Dear [School Name] Families,

With summer just around the corner, your teen will have more free time—and likely, more screen time. While technology keeps them connected, it can also lead to endless scrolling, late-night gaming, or isolating habits. The good news? Summer is the perfect time to reset digital habits and encourage a balanced, more intentional approach to screen use.

In the next two weeks, we will send you some practical ways your family can prioritize digital well-being this summer:

Encourage Real-World Adventures

Teens thrive when they’re actively engaged in experiences beyond their screens. Help them plan activities that foster connection, movement, and fun:

• Day Trips with Friends – Encourage outings like hiking, beach days, amusement parks, or even a road trip to a new town.

• Faith in Action – Plan a service project together, such as organizing a community clean-up, preparing care packages for those in need, or participating in a mission trip or church outreach event.

• Summer Challenges – Encourage them to set a fitness goal, a reading challenge, or try a DIY home project.

Create a "Real-Life” Bucket List

Help your teen build a fun and active summer bucket list! Encouraging them to set personal goals makes summer feel more intentional and rewarding. Some ideas:

• Skill-Building: Learn to drive, cook a signature dish, or start a summer side hustle (dog-walking, tutoring, mowing lawns).

• Social & Outdoor Fun: Host a backyard movie night, a bible study or an evening of prayer, plan a bonfire with friends or as a family, or go to a local music festival.

• Creative Projects: Write a short story or a devotional for your friends, record a podcast episode about your faith journey, or film a short video series about your summer.

Use Tech with a Purpose

Rather than defaulting to screens out of boredom, teens can develop intentional tech habits:

• Set Boundaries: Ensure Family Settings/Parental Controls are turned on and set app and time limits that support your child's real world adventuring and bucket list. E.g. 30 minutes on TikTok or YouTube (with autoplay turned off) to learn how to cook a new dish.

• Mindfulness & Focus: Encourage them to try the YouVersion Bible app for encouraging daily verses or a bible study plan, the Headspace or Calm apps for guided meditation and stress relief, or the Forest app to stay focused while studying or reading.

• Time Block Entertainment: Set limits on scrolling and gaming—encourage using apps like “Screen Time” or “Digital Wellbeing” to track use. Try apps like One Sec or Opal to help pause impulsive scrolling by adding a mindful delay before opening social media.

Click here for your Family Summer Guide with digital well-being tips!

Want more ideas? Check out JOMO Campus for Families for more ways to help your teen find balance this summer.

Wishing your family a summer filled with connection, creativity, and real-life joy!

Dear [School Name] Families,

In our last email, we shared ways to help your teen build healthier digital habits this summer. Now, let’s take it a step further—let’s encourage them to use technology in a more creative and fulfilling way:

Shift from Consuming to Creating

Not all screen time is bad—encouraging creative use of tech helps teens develop skills and confidence. Encourage your teen to try:

• Starting a Passion Project: Whether it’s launching a podcast, experimenting with photography, making beats, or designing graphics, creative tech use builds confidence and real-world skills. 

• Trying a Digital Detox Challenge: Can they go a week without social media? A month without doomscrolling? Challenge them to replace that time with prayer, journaling, starting a gratitude jar, or reading Scripture, reflecting on how it makes them feel.

• Building Something New: Encourage them to make a summer vlog, curate a themed playlist, or even explore entrepreneurial ideas like selling artwork or designing a website.

When teens shift from passively consuming content to actively creating, they gain a greater sense of purpose and ownership over their digital lives.

Model & Support Healthy Digital Habits

Teens notice what we do. Small shifts in your own digital habits can make a big difference:

• Be present when they are. Put down your phone when they’re talking to you. Being fully engaged shows them that real-life connections come first.

• Encourage face-to-face hangouts. Make your home a welcoming space for their friends. Encourage them to host a faith-based gathering, like a worship night, a Bible study, or a prayer walk to build deeper connections.

• Talk about digital well-being. Ask open-ended questions like:

  How does social media make you feel?

  What online habits do you want to change?

  How can I support you?

When teens feel heard and supported, they’re more likely to engage in healthy digital choices on their own.

Click here for a printable with these creative tech use and mindful digital habits tips!

Want more ideas? Check out JOMO Campus for Families for more ways to help your teen find balance this summer.

Wishing you a season of creativity, connection, and real-life joy!