How is Cartwheel’s Screens & Social Media Program different from the support schools already provide?

School counselors play an important role in helping students navigate technology-related challenges. Cartwheel offers additional clinical support when those challenges begin to affect a student’s emotional well-being, relationships, sleep, or school engagement. Our clinicians provide individualized care, caregiver guidance, and coordination with school teams, building on the support students already receive at school.

How quickly can students begin receiving support?

Students typically begin care within 7–10 days of referral after completing an initial assessment. Care is tailored to each student’s developmental needs and may include individual therapy, parent guidance, family therapy, or psychiatric care when appropriate. For younger children, support may focus primarily on working with parents and caregivers.

What kinds of screen and social media challenges can Cartwheel help with?

Cartwheel supports students experiencing a range of challenges, including difficulty disconnecting from devices, conflict over screen use, disrupted sleep, distress related to social media, and online interactions affecting friendships or emotional well-being. Students don’t need a specific diagnosis or severe symptoms to benefit from support. Our program also helps students and families build healthier digital habits and develop skills to navigate technology in ways that support their well-being.

Does telehealth work well for students struggling with screen use?

Yes. Although the program addresses challenges related to technology, telehealth can be an effective way to provide care. Virtual appointments make it easier for families to participate, and clinicians work with students and caregivers on practical strategies they can use in everyday life, including healthier routines and reducing conflict around devices.

How do you measure whether the program is working?

We use targeted screening at the start of care and throughout treatment to track changes in screen-related challenges and daily functioning. Clinicians also work with students and families to identify meaningful goals, such as improved sleep, reduced conflict, or healthier technology habits. School teams receive appropriate updates on engagement and progress.

What if a student may need medication?

When clinically appropriate, students can receive a psychiatric evaluation with a Cartwheel child psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner. Medication management is also available when indicated, with coordination across the student’s care team.

What is expected of families?

Family involvement is an important part of the program. Depending on the student’s age and needs, caregivers may participate in parent guidance, family sessions, or other aspects of treatment. Families can also access optional caregiver training to learn practical strategies for navigating screen-related challenges at home.

How much coordination is required from school staff?

Cartwheel manages scheduling, family communication, clinical care, and ongoing progress monitoring. School staff may participate in brief check-ins to share observations and align on strategies, but the program is designed to provide additional support without adding significant work for school teams.

How can school counselors identify students who might benefit from this program?

Screen and social media challenges are common, and students don’t always identify technology as a source of difficulty. Counselors might notice disrupted sleep, difficulty concentrating, peer conflict, emotional distress related to online interactions, or recurring family concerns about screen use. These can be opportunities to explore whether technology is contributing to a student’s difficulties and whether additional support could help.

How does the program work with IEP or 504 supports?

Cartwheel’s clinical care can complement a student’s existing IEP or 504 plan. With appropriate consent, clinicians collaborate with school teams to help align treatment strategies with supports already in place.

What does the district pay for, and what costs are covered by insurance?

Cartwheel’s clinical services are primarily funded through insurance, including Medicaid and most major private plans. Districts invest in access and coordination, allowing students and families to receive clinical care without schools having to fund each treatment session directly. Financial aid is also available for uninsured and underinsured students.

What ages does the program serve?

The program is available to students across all grade levels. Care is tailored to each student’s age and developmental needs. For younger children, treatment may focus primarily on parent guidance and helping caregivers build healthier technology routines at home.

Screens & Social Media Program, Cartwheel Care

Screens & Social Media Program

When Screens Get in the Way of School and Life

Cartwheel's Screens & Social Media Program provides targeted support for students and families caught in the pull of screens, social media, and digital stress.

Talk with Our Team

Student reading on a tablet while leaning back on a beanbag

Student with long curly hair working on a laptop at home

A Mental Health Solution That Helps Students Find Balance with Technology

Targeted screening and assessment tools tied to screen use and digital stress

Optional caregiver groups with practical strategies for reducing conflict, setting limits, and building healthier digital routines

Support focused on improving balance, relationships, and daily functioning

Ongoing collaboration with schools to ensure consistent strategies across settings.

Why Districts Are Asking About Screens

Screens and social media are a constant presence in many students’ lives. For some, they’re affecting sleep, focus, and connection.

36%

of teens say they use at least one major platform, such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat, almost constantly

Pew Research Center, 2025

the risk of depression and anxiety symptoms among young adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media

U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, 2023

1 in 3

adolescents report using screen media until midnight or later on a typical weekday

U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, 2023

Explore resources on screens, social media, and student wellbeing topics

Free webinars, guides, and on-demand video resources to support students, families and school staff.

