How Social Media & Smartphones Are Shaping Our Daughters with Dr. Alison Yeung
Sarah welcomes back family physician Dr. Alison Yeung for a conversation about growing up in a world of constant comparison, beauty routines, AI advice and pressure to be connected as explored through her new book.
How do we help our daughters feel good about themselves when their feeds keep telling them they need to change?
This week on Parents Uncharted, I welcome back Dr. Alison Yeung, family physician, mom of two and creator of The Smartphone Effect MD, for a conversation about growing up in a world of constant comparison, beauty routines, AI advice and pressure to be connected.
We explore what happens when girls are encouraged to focus on how they look rather than who they are, and how parents can hold boundaries around smartphones and social media while taking their children’s need to belong seriously.
Alison also introduces her new book, When We Look Up, illustrated by educator Julie Bolton, which helps children and parents start these conversations together.
And if your child already has a phone and things aren’t going well? We talk about where to start, why sleep is a priority and how to make changes even when it feels difficult. We also turn the conversation on ourselves: our kids aren’t the only ones struggling to put their phones down.
More About Dr. Alison Yeung
Dr. Alison Yeung is a family physician, mother of two and creator of The Smartphone Effect MD. Based in Kitchener, Ontario, she has a special interest in child and adolescent mental health and helps families navigate the challenges of smartphones, social media and screen time.
She is the author of When We Look Up, illustrated by educator Julie Bolton, a chapter book that helps children and parents explore the digital world together. Through her writing, advocacy and speaking, Alison empowers families to build healthier technology habits and protect the connection, play and experiences children need to thrive.
Connect w/ Dr. Alison Yeung
Website: alisonyeungmd.com
Instagram: @thesmartphoneeffectmd
Substack: The Smartphone Effect
Connect w/ Sarah Adams
https://momuncharted.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/
https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted
http://parentsuncharted.com/
https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/
https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted
Chapters
(01:39) Why Alison wrote When We Look Up (03:20) Helping kids understand the digital world through storytelling (04:39) What Alison is seeing in her medical practice (07:09) Talking to teens about their online lives (09:15) When checking your phone becomes compulsive (11:23) Girls, social comparison and self-worth (14:17) Skincare, fitness and the pressure to “improve” (15:53) Kids turning to AI for advice and emotional support (21:14) “Everyone else has a phone”: Holding the boundary (24:04) Why delaying smartphones can feel so difficult (26:14) Your child already has a phone, where do you start? (29:08) Constant connection, privacy and being present (31:27) Parents, phones and practising what we preach (36:01) What gives Alison hope (38:21) Where to find Alison and When We Look Up
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices