OnionWe mentioned some friends of the pod we’d like to give one final shout out:Julia Washington  Shehla Faizi  And finally, here’s the rave scene from Dora and the Lost City of Gold. You’re welcome. Contact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

Pixar tries once again to make Katie feel her feelings, but this time in the form of an 8-episode series instead of a movie.Previous episodes we mention:Monsters at Work Win or Lose made us think of these movies and shows for grown ups:LostMoneyballEnglish TeacherThis diabetes commercial We cast our gritty Curses! reboot with:Keenan Thompson as Frank the UmpireNatasha Rothwell as VanessaJon Cho or Nick Offerman as Coach DanJeff Hiller or Jack McBrayer as the JanitorContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

Freed from the shackles of preschool programming, we test out the freedom of watching a show made for grown-ups with our kids: The Traitors.Contact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

Sure, people who have time to watch grown-up movies may be debating the relative merits of The Brutalist and A Complete Unknown, but we know the real fight is between Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot. Listen to our takes on the family films in contention for this year’s Academy Awards.Previous Episodes We MentionInside Out 2 The Wild Robot Flow Pinocchio Wicked Wonka What our kids are watching or what we’re watching with them:The MoleTraitorsWhat we’re watching during grown-up screen time:The DiplomatWhite LotusSeverenceContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

Who says family screen time is incompatible with relaxation? We review the Latvian sleeper hit Flow.Things we mentioned in this episode:Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flyn Previous episodes we mention:White Fang Spaceballs Flow made us think of these movies and shows for grown ups:The Last of UsWaterworldContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

Not only are our kids bringing tech home from the classroom, they’re using more and more tech during their school days. In this week’s Screen Time in the News episode, we discuss a Wall Street Journal article that questions whether in-class tech time is time well spent. We also catch up on what our kids are watching, what we’re watching with them, and what we’re watching during our precious kid-free screen time. Deborah can’t wait for a breather from all the televised sports, and Katie figures after three years, she should probably finally watch Severance.Things We Mention in this Episode:Screens Have Taken Over Classrooms. Even Students Have Had Enough by Sara Randazzo, Matt Barnum and Julie Jargon for the Wall Street Journal What our kids are watching or what we’re watching with them:The Secret GardenLand of the LostMoleWhat we’re watching during grown-up screen time:SeveranceWhite Lotus Season 3The Diplomat Season 2Contact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Face

We review the big screen adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s comic supacop, Dog Man. We cover the complicated logistics of breaking up with your boyfriend when his head has been replaced by a dog’s; the tightrope-walking required to adapt a beloved book series for the screen; and whether Dog Man’s origin story is actually far more gruesome and disturbing than we thought.Previous episodes we mention:Bad Guys: Haunted Heist Dog Man made us think of these shows and books for grown ups:NightbitchFun HomeWe cast our gritty reboot with these actors:Andy Serkis as Dog ManJK Simmons as PeteyContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

Tis the season for new toys! We discuss a New York Times story about Ms. Rachel’s new line of toys and the role licensed merchandise has played in our lives and our kids’ lives. Plus, we catch up on what we’re watching with our kids and what we have our eyes on for grown-up screen time. Things We Mention in this Episode:Ms. Rachel, YouTube Star, Is Creating a Holiday Toy Frenzy by Sapna Maheshwari published by The New York Times on November 29, 2024 Dirt-cheap toys imported into U.S. can be dangerous, group says. Here's what to know from All Things Considered on NPRPrevious Episodes We Mention:Ms. Rachel’s Songs for Littles What our kids are watching or what we’re watching with them:Is It Cake? Holiday EditionDeadliest CatchSkeleton CrewWhat we’re watching or looking forward to during grown-up screen time:A Complete UnknownHot FrostyGladiator IIContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

Join us for our review of what is certainly the brownest Christmas movie of the season, An Almost Christmas Story. Did this twenty-minute special fulfill our desire for short family programming to get us in the holiday spirit? Listen to find out! Previous episodes we mention:Peter Pan and Wendy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Pinocchio An Almost Christmas Story made us think of these movies and shows for grown ups:The MartianBook LoversWe cast our gritty reboot with these actors:Paula PoundstoneNatasha LyonneContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

