The information revolution has transformed the way everyone lives—but especially the youngest generations. Recent Barna data show that the average American teen receives their first smartphone at around 12 to 13 years of age and their first tablet around age 11. The U.S. childhood and adolescent experience is mediated by screens, both in and outside the home. In light of this, how should teens and their families respond to the new force shaping their lives?

My Tech-Wise Life, a new book written by Amy Crouch and Andy Crouch in partnership with Barna Group, seeks to answer this exact question. Amy Crouch, daughter of Andy Crouch—author of The Tech-Wise Family—was raised in a family that encouraged an intentional, God-seeking attitude towards tech. Now in college, Amy wants to encourage her generation to reconsider the assumptions tech pushes upon them, a reality that is even more pressing during the COVID era.

Teens Agree Tech Can Make Life Easier—and Harder Teens have mixed feelings about the predominance of technology in their lives. It’s no secret that they are grateful to be connected to the world around them. Barna data show that, when asked about how tech makes their lives easier, seven in 10 (72%) agree tech offers increased access to information, while 64 percent state it offers them connection to friends and family. Other top-ranked answers related to issues of convenience and productivity.

But while teens appreciate the connection and information that tech provides them, they also worry that their devices are cutting both ways: harming their ability to connect to others and making them even more bored than they were before they picked up their device.