# DEEP DIVE: Catherine Pearlman on Kids and Phones

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-fresh-hell-laughing-in-the-face-of-motherhood-parenting-tips-from-funny-moms-853259/deep-dive-catherine-pearlman-on-kids-and-phones
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-fresh-hell-laughing-in-the-face-of-motherhood-parenting-tips-from-funny-moms-853259/deep-dive-catherine-pearlman-on-kids-and-phones.md
Podcast: [What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making Life Better, with Two Funny Moms](https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-fresh-hell-laughing-in-the-face-of-motherhood-parenting-tips-from-funny-moms-853259)
Published: 2026-07-13T05:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/JhoQDAATtO1l0y8tdKNa/traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL4205607911.mp3?updated=1744904747
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/JhoQDAATtO1l0y8tdKNa/traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL4205607911.mp3?updated=1744904747
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Duration seconds: 2032

## Resource

This month, our "Deep Dive" is into some of our past episodes about screen time: the effects it has on our kids, how tech companies engineer their devices to be as addictive as possible, and how we can allow our kids to enjoy screens with supportive limits. The dreaded question "When should my kid get a phone?" is one we're asked often. These days "whether" is not part of the equation, and the ages at which our kids' peers are getting phones seems younger than ever. Dr. Catherine Pearlman, author of the new book ⁠First Phone: A Child's Guide To Digital Responsibility, Safety, and Etiquette⁠, is the founder of ⁠The Family Coach⁠ and a licensed clinical social worker who has been working with children and families for more than 25 years. First Phone– a book written not for parents, but for our kids– puts the risks and rewards of a phone in perspective for our children, and helps them consider what parameters they themselves might want to put on their phones and how they can use them wisely. In this episode, Catherine, Amy and Margaret discuss: What we often don't think about when we hand our kids their first phones [12:55] When kids should get their own social media accounts [17:55] How to teach kids about digital consent [31:00] Here's where you can find Catherine: ⁠www.thefamilycoach.com⁠ @thefamilycoach on FB/Twitter @thefamilycoachsays on IG Find Catherine's book in our bookshop: ⁠https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780593538333⁠ What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: ⁠⁠https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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