SMARTPHONES 101 · ONLINE FAMILY COURSE
Help your kids use their phones with wisdom.
Smartphones 101 is 10 short video lessons your family watches together, plus discussion guides that tee up the conversations about technology every family needs to have.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
If your kid has a phone, you've probably lost sleep over at least one of these.
Smartphones 101 walks your family through all 6, one short lesson at a time.
Brain Development
What all that screen time does to a growing brain, especially for younger kids and young teens.
Anxiety and depression
The link between social media and how your kid feels about themselves.
Online predators
How easily a stranger can reach your kid through social media, and what to do about it.
Time on the phone
Where the hours go, and how to set limits your family can actually live with.
Porn and explicit content
Smartphones are the number one place kids see porn. You want to be the one who brings it up first.
Settings and oversight
Which settings to change, and how much oversight is the right amount for your kid's age.
HOW IT WORKS
Watch it together. Talk it through.
01
Watch a lesson as a family
Most lessons run 6 to 8 minutes, so you can fit one in after dinner. They play on a computer or a phone.
02
Use the discussion guide
Every video comes with a discussion guide and printable note pages, so you'll know what to ask once the video ends.
03
Spread it out over a few weeks
Take one lesson at a time. The conversations get easier the more often you have them.
You're still the parent here. The course gives you a plan and the words to get started, and you take it from there.
WHAT’S INSIDE
10 lessons, 10 conversations
Each one comes with its own discussion guide and printable notes.
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00
Introduction
Read Me First! guide for parentsFamily intro videoAll About You (4-question survey)
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01
Smartphones and Responsibility
Video + discussion guide
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02
Smartphones and Your Brain
Video + discussion guide
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03
Texting Like a Pro
Video + discussion guide
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04
Social Media
Video + discussion guideSocial Media Guide
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05
Depression and Anxiety
Video + discussion guide"Is Your Teen's Smartphone Making Her Depressed?"
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06
Safeguarding Your Life (and Reputation)
Video + discussion guide
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07
Explicit Content
Video + discussion guide
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08
Smartphones vs Real Relationships
Video + discussion guide
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09
Setting Up Your Phone
Video + discussion guide
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10
The Smartphone Contract
Video + discussion guideParent's Guide to the Smartphone ContractFamily Smartphone Contract (Word + PDF)
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Additional resources
When Should You Give Your Child a Smartphone?Faith-Based Appendix for Christian Families8 Sneaky Things Teenagers Do on Their SmartphonesMore books and resources for imperfect and normal families
THE FULL BUNDLE
Everything your family gets
"Read Me First!" guide for parents, plus an intro video for the whole family
10 video lessons and 10 printable discussion guides
A family smartphone contract you can customize
"When Should You Give Your Child a Smartphone?" guide
Bonus resources, including a social media guide, a faith-based appendix for Christian families, and articles on teen depression and teen phone habits
Lifetime access, including any updates we add later
FULL BUNDLE
One purchase, lifetime access for your family
$39
Similar courses cost $250 or more.
30 days to try it. If it doesn't fit your family, we'll refund you.
What parents are saying
“My two oldest kids have had their smartphones for 2 and 4 years. Now we are about to our 13-year-old one. This course was invaluable to our family as we ALL sat down together to view it. We loved seeing our older kids giving advice to their little brother about how to not get caught up in all the online drama that smartphones create.”
Steve, father of three teenagers
“Exhausted from hearing our daughter ask for a phone for the past two years, we are about to give in. While we weren’t completely sure if she was ready or not, the Smartphones 101 course covered EVERYTHING we felt like she needed to know. We learned a lot, too. Most importantly, we loved the provided discussion guides.”
Rebecca, mother of a 12-year-old
“Many of my children’s friends already have their own smartphones but I don’t think my kids are ready yet. (They just want to use mine 20 times a day.) Smartphones 101 has given my husband and me an awareness of some of the issues related to smartphones & kids and given us some peace on how long we need to wait until we give our kids one.”
Beth, mom of two elementary kids
MEET YOUR TEACHER
Barrett Johnson
Barrett is a speaker, author, and counselor, and a former family minister. He and Jenifer raised their own kids right as smartphones took over, so every lesson in this course comes from working through these same conversations at their own kitchen table.
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Every family is different in the timing of giving their child a smartphone. This course is designed for you to have these conversations before the phones are in their hands, regardless of the age. If your child has already had a phone for awhile, you can still take the time to go through this course with them too.
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Yes. Every lesson plays on a computer or a phone.
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As long as you want it. Your purchase includes lifetime access, plus any updates we add to the course later.
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You get 30 days to explore the course. If it doesn't meet your family's needs, we'll refund you.
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You will receive an email with all of the details on how to access Smartphones 101. There is also a link to the account login in the footer of the website for easy access.
Questions before you buy
Want to share Smartphones 101 with your church or school?
Our affiliate program makes it easy to pass Smartphones 101 along to the families you serve. Email us to get set up.
Start the conversation this week
10 short lessons, a plan for every talk, and 30 days to try it. All for $39.