We scoured the internet for a rundown of this year’s kids and family Christmas movies and found…not a whole lot. In this Screen Time in the News episode, we discuss the lack of new kids’ holiday content this year and why the cheesy holiday romance seems to have replaced the heartwarming family Christmas tale.Things we mention in this episode:The 13 Best Christmas Movies of All Time and Where to Watch Them from InStyleThe 16 Best New Christmas Movies of the 2024 Holiday Season from Good Housekeeping Previous Episodes We Mention:All I Want for Christmas Is You Klaus Jingle Jangle Spirited Bad Guys Halloween Heist What our kids are watching or what we’re watching with them:Gold RushMystery at Blind Frog RanchWarriors fan videos on YouTubeEncantoWhat we’re watching during grown-up screen time:SiloDune: ProphecySomebody SomewhereSlow HorsesMan on the InsideContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.co

Wicked made a splash this Thanksgiving season, but is it a good movie to see with kids? We weigh in on all the high points of Wicked discourse: whether Ariana Grande will ever step out of her Glinda performance; whether this movie is too long for a Part I; and whether singing in the movie theater is ever okay. But most importantly, we discuss how we approached seeing Wicked as parents.Things we mentioned in this episode:Is Ariana Grande Going to Be Stuck Like This Forever? by Fran Hoepfner in Vulture Wicked made us think of these movies and shows for grown ups:Gone GirlSwing KidsAmelieWe cast our gritty reboot with these actors:Amy Schumer as GlindaLeslie Jones as ElphebaJohn Cho as the WizardFred Armisen as Nessa RoseContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

We used to fret over our kids’ time spent in front of a screen. Now they’re a little bit older, and we get to worry over their time spent in front of multiple screens. We had so much fun discussing an article from Wired about second screening, third screening, and even fourth screening. Are we, as grown ups, surrounding ourselves with more than one screen at a time? How do we feel about our kids doing the same?This week’s Screen Time in the News article is “Forget Screen Time. We Need to Talk About Screen Real Estate” by Angela Watercutter in Wired. Here’s the cord hider we talked about in this episode. Listeners, have you used something like this? What our kids are watching or what we’re watching with them:Nailed ItBeyblade XNugget is DeadWhat we’re watching during grown-up screen time:Slow HorsesDrops of GodContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

We welcome the holiday season with a review of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. This small story makes for a big contrast with the bright, toy-filled Christmas stories we’ve gotten used to of late, and we discuss what resonated with us and what they should have done differently to bring this tale from our childhoods to life.Previous episodes we mention:Wild Robot Klaus Let’s Go Luna The Best Christmas Pageant Ever made us think of these movies and shows for grown ups:Synecdoche, New YorkGCBWe cast our gritty reboot with these actors:Jenny Lewis as ImogeneThe guys from Atlanta as the Herdman brothersJudy Greer and Nat Faxon as Mom and DadContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

Our Screen Time in the News article this week broke the news that Netflix is axing almost all of its interactive content, so we spend some time pondering why the technology never took off the way we thought it might. Deborah wonders whether it can be compared to an ill-advised Cheerios flavor, and Katie uses the phrase “petit filet ice cream” for the first time in her life. We catch up on what we’re watching with our kids and what we’re watching during our kid-free screen time and discuss where the New York Times daily games fall when it comes to screen time limits.Netflix is removing nearly all of its interactive titles by Jay Peters in The VergePrevious Episodes We Mention:Lyla in the LoopBuddy ThunderstruckStretch ArmstrongWhat our kids are watching or what we’re watching with them:Curses!BigGeorgie & Mandy's First MarriageWhat we’re watching during grown-up screen time:The DiplomatGhostsFootballMatlockContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook

