Five Hours a Day on Screens: How Edison Families Are Helping Preteens Swap the Scroll

If you caught the TODAY show this week, you may have felt that familiar knot in your stomach. A new Common Sense report found that nearly half of children in the United States have their own phone by age 10. Half of tweens ages 9 to 12 are already on social media, even though most platforms require users to be 13. And kids’ screen time now averages about five hours a day.

Five hours. That’s an entire afternoon and evening, every single day.

As a studio owner and someone who has worked with young people in Edison and across Middlesex County for more than 30 years, I want to say this clearly: this is not a parenting failure. Phones are designed to be hard to put down. And telling an 11-year-old “no” doesn’t work for long. What works is giving them something better to say “yes” to.

Why the preteen years matter so much

Ages 10 to 13 are when the phone arrives, when friendships shift, and when kids start deciding who they are. It’s also when many children quietly drop activities because they feel “too old to start” or “not good enough.”

That’s exactly the window we built our preteen and teen programs for. Our children don’t need another screen. They need a place to belong, a skill they’re proud of, real friends they see face to face, and adults who believe in them.

At American Dance Studios Rising Star Institute, we call that being more than dance. Every class includes our signature programming in character development, leadership and etiquette, so the confidence your child builds at the barre follows them home, to school and into the world.

Programs that give screen time somewhere better to go

1. Our Beginner Preteen Class is made for kids who are starting fresh. No experience, no pressure, just a warm group of peers learning together. Students can choose from a full week of styles:
   Monday: Lyrical at 7:30 PM
   Tuesday: Ballet at 7:30 PM
   Wednesday: Tap at 7:30 PM
   Thursday: Acrobatics at 7:30 PM
   Friday: Jazz at 5:30 PM
   Those are evening hours that might otherwise be spent scrolling, spent instead moving, laughing and making friends.
2. The Rising Star Program for girls ages 10 to 17
   The Rising Star Program goes beyond the studio floor. Girls take part in workshops on makeup and skincare, tea party and dining etiquette, leadership and public speaking, and character development, including how to handle social media pressure and build a strong, positive sense of self. Along the way come pajama parties, movie days, modeling workshops and friendships that last.
3. Teen Dance Program, ages 13 to 17
   Our teens train in ballet, acrobatics, contemporary and jazz, with hip-hop coming soon. Every class includes leadership training, character development, etiquette and poise, monthly workshops and performance opportunities. Teens also have access to Dance New Jersey opportunities.
4. Guiding Stars Teacher Assistant
   Dedicated preteens can earn a role as a Guiding Star, helping our teachers lead younger dancers. There’s nothing like watching a 12-year-old gently guide a room of 4-year-olds through their first plié. That’s not screen time. That’s leadership time.
5. Honor Society for Dance Arts
   Our Honor Society for Dance Arts recognizes students for academic excellence, artistic achievement, leadership, service and character. It’s a powerful message for kids growing up online: here, you’re recognized for who you are, not how many likes you get.
6. Service that builds hearts
   Our dancers learn that talent is meant to be shared. Through our Service Stars and Safe Harbor work, students perform for seniors and veterans and support children in the Middlesex County foster care system, including our Crisis Duffel Bag Donation Drive.
7. Elite Legacy Program: from freshman to senior year
   We want your child to grow up with us. Our Elite Legacy Program turns high school into a journey with a meaningful milestone each year, collected at an annual welcome luncheon:
   Freshman year, Starlight: discover, belong, shine.
   Sophomore year, Spotlight: grow, learn, lead.
   Junior year, Headliner: perform, achieve, inspire.
   Senior year, Legacy: make an impact, leave a legacy.
   The journey includes afternoon teas, a fashion show fundraiser, a yearly photo shoot, and a senior graduation celebration where our seniors receive their awards in formal gowns and tuxedos.

A higher standard, all included

Our all-inclusive annual program means families aren’t surprised by extra costs. It includes:

• Fundamental dance classes twice a week
• Character development, leadership and etiquette classes
• Recital costumes for two shows a year, recital T-shirts, show pictures and edited recital videos
• Quarterly skills-and-drills testing pins and a graduation trophy
• Monthly ADS Star Club events
• A parent communication app so you’re always in the loop
• Dance tour opportunities, including our dancers’ performance at Universal Studios on August 18, 2027
• Limited class sizes and a caring, passionate teaching staff

Serving families across Middlesex County

Our studio is at 8A Casey Ave in Edison, NJ, an easy drive for families in Edison, Iselin, Highland Park, Piscataway, South Plainfield, Plainfield and the surrounding Middlesex County communities. Our dancers come from families rooted in India, China, Africa, Latin America and right here in New Jersey, and every one of them belongs.

Let’s swap the scroll, together

You don’t have to win the phone battle alone. Give your preteen two weeks to discover what it feels like to belong somewhere, learn something real, and be celebrated for who they are.

Start with our two-week trial for $39, with unlimited classes. Visit adsclassinfo.com (opens in a new tab), call (732) 659-4237, or follow us on Instagram at @americandancestudios.

American Dance Studios Rising Star Institute: Where Dancers Are Made and Leaders Are Born.

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