Raising a Screen-Smart Kid: Julianna Miner on Social Media and Teens

At 45, Julianna Miner discovered she had ADHD—not through a doctor's diagnosis, but while a psychologist was explaining her child's symptoms. For years, she'd thought the chaos in her head was just "how brains work." The author of Raising a Screen-Smart Kid joins Every Soul Has a Story for a hilarious and honest conversation about late-in-life diagnoses, parenting teenagers while navigating perimenopause (a "design flaw" she'd like to return), and the love/hate relationship she has with social media.

A writer who's been managing social media accounts since 2009, Julianna shares why she stopped using it personally, how she sets phone limits that literally cut her off mid-conversation, and why the best thing you can do for your kids is help them find their own process—not manage it for them. From ADHD masking to social media tipping points, this is a masterclass in keeping it real while raising humans in a digital world.

0:00 - Intro and tech bloopers
2:29 - Perimenopause and the design flaw
4:12 - Being mothered by Julianna
5:29 - Moms as the hub with no autonomy
8:01 - ADHD diagnosis at 45
10:21 - Eighth grade asshole story
12:36 - Self-compassion and ADHD
14:42 - Procrastination as ADHD strategy
17:23 - ADHD drives anxiety symptoms
20:36 - Getting a diagnosis is expensive
23:40 - Helping kids find their process
26:08 - Social media boundaries and limits
29:49 - Managing social media professionally
33:06 - Creating community for bad days
34:11 - Phone limits in action
38:27 - Meeting through Zibby's group
39:02 - Identifying social media tipping points
42:26 - Only use social media professionally
43:10 - Where to find Julianna

• https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
• Website: daralevan.com3
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2150907/julianna-miner/

QUOTES:

"For a neurotypical person, procrastination as a strategy makes no sense. For someone with ADHD, it makes total sense."
– Julianna Miner

"I want meaning—that is the way I live my personal and professional life."
– Dara Levan