When we started Ready Set Screen, the goal was never to scare families away from technology, it was to help them prepare for it.
That means giving kids the tools to understand the digital world they’re entering—and giving parents a way to have those conversations without turning every discussion about phones or social media into a battle.
Recently, we’ve had two encouraging reminders that this approach is resonating beyond our own community.
The Social Media Driver’s License was named a 2026 National Parenting Product Awards Winner.
NAPPA reviewers highlighted many of the things we’ve worked hard to build into the program: that it’s positive, that parents and children participate together, and that it can be especially valuable for families with preteens preparing for their first smartphone.
One reviewer wrote:
“I would recommend this for families with preteens to go along with their first smartphone.”
That recognition means a great deal to us. But then the conversation went somewhere else, too.
Jennifer Berger, executive director of Ready Set Screen and creator of the Social Media Driver’s License, was recently featured as an expert in The New York Times‘ Wirecutter guide to helping children develop a healthy relationship with technology.
Her advice centered on something that has always been fundamental to Ready Set Screen: finding the middle ground.
Instead of focusing only on how many minutes a child spends online, parents can help kids learn to recognize how technology makes them feel. Is scrolling still enjoyable after hours of doing it? Is social media beginning to interfere with other parts of their lives?
And perhaps most importantly, children need to know that when something does go wrong online, they can come to their parents without immediately fearing punishment or losing access altogether.
That’s the kind of digital literacy we believe families need.
Not fear, not shame, not pretending technology is going away, but preparation, communication, and trust.
An award and a mention in Wirecutter are two very different kinds of recognition. But to us, they point toward the same encouraging idea:
Families are looking for a more practical way to prepare kids for life online.
Awards and recognition aren’t the goal. Prepared families are.
But it’s nice to know the conversation is moving in the same direction.
Learn more about the Social Media Driver’s License →
Read the Wirecutter guide →
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