K-5 Digital Wellness
Teaching Kids to Listen —
To Themselves
MindfulBytes is a K-5 digital wellness program that helps children recognize what they feel before, during, and after screen time. Not restriction. Presence.
Children spend hours on screens every day — but no one teaches them how screens make them feel.
Digital wellness isn't about screen time limits. It's about emotional awareness. When children learn to notice their body's signals — racing hearts, tense shoulders, foggy minds — they gain the power to make conscious choices about their digital lives.
Our Approach
Three research-backed pillars that make MindfulBytes different from every other digital citizenship program.
Interoceptive Awareness
Body signals as an early warning system. Children learn to notice what their bodies are telling them during screen time — before emotions take over.
Digital Emotional Literacy
Naming what technology makes you feel. Just like reading words, kids can learn to read their own digital emotions — and respond with intention.
Presence, Not Restriction
We don't take screens away. We teach kids to use them with awareness. The goal isn't less technology — it's more conscious engagement.
Harvard CDT
2025–26 Fellow
ACM IDC 2026
Published Research
K-5 Designed
Age-Appropriate
30 Years
Cybersecurity Expertise
Four years in classrooms
What MindfulBytes has done so far, from our own outcome tracking.
4th year
in partner schools (2026–27)
533+
students reached
100%
of partner schools have returned every year
~100
parents in family workshops
Where
Partner schools in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Parker, Colorado, with a district partnership in motion with Santa Fe Public Schools.
What we've seen
About 75% of students can describe how technology feels in their body. The Montessori One pilot site saw a 40% reduction in cyberbullying.
These figures come from our own outcome tracking, not a controlled evaluation. Validation of our assessment, the Digital Wellness Assessment (DWA), is under way with research partners including Los Alamos National Laboratory.
“MindfulBytes doesn't tell children what to do with technology. It teaches them to notice what technology does to them — and that changes everything.”
— Michael Davis, Founder, MindfulBytes
Free guides for teachers and families
Screen Time Isn't the Enemy: A Parent's Guide
Teaching presence not restriction. 5 conversations, family digital rhythm, when to worry.
Download free PDFGetting Started with MindfulBytes: A Teacher's Quick Guide
What MindfulBytes is, three-moment session structure, 5 classroom activities, integration tips.
Download free PDFGet new guides when they're ready
We'll email you when a new MindfulBytes guide is published. Nothing else.
Ready to bring digital wellness to your school?
Every school is different. Let's design the right fit for your community.
Stay in the Loop on Digital Wellness Research
Subscribe to Cyberpsychology Unplugged — a monthly note for educators and parents on what the research is teaching us about kids, screens, and emotional awareness. No fear-mongering, no spam. Just signal.
Subscribe to the Newsletter