I Didn’t Miss Out (Part 2): What I Gained Growing Up Without Screens with Andrew Hempe (#268)
ScreenStrong Families · Sep 15, 2026 · 33:56
ScreenStrong Families · Sep 15, 2026 · 33:56
Listen in the Podli app 🎧
Follow your favourite podcasts, listen offline and in the car with CarPlay and Android Auto, and always pick up where you left off. Free to try.
In Part 1, Andrew Hempe explained what he gained from growing up without smartphones or video games. In Part 2, he answers the questions parents and teens ask him most.
Andrew starts by admitting the obvious: he did miss out on some things—easy access to pornography, the anxiety and depression tied to social media, and screen addiction itself. His point: not all missing out is bad, and there's a real difference between protecting a child from permanent harm and sheltering them from healthy difficulty.
He also walks through what happened when he finally got a smartphone after high school, on his own terms, as a tool rather than a "toy." No social media. No gaming console. Because the habits, hobbies, and delayed-gratification mindset were already in place, the phone never became a crutch.
From there, Andrew tackles the arguments parents hear constantly:
He closes with a direct message to teens listening—that the friendships worth keeping don't depend on a screen—and a reminder to parents that conversations alone won't solve a screen problem; only removing access will.
Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong!
ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations
Production Team:
Episodes: ScreenStrong Families
