HOW MUCH SCREEN TIME IS TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME? THAT'S THE '?'

 For Edenton-Chowan Schools Superintendent Tammi Ward, an evening devoted to children and screens began with a personal admission: Even a parent who thought she had established firm limits could discover there was more to learn.

Opening the ScreenStrong “Kids’ Brains & Screens” workshop Sept. 28 at the John A. Holmes High School auditorium, Ward said two books had prompted her to reconsider the place of technology in children’s lives.

School Board Chair George Lewis introduced the board to The Digital Delusion, she said. About the same time, her book club was reading The Anxious Generation.

“I thought I was a good mom with screen time,” Ward said, recalling her children’s complaints that other parents did not impose the same restrictions. Reading the books left her wondering what more she could have done.

That reflection helped frame an evening focused on strengthening family connections and giving children more opportunities to grow beyond their devices.

The workshop brought together Edenton-Chowan Schools, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Albemarle, the Edenton Police Department and the Edenton-Chowan Educational Foundation.

Ward emphasized that progress would require families, schools and community organizations working together. Parents, grandparents along with local and county officials were on hand to absorb what kids are absorbing.

“None of us can do it by ourselves,” she said.

Leading the presentation was Mandee Hamann, a ScreenStrong speaker and ambassador liaison who traveled from Des Moines, Iowa. A businesswoman and former early childhood and children’s pastor, Hamann is the mother of three young adults.

She had spoken with teachers earlier that day and said student presentations were planned for the following day. Reaching educators, parents and students, she explained, helps a community develop a shared understanding of the issue.

Hamann began with her own family’s experience, reassuring parents that she had faced many of the same uncertainties.

Before becoming a speaker, she said, “I was a mom with a screen story.”

Her two oldest children received their first smartphones at age 14. At the time, Hamann believed waiting until that age, monitoring the phones and setting boundaries would provide adequate protection.

The family had moved from Iowa to San Antonio, Texas, and phones seemed to offer practical benefits: staying in touch and helping the children maintain friendships back home.

But Hamann said she began noticing changes, including greater detachment and conflict over phone use. Her daughter also experienced anxiety.

A friend introduced her to ScreenStrong, leading to a meeting with founder Melanie Hempe. That conversation challenged Hamann to rethink the family’s approach.

Rather than continuing to negotiate over the devices, Hamann and her husband decided their children would take a 30-day break from screens.

The decision came about a week before the COVID-19 shutdowns, she said. Suddenly home together, the family had to find other ways to fill its time.

The experience became a turning point and eventually led Hamann to help other families through ScreenStrong.

Her message to parents was encouraging rather than accusatory.

“Once we know better, we do better,” she said.

Throughout the presentation, Hamann urged families to consider what screen use may be replacing: sleep, reading, exercise, creativity, conversation and time together.

She described ScreenStrong’s work as helping families prevent screen problems and reduce dependence on potentially harmful digital activities. She discussed the organization’s concerns about social media, video games and exposure to inappropriate online content.

But changing habits, she said, requires more than putting away a phone.

Parents must help children find something meaningful to do with the time they reclaim. In her own household, that meant preparing activities and participating alongside her children.

Board games, outdoor play, music, hobbies and sports were among the alternatives she encouraged families to consider.

Hamann also emphasized movement, suggesting that parents give children opportunities to play outside or exercise before settling into homework.

Underlying those practical suggestions was a larger concern: preserving the relationships and experiences that shape childhood.

For families already struggling with screen habits, Hamann offered reassurance that change remains possible.

“It’s never too late,” she said. “If your child’s still in your home, it’s not too late.”

If you see a lot more young boys wearing neck ties locally, it may have to do with the recent Chowan Middle School’s annual Guys With Ties event.

A necktie can take a few attempts to get right. Adults often miss the length line-up of wide and narrow ends of the tie and must begin again. At Chowan Middle School’s “Tied for Success: Knot Your Average Workshop,” that was part of the lesson.

Principal Brittney Lopez welcomed the students and mentors and explained the day’s activities.

Tie tying mentors from the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office, the Edenton Police Department, the Chamber of Commerce, the Edenton-Chowan School Board, Regulator Marine, Colony Tire along with representatives from the Elizabeth City Alumni Chapter, Kappa Alpha PSI.

Assistant Principal Carisa Copeland also took part in the program, and school counselor Chris Gilliam introduced guest speaker Dan Moreno, youth pastor at Ballard’s Bridge Baptist Church and an Army veteran.

Moreno urged students to think about the choices they make when no one is watching. Small decisions, repeated over time, help shape a person’s character, he said.

“Character isn’t a destination you reach. It’s a muscle that you build over time,” Moreno told the students.

He used the challenge of tying a knot to make a point about perseverance. A tie may come out too short, too long or tangled on the first attempt. The response is to take it apart and try again.

“Success doesn’t come from being perfect the first time. It comes from taking a deep breath and starting over,” he said.

Local mentors helped students learn different knots and offered tips on professional dress. The workshop also gave students a chance to ask questions and talk with mentors about lessons they had learned growing up. One mentor, Nasim Hunt a former student at the school who previously participated in Guys with Ties as a student, returned last week as a mentor representing Regulator Marine.

The mentoring initiative uses positive role models, conversation and community support to help young men build confidence and leadership skills. Its program describes a tie as a symbol of character, responsibility and readiness for opportunity.

Along with a tie, students took home a lesson in character, responsibility while getting a glimpse of volunteer community service from the highly respected mentors.