Preventing Hot Car Tragedies, Screen Addiction Insights, and the Power of Summer Boredom

Managing summer parenting challenges: preventing heatstroke risks, understanding addictive screen use, embracing boredom for growth, and more.

Jazmin Towe

Jul 08, 2025

gray and black car seat — Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

This week, we celebrated my son’s birthday (happy birthday again, baby!), and like every year, it hit me hard. I had the usual thoughts parents know well: Where did the time go? When did my little kid get so big? Summer has a way of stretching moments and speeding them up all at the same time. Whether days are packed with camps, family reunions, or nonstop snacking, this season somehow feels both hectic and heartwarming.

While the kids soak up sunshine and screen time, this week’s newsletter digs into what’s happening behind the scenes, from the rise in tragic hot car deaths, to new research on screen addiction (not just screen time), and why letting kids “rot” a little this summer might actually help them grow.

We’ll explore these important topics and more as we unpack the stories currently shaping parenting and family life. Let’s jump in.

Minute Reads

Experts Sound Alarm About Risk of Child Deaths in Hot Cars

•Pediatric safety experts are urging parents to remain vigilant about the risk of heatstroke in parked cars. Parked cars can become dangerously overheated in just minutes, with interior temperatures rising more than 20 degrees.

•As of mid-2025, nine children have died after being left in hot vehicles. These cases are happening across multiple states, often occurring after a moment of forgetfulness or a change in routine.

•These incidents are often the result of stress, disrupted routines, or momentary lapses in attention, not intentional neglect. Experts emphasize that they can happen to anyone.

•Caregivers are encouraged to follow the ACT reminder: Avoid leaving children alone in a vehicle, no matter how quick the errand. Create habits like placing your phone or bag in the back seat. Take action if you see a child left in a car. Call 911 and stay with them until help arrives.

Why Parents Should Focus on Screen Addiction Over Screen Time, Says New Study

•A new JAMA study shows that it’s not just the number of hours teens spend on screens that matters. Patterns of addictive use are more strongly associated with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

•Around one-third of 4,200 teens showed rising social-media dependency, nearly 25% had signs of smartphone addiction, and over 40% showed video-game addiction symptoms.

•The study highlights that addictive patterns like needing screens to relieve anxiety, experiencing irritability when not using devices, and inability to stop using them are stronger predictors of mental health issues than total screen time.

•Mental health specialists recommend addressing problematic screen use through nonjudgmental conversations, establishing screen limits, and promoting engaging offline activities.

U.S. men are contributing to household work more than ever

•In 2024, U.S. men averaged 100 minutes a day on housework, up 20 minutes from 2003 and the highest level ever recorded by the American Time Use Survey. While men’s time spent on housework has increased, the gender gap remains significant—women still average 140 minutes a day on domestic tasks.

•Men are more likely to take on chores that are less frequent or seasonal, like yard work or home repairs, while women spend more time on nearly every domestic task, including laundry, cooking, cleaning, and caregiving. The gap widens once children enter the picture.

•Sociologists say the rise in men’s household contributions signals progress toward gender equality, but it’s moving slowly. If current trends continue, women and men may finally split housework evenly by 2066.

What can a smartwatch for kids actually teach them? More than you think.

•New research finds that kids’ smartwatches support kids’ time-awareness, emotional awareness, and independence. Timers, countdowns, and alerts help kids understand what “five more minutes” actually feels like, making the idea of time easier to grasp.

•Smartwatches can also act as early emotion sensors. Heart rate monitoring features can detect early signs of anxiety or overstimulation, helping both kids and parents manage emotions proactively.

•Features like emoji messaging and shared schedules allow kids to initiate connections on their own, supporting both independence and casual communication.

•As wearable tech evolves, parents can expect more personalization and family-sharing options, features that could make smartwatches more useful for development.

Is it so bad to let kids 'rot' all summer? Why boredom might be the break they need

•Experts say letting kids experience boredom during the summer without structured plans or constant entertainment, also known as “kid rotting,” can support brain development and emotional growth in ways that over-scheduled routines can’t.

•Unstructured time gives kids the chance to figure out how to entertain themselves, which builds problem-solving skills, creativity, and confidence in their decision-making.

•Experts advise against relying on screen time as the default option to fill unstructured hours and recommend engaging with media together or encouraging technology use that promotes learning, creativity, and meaningful interaction.

Time To Spare

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Preventing Hot Car Tragedies, Screen Addiction Insights, and the Power of Summer Boredom

Managing summer parenting challenges: preventing heatstroke risks, understanding addictive screen use, embracing boredom for growth, and more.

We’ll explore these important topics and more as we unpack the stories currently shaping parenting and family life. Let’s jump in.

Minute Reads

•Pediatric safety experts are urging parents to remain vigilant about the risk of heatstroke in parked cars. Parked cars can become dangerously overheated in just minutes, with interior temperatures rising more than 20 degrees.

•As of mid-2025, nine children have died after being left in hot vehicles. These cases are happening across multiple states, often occurring after a moment of forgetfulness or a change in routine.

•These incidents are often the result of stress, disrupted routines, or momentary lapses in attention, not intentional neglect. Experts emphasize that they can happen to anyone.

•Caregivers are encouraged to follow the ACT reminder: Avoid leaving children alone in a vehicle, no matter how quick the errand. Create habits like placing your phone or bag in the back seat. Take action if you see a child left in a car. Call 911 and stay with them until help arrives.

•A new JAMA study shows that it’s not just the number of hours teens spend on screens that matters. Patterns of addictive use are more strongly associated with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

•Around one-third of 4,200 teens showed rising social-media dependency, nearly 25% had signs of smartphone addiction, and over 40% showed video-game addiction symptoms.

•The study highlights that addictive patterns like needing screens to relieve anxiety, experiencing irritability when not using devices, and inability to stop using them are stronger predictors of mental health issues than total screen time.

•Mental health specialists recommend addressing problematic screen use through nonjudgmental conversations, establishing screen limits, and promoting engaging offline activities.

•Men are more likely to take on chores that are less frequent or seasonal, like yard work or home repairs, while women spend more time on nearly every domestic task, including laundry, cooking, cleaning, and caregiving. The gap widens once children enter the picture.

•Sociologists say the rise in men’s household contributions signals progress toward gender equality, but it’s moving slowly. If current trends continue, women and men may finally split housework evenly by 2066.

•New research finds that kids’ smartwatches support kids’ time-awareness, emotional awareness, and independence. Timers, countdowns, and alerts help kids understand what “five more minutes” actually feels like, making the idea of time easier to grasp.

•Smartwatches can also act as early emotion sensors. Heart rate monitoring features can detect early signs of anxiety or overstimulation, helping both kids and parents manage emotions proactively.

•Features like emoji messaging and shared schedules allow kids to initiate connections on their own, supporting both independence and casual communication.

•As wearable tech evolves, parents can expect more personalization and family-sharing options, features that could make smartwatches more useful for development.

•Experts say letting kids experience boredom during the summer without structured plans or constant entertainment, also known as “kid rotting,” can support brain development and emotional growth in ways that over-scheduled routines can’t.

•Unstructured time gives kids the chance to figure out how to entertain themselves, which builds problem-solving skills, creativity, and confidence in their decision-making.

•Experts advise against relying on screen time as the default option to fill unstructured hours and recommend engaging with media together or encouraging technology use that promotes learning, creativity, and meaningful interaction.

Time To Spare

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