The Latest Tool For Navigating Parenting in the Digital Age

Larz, here! I know it has been a while since I wrote to you all directly. Truthfully, it’s been a busy few months working behind the scenes on a special new project that I am so excited to introduce to you…

Meet Ginko! It’s an app that I’ve built with an addiction psychiatrist (and my best friend!), Dr. Raghu Appasani, to help families manage their kids’ technology and instill healthy digital habits.

Ginko Comes From Lived Experience and Clinical Evidence

After almost losing my life to social media in college, I founded my digital wellness non-profit #HalfTheStory. I’ve now been in the space for 10 years and have seen and heard it all. From families clashing over screen rules to parents struggling to prevent their children from being groomed online, I know the profound impact the online world has on kids’ offline lives and the fear and helplessness that comes with parenting in the digital age.

There’s never been a good product or service to point families to that keeps their kids safe online and teaches them how to use technology in a healthy way. Historically, I’ve confided in Dr. Raghu about what I see on a daily basis. As an addiction psychiatrist, he has the expertise in understanding how tech impacts these kids developmentally and cognitively and disrupts the family unit. But he can only help one family at a time. This is why we’ve built Ginko.

Ginko: Your Digital Parenting Copilot

Think of Ginko as your digital parenting copilot. With the Ginko app, you can get expert support in navigating the digital world with your family at every stage, whether you are introducing your child to their first tablet or giving them their first social media account. We’ve developed the app with doctors, like Dr. Raghu, so all of the guidance is clinically backed and actually works. And we haven’t left kids out of the equation - we’ve built Ginko with their input every step of the way. This way, there’s less fighting and more healthy digital habit building. With Ginko your family can…

• Receive 24/7 Screen Support
  Get instant help for digital challenges anytime. If we can't help, we'll connect you with a doctor who can.

• Set Goals Without the Tech Tantrums

  Ginko helps young people build trust and independence that unlocks digital freedom at every screen stage. 

• Implement Digital Speed Bumps, Screen Requests, & App Blocking
  Stop doom scrolling before it happens with Ginko’s playful mindfulness-based interventions.

• Get Alerts for Concerning Digital Activity 

  Our AI constantly screens social media activity, alerting you to potentially problematic patterns—like excessive late-night use, concerning search terms, or engagement with harmful content—before they become serious issues, while maintaining your child's privacy and trust.

• Add a Ginko Guide to Your Family Circle
  Bring in a trusted figure (ex. the cool aunt or grandpa) who offers support and a judgment-free zone for your child. 

• Connect the Dots with Your Doctor
  Share insights with healthcare providers to link screen time patterns with overall well-being.

Ginko is set to be available in the iOS App Store in June. To start, we will be waitlist only. We want to make sure we can handle the volume right from the get-go. So sign up for the waitlist today to secure your spot and get a month of Ginko on us!

Ginko Out in the World!

After announcing Ginko earlier this month, our team has had our boots on the ground meeting all of you and learning about your screen struggles.

To kick it off, we hosted an amazing popup event with our power parents Madison Lee and Mary Lawless Lee at Shopify New York in the heart of Soho!

Kids got to grow their Ginko Gardens while parents took our Digital Parenting Style Quiz.

We’ve stopped by our favorite Williamsburg toy stores (the centers of play!) to drop off Ginko goodies.

And, we’ve visited Domino Park to hand out bubbles to families and talk to them about screen freedom (what we call our vision for every family to build a healthy relationship with the digital world).

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This Is Just the Beginning

What remains abundantly clear to us through meeting all of you is there’s a deep need for Ginko - something that can empower parents to navigate screens and their kids all while instilling healthy digital habits that will last a lifetime. We will embed this deeper mission into everything we do, and we promise to listen to you along the way. If you ever have a thought, question, or idea - my inbox is open at [email protected].

In the meantime, we will keep sharing the latest on digital wellness and parenting in addition to news on Ginko here at the PTAC. We can’t wait for all that is to come!

The future is bright and with less blue light,

Larz