Dad · builder
I Couldn't Sleep, So I Read the Research — Here's What It Actually Says About Screens and Kids
An insomniac dad's trip down the blue-light research rabbit hole, and what it taught him about his own daughter's bedtime.
Parent Corner
The StoryBeam Kids Blog
Eight posts, five from Jason and three from Kat, on the actual research behind the choices this app makes: screens and sleep, audio versus video, algorithms and kids, repetition, shared reading, and privacy. Every claim is sourced — real studies, real regulators, real guidance, linked at the bottom of each post. We say what we found, not what we hope it proves.
All posts
Mom · StoryBeam co-host
Why We Leave the Tangents In
What the research on parent-child shared reading taught me about the moments I used to think were ruining our recordings.
Dad · builder
What Her Brain Is Actually Doing When She Listens With Her Eyes Closed
I went looking for the real research behind a hunch I had watching my daughter listen to a story instead of watching one, and it turned out to be more specific, and more humbling, than I expected.
Mom · StoryBeam co-host
Again, Again: What The Research Actually Says About Kids Who Want The Same Story Every Night
My daughter used to ask for the same book, cover to cover, every single night — and it turns out there's a real, if modest, body of research on why that instinct might be smarter than it looks.
Dad · builder
What I Know About Recommendation Algorithms, and Why StoryBeam Kids Doesn't Have One
I build software for a living. That's exactly why "no autoplay, no algorithm, no open search" wasn't a limitation I settled for — it was the first decision I made.
Mom · StoryBeam co-host
The Boring Story Wins: What We Learned About Bedtime, Excitement, and Sleep
Some nights the "good" story is the wrong story — here's what the research on evening stimulation actually says, and how it shaped the way we make StoryBeam.
Dad · builder
The "Two-Hour Rule" Isn't a Real Rule. Here's What the AAP and WHO Actually Wrote.
I went looking for the primary document behind the screen-time number every parent repeats, and found that pediatric guidance has changed twice — most recently just months before I sat down to write this.
Dad · builder
What "Free" Usually Costs: The Real Data Record Behind Kids' Apps
As a developer, I know exactly what a "free" kids' app is usually built to do with data — here's the documented record, and why I built StoryBeam Kids to structurally avoid all of it.