Find out whether this tearjerker has enough substance for grown-ups and enough laughs for kids in our review of The Wild Robot.Previous episodes we mention:Kung Fu Panda 4 Wish Despicable Me 4 Article in The Cut by Kathryn Jezer-Morton titled “Who is all that obsessively detailed college-dorm decorating really for?” The Wild Robot made us think of these movies and shows for grown ups:The Last of UsCastawaySaint VincentFirst Wives ClubWe cast our gritty reboot with these actors:Sad Ben AffleckLena HeadeyContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

We discuss the lawsuit against TikTok and the internal documents exposed by Kentucky Public Radio about the video platform’s addictiveness to vulnerable teens. Previous Episodes We Mention:Curses! What our kids are watching or what we’re watching with them:Georgie and Mandie’s first marriageWild RobotCurses!Camp CretaceousWhat we’re watching during grown-up screen time:Only Murders in the BuildingSlow HorsesAgatha All AlongContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

Can Apple TV+ break this year’s curse on fresh Halloween content for families? Listen to our review of Curses! to find out.Things we mentioned in this episode:Previous episodes we mention:We discussed a Good Housekeeping article about the benefits of exposing kids to scary content in our Haunted Mansion episode last year Spooky Buddies Bad Guys Haunted Heist Curses made us think of these movies and shows (although whether any of them are really for grown ups is up for debate):Indiana JonesNational TreasureGooniesBlack WidowWe cast our gritty Curses! reboot with:John Krasinski or Leonardo DiCaprio as AlexYara Shahidi as PanZoe Saldana as SkyAwkwafina and Charlene Yi as Larry and StanleyContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

We discuss The Guardian’s review of Ashley Spencer’s new book Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire and lament being too old to experience the channel’s heyday as tweens but too young to witness it with our own kids. Things We Mention in this EpisodePrevious Episodes We Mention:Julie and the Phantoms This week’s article: ‘It caught everyone by surprise’: inside the rise and fall of the Disney Channel from September 26, 2024 by Adrian Horton for The Guardian Since we’re reading a Guardian article this week, here’s another one from the demise of one of our favorite websites of the early aughts (the one that Deborah used to keep tabs on Zach Efron and Ashley Tisdale), Jezebel: The death of Jezebel is the end of an era of feminism. Here are links to the books we talk about wanting to read:Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire Slimed: An Oral History of Nickelodeon’s Golden Age Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame St

We celebrate our 200th episode with a look at where the show has been and where it’s headed. We ring in spooky season 2024 with a quick review of the Netflix special The Bad Guys Haunted Heist.Previous episodes we mention:Spooky Buddies Phantom Pups Interested in some faves from Halloween past? Check out this rundown. The Bad Guys Haunted Heist made us think of these movies and shows for grown ups:Good GirlsOcean’s ElevenHustleWe cast our gritty The Bad Guys Haunted Heist reboot with:Vince Vaughn, Riz Ahmed, Selena Gomez, Natasha RothwellTaylor Kitsch, Richard Madden, Sophie Turner, Gaten MatarazzoContact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.comConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or by email at myscreentimetoo@gmail.com

In our last episode before our fall break, we review Apple TV’s Yo Gabba Gabbaland, a reboot of a 2000s show beloved by hipster parents everywhere. We bemoan being too old to recognize any of the impressive musical guests, and we discuss whether the “variety show” label is a positive or negative for modern preschool programming. We will be back with new episodes in October starting with a celebration of our 200th episode! Until then, find almost 200 archived episodes on our website myscreentimetoo.com.Previous episodes we mention:Muppets Now Ask the Storybots Ms. Rachel’s Songs for Littles Welcome to Pooh Corner is the show Katie remembers from her childhood with actors wearing costumes to play Pooh and his friends.Biz’s Beat of the Day from the original Yo Gabba Gabba Yo Gabba Gabbaland made us think of these movies and shows for grown ups:Busy This Week on QVCEarly seasons of Late Night with Conan O’BrienWe cast our gritty Yo Gabba Gabbaland reboot with:Broadway superstars Audra McDonald, Jerry Orbach, Alan