Wired Child Reclaiming Childhood in a Digital Age

“Dr. Freed has crafted something here that is sensible, impeccably researched, fairly presented and most of all a message of hope.”
—Kim John Payne, M.Ed., author of Simplicity Parenting and The Soul of Discipline

“This is an amazing book! A superb piece of scholarship and writing.”
—Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, author of On Combat, coauthor of Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill

“[Wired Child] answers the question of why Steve Jobs limited his children’s access to and use of technology.”
—Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook

“Every parent needs to read this book…. Get it. You might get mad, and that may be a good thing.”
—Gloria Degaetano, author of Parenting Well in a Media Age

“A highly readable, timely, and much-needed resource for parents and anyone who cares about children’s health and well-being.”
—Susan Linn, Ed.D., instructor in psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; author of Consuming Kids

“An important book! Freed’s insights spark a critical conversation on InfoTech myths and how kids can benefit from wise use of technology.”
—Raffi Cavoukian, singer, founder of Centre for Child Honouring, author of Lightweb Darkweb

“Get this book! This book is well researched and is illustrated by real clinical cases. If you care about your kids and family, this book is a must read!”
—Andrew Doan, M.D., Ph.D., author of Hooked on Games

A practical guide to building your child’s bond with family and fostering school success amid the allure of digital screens

Kids’ obsessive use of video games, social media, and texting is eclipsing their connections with family and school—the two most important contributors to their well-being. The result: a generation of kids who suffer from soaring rates of emotional and academic problems, with many falling prey to an epidemic of video game and internet addictions.

In Wired Child, learn why a bevy of social media friends won’t keep teens from feeling empty inside and turning to cutting for relief. See how our kids have become smartphone experts who struggle in reading, math, and the other educational basics that colleges consider in deciding admissions. And discover how many “child-friendly” technologies are depriving kids of joy in the real world, putting them at risk for device addictions.

Wired Child gives you the confidence and skills you need to safely navigate your children through a rapidly shifting media landscape. Dr. Freed offers concrete parenting strategies that will help you create the strong family kids need and encourage their school success. You’ll also learn how to protect kids from destructive tech addictions, and instead guide them to use technology productively as a positive force for their future. More about the book

Richard Freed, Ph.D., is a child and adolescent psychologist, author of the book Wired Child, and his insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and on NPR and CNBC. Dr. Freed is a leading expert on Silicon Valley’s use of persuasive design (psychological manipulation) in social media, video games, and online videos and how that affects children’s health. He wrote the first major media article on the subject; testified at the California State Assembly Judiciary Committee in favor of AB 2408, the Social Media Platform Duty to Children Act (Cunningham and Wicks), which limits the industry’s use of addictive algorithms; co-wrote a recent journal article on the unethical use of persuasive design on children; and co-led a national campaign encouraging the American Psychological Association to condemn the unethical practice of psychologists employing persuasive design in consumer technologies used by kids. Dr. Freed is also an authority on the disproportionately hurtful effects of screen/tech use on children of color and those living in low-income families.

Dr. Freed speaks nationally to groups of parents, teachers, and health care providers. Receiving his professional training at Cambridge Hospital / Harvard Medical School and the California School of Professional Psychology, he is on the advisory boards of the Screen Time Action Network at Fairplay, Families Managing Media, and Wait Until 8th. Dr. Freed lives in Walnut Creek, California and is the father of two girls. Read full bio

Dr. Freed’s testimony in favor of AB 2408, the Social Media Platform Duty to Children Act (Cunningham and Wicks), at the California State Assembly Judiciary Committee. The bill prevents social media companies from using algorithms that addict kids:

Appearance by Dr. Freed on CNBC (fast forward to the 2:10 mark when show starts):