For today’s parents, keeping track of children’s digital habits is one of the hardest parts of raising a family. Smartphones, gaming platforms, and social media shape so much of kids’ lives — and often raise just as many concerns as opportunities. The Upper Dublin Education Foundation is stepping in with a new initiative to help.
The UDEF’s Tech Trek: Navigating the Digital Highway is an online hub designed to guide families through questions of device readiness, social media safety, gaming communities, and screen-time balance.
Executive Director Michelle Boas underscored why the effort matters: “Technology is here to stay. Kids learn with it. Kids connect on it. It’s up to the family and how much they want to bring it into their home.”
Tech Trek draws from experts, including Dr. Devorah Heitner, author of Growing Up in Public, and Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation. The site offers helpful tools along with practical tips for managing apps like Instagram and TikTok, navigating gaming platforms like Roblox, and encouraging healthier routines at home.
This evening, the Upper Dublin Education Foundation will host its first Tech Trek parent assembly. Ed Peisner, National Director of Education for the Organization for Social Media Safety, will be the guest speaker. Peisner will share strategies for keeping kids safe online, with a focus on the challenges parents face around social media, gaming, and cyberbullying. The event will give families a chance to hear expert guidance and see how Tech Trek can be used as a hands-on resource at home.
Boas stressed that the program is judgment-free. “Every family is different,” she said. Some parents may delay smartphones until high school, while others want tools for managing younger children’s device use.
Families can learn more about Tech Trek and register for tonight’s assembly at Sandy Run Middle School by visiting UD Tech Trek.
