Reclaiming Focus: Digital Balance and Connection
Browning’s Commitment to Screens, Connection, and Community
This edition of Margin Notes is guest written by Aaron Grill, Director of Innovation and Technology
Screens have become the backdrop of modern life often shaping how our boys learn, connect, and rest. At Browning, we see the promise of technology every day in classrooms filled with creativity and collaboration. Yet we also hear a growing question from students, parents, and teachers alike: When does screen time connect us, and when does it isolate us? This year, through Reclaiming Focus: A Study on Screen Time, Connection, and Well-Being, Browning will take a closer look at how technology influences attention, relationships, and the health of our community. Rather than aiming to restrict devices, this self-study seeks to understand how screens are used, what helps and what hinders, and how we can guide our boys toward more focused, connected, and purposeful digital lives.
The concerns are real, but our approach is one of learning and partnership. Scholars like Jonathan Haidt warn of rising anxiety linked to digital immersion, while Richard Reeves notes that boys, in particular, can become more vulnerable to isolation when technology replaces direct, relational experiences. At the same time, research in boys’ education consistently shows the power of collaboration, mentorship, and shared purpose in helping boys thrive. With the insight of Browning’s Digital Dialogue parent group, we aim not only to understand the role of screens in our students’ lives but also to share useful, research-informed strategies that help families and educators guide boys toward healthier digital balance.
This is not a technophobic stance. It is a humane one. Our goal is not to ban screens but to help boys, faculty, and families recognize the difference between connecting and isolating screen time. FaceTiming a grandparent, editing a project with classmates, or watching a documentary and discussing it afterward are examples of connecting use. Scrolling alone late at night, passively absorbing algorithmic content, is often isolating and leaves us depleted. By studying these patterns together, we can better understand how to make technology serve relationships, focus, and well-being rather than undermine them.
We are excited about this year's Parents Association Digital Dialogue, which held its first meeting in October during the Book Fair. This initiative is also focused on helping our community navigate the challenges and opportunities of raising children in a digital world.
Reclaiming Focus is built on listening, not policing. Our methods include:
Surveys of students, families, and staff
Journal/discussion prompts in advisory and homeroom, inviting boys to track whether their screen use felt connecting or isolating among other discussion
Classroom snapshots to see how screens are used day to day from our learning specialists
Parent Focus groups for deeper conversation
Pilot experiments (e.g., tech-free blocks, structured collaborative time) with built-in reflections
Counselor logs and specialist observations to surface quieter insights
Our goals are both practical and cultural:
A shared language for talking about screen use - one that centers connection and community
Realistic rhythms and norms in home and school, not rigid rules
Insight into how boys at different developmental stages experience digital life
Identifiable practices for the classroom, advisory, and family that help tip the balance toward connection
A report at the end of the year with key findings and recommendations for 2026–27
We’ll keep you posted on our progress, and we hope to hear from families and boys every step of the way. As both a father and an educator, I know we cannot shield our sons from digital culture. What we can do together is give them guidance, practice, and a community that helps them learn to use technology with honesty, dignity, curiosity, and purpose.