Webinar speakers Julie Jungman, Devorah Heitner, PhD, and Drew Rosenshine

What's Showing Up This Year: A Look at School Avoidance, Screens, and Big Feelings

On-Demand Webinar

Three experts in digital wellness research, a district mental health leader, and a student mental health clinician, including Devorah Heitner, PhD, break down what's driving screen conflict, school avoidance, and behavior challenges in the classroom.

Watch Now

Cover of the Resetting Screen Habits for the School Year parent guide

Parent guide: Resetting Screen Habits for the School Year

Free Guide

At the beginning of the school year many families find themselves wondering how to transition back to routines that support sleep, learning, relationships, and well-being. This guide helps you and your child develop healthy habits that support their overall well-being.

Download

Cover of the Helping Your Child Build Healthy Screen Habits parent guide

Parent guide: Helping Your Child Build Healthy Screen Habits

Free Guide

Screens are a part of everyday life for most families. They're used for learning, working, connecting, and relaxing, but figuring out how to manage them can feel overwhelming. For many families, the goal isn't to eliminate screens. It's to help children build healthy habits around how they're used.

Download

Upcoming Family Webinars

Free Webinar Series

Cartwheel's free webinar series provides parents, caregivers, and school staff with practical tools to support student and family wellness and mental health. Register for upcoming webinars related to screens and social media topics.

Why This Matters for Districts

When Screen Use Affects Sleep, Focus, and Relationships, Students May Need More Than Limits.

Phone policies can set important boundaries, but they don’t address every challenge students face with screens and social media. When students struggle to disconnect, lose sleep, or experience anxiety and conflict around online interactions, those challenges can affect their well-being at home and their ability to engage at school.

Cartwheel’s Screens & Social Media Program provides targeted clinical care for students and families, combining evidence-based treatment, targeted screening, and caregiver support to address these challenges.

Where districts feel it:

Tardiness, fatigue, and attendance related to disrupted sleep

Difficulty concentrating and engaging in classroom learning

Peer conflict that starts online and carries into school

Emotional distress, irritability, or difficulty regulating emotions during the school day

“Technology is an important part of how young people learn, connect, and navigate the world. The goal isn’t to eliminate screens, but to recognize when their use is interfering with sleep, relationships, or emotional well-being—and help students and families find a healthier balance.”

Juliana Chen, MD

Chief Medical Officer, Cartwheel

What the Program Includes

Specialized care designed to address the root cause of screen and social media challenges.

1:1 therapy with clinicians trained in addressing screen and social media challenges

Targeted screening and assessment tools tied to screen use and digital stress, used at the start of care and again to track progress over time

1:1 parent guidance sessions and optional skill-building groups

Optional caregiver training: no-cost, self-paced virtual modules in English and Spanish on reducing screen-related conflict, navigating social media, and building healthier digital habits at home.

Psychiatric evaluations and medication management when appropriate

Ongoing school collaboration for consistent strategies across settings

Telehealth from home
(8am-8pm + weekends), no transportation barriers

Students and Families We Can Support

For students experiencing:

Screen use or social media challenges affecting sleep, focus, mood, or relationships
Anxiety, distress, or conflict related to devices or online interactions
Withdrawal from in-person friendships, activities, or school engagement

For families looking for:

Support navigating screen-related challenges at home
Practical strategies for setting limits and building healthier digital habits
Guidance on supporting their child's emotional well-being and relationship with technology

Available across all grade levels. For younger students, care emphasizes parent guidance and caregiver involvement.

Care That Fits Families’ Needs

Convenient telehealth appointments from school or home

Flexible scheduling, including weekdays 8 AM–8 PM and weekends

Care available in multiple languages

Medicaid and most major private insurance accepted, with financial aid available for uninsured and underinsured students

My Amazing Challenge

Inspired by The Amazing Generation, we want students across the country to have fun and enjoy their time offline.

My Amazing Challenge invites students to read The Amazing Generation by #1 New York Times bestselling authors Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price, then put what they’ve learned into practice through fun, offline activities. Students can take on the challenge independently or with their families, and schools can bring the challenge to their communities using our free coordinator materials.

More than 140 students from 30 districts across 10 states took the summer 2026 challenge. Now it’s your turn!

Learn More

My Amazing Summer Challenge guide and The Amazing Generation book by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price

Explore Our Other Care Programs

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School Avoidance Program