Back to school with The Balance Project
Originally Published in Lincroft Living - September 2025
By: Holly Moscatiello
1. What is The Balance Project?
The Balance Project is a fast-growing, parent-powered nonprofit organization committed to encouraging both meaningful real-life experiences and mindful technology usage.
We are helping parents and communities give children the building blocks of healthy development and the skillsets they need to thrive in our ever-evolving modern society.
The Balance Project was started in Little Silver by a group of parents in November 2024 and has spread to over 50 communities across the country and internationally.
2. What prompted you to start The Balance Project?
Simply put, I realized after digging into a LOT of data that modern childhood is out of balance. I also realized that this is a collective societal challenge that we didn’t see coming and is not something I could solve on my own in my home.
Through my research and discussions in the space, I have learned that:
Over the past 35 years, our society has gone from spending 0% of our time on the internet to approximately 75% of our waking hours connected in some way
Kids today have less independence, they are spending less unstructured time with friends and they are more surveilled and supported than ever before, leaving little independence and skill-building solely to them
Many kids are not experiencing true boredom, and they struggle to create ways to make fun or joy without the help of an adult or technology
Spending so much of their time with technology, texting, gaming and social media creates a skewed view of the world and of themselves, leaving real-life learning experiences on the table and perpetuating vulnerabilities, especially in adolescence
This represents a massive shift in what childhood development looks like in a fairly short amount of time. And we are now beginning to see how this shift is impacting our kids in the sharply increasing rates of youth anxiety, depression and suicide in the past 20 years.
Once I saw and understood this, I knew I had to take action to create societal change.
2. How are you doing this?
We have established an approach and have created tools and templates that make it as easy as possible for parents to start the conversation and drive change in their local community. We have over 50 communities leveraging our approach, with 21 of them in New Jersey alone.
While it is not a one-size-fits-all, we focus in three key areas:
Events & Education: We host events to share information on the many layers of this topic for parents, kids and community members overall
Community Activation: We collaborate with parents to define 'what good looks like' in each community in terms of delaying the introduction of smartphones & social media and increasing childhood independence. We align on tech alternatives, ways our community can support independence and enact change "on the ground" in partnership with parents and community leadership.
School Activation: We start conversations and accelerate discussions with schools around device-free environments, ed-tech and recreational time, ensuring the parent voice is considered in this critical, ever-evolving topic.
Are you anti-tech?
No! We believe in the power of technology AND we know that when overused, it brings a whole new host of challenges into our lives. Much like anything in life, when overdone, the negative impacts outweigh the positives and need to be brought into harmony.
What children’s ages is this for?
All of them! We aim to provide support to parents and children regardless of age or where they are in their journey. That said, at this time, here is where we are focusing at different ages and stages:
Kids Aged 0-10: Educating parents and children on this topic in general, including developmental considerations. Delaying personal device introduction, providing suggestions for low-interference monitoring (if necessary), supporting as much age-appropriate independence, responsibility and unstructured play as possible
Kids Aged 10-13: Managing “transitions” that come along with increased independence and increased tech. Suggesting ways to gain more meaningful independence, educating parents and tweens on alternative devices, device safety and helping families to set clear tech boundaries and establishing mutual trust
Kids aged 13-18: Educating parents on the many facets of the topic, including “the why”, and “the how” to re-set boundaries / re-establish healthy tech habits, help parents and kids understand the technology landscape and continue to support age-appropriate independence, real world experiences and trust
What can I do now?
Heading into a new school year is the perfect time to discuss this topic. Here are our suggestions for setting a plan for the year:
First, get the adults on the same page: Ensure both adults/parents are on the same page about the family’s approach to independence & technology for this school year
Be transparent: Bring the kids on the journey with you - let them know you’ve been learning more about this topic and that it is your responsibility to keep them safe and set them up for success in life. Let them know that you want to work together as a family to establish an approach for the school year with this in mind.
Make a plan: Outline what good looks like in your home. What new independence will your child gain this year? How will you both earn each other’s trust? What are the repercussions if trust is broken? What new responsibilities will your child take on? What technology guidelines do you want to set as a family?
Write it down and check in: Capture your family’s plan in a simple document (check out our website for a sample!). Make a commitment to check in on this plan once a month to ensure you are staying on track.
How can I get involved?
There are many ways to support The Balance Project:
Join or Launch a Community: Start a Balance Project in your local area
Donate or Sponsor: Help fuel our movement with a financial gift
Partner with Us: All are welcome!
Stay Informed: Join our mailing list and attend a local or virtual event
Promote the Movement: Share our resources, support our social campaigns
Visit us at: www.thebalanceproject.life
Instagram: @thebalanceproject_hq
