TL;DR

The Screenless Dad project aims to solve presence through engineering. Research shows 55% of parents believe screens interfere with quality time, yet we spend over 50% of awake hours staring at them. The solution isn't "offline" (impractical) or "always online" (destructive), but a third way: AI agents as proxies in the digital world. Alfred handles email, calendar, shopping, research — freeing you to be present with family. Not about abandoning technology, but redesigning your relationship with it.

If you are often doomscrolling on the toilet, this one's for you.

Presence may be the most important idea for any parent in the 21st century.

This is my best effort at understanding presence.

It takes about an hour to read.

It's long but it may change how you connect with your family forever.

As a tech dad, I will try to solve presence as an engineering problem. I'll do it publicly and for that I'm launching a new project:

The Screenless Dad.

Presence in an hour
Ideas on how to be a present father.
Screenless DadDavid Szabo-Stuban

The Screen Time Crisis: Data You Can't Ignore

You have a relationship with technology but you didn't decide what that looks like.

You only have two options to choose from. I'm working on a third.

Over 50% of our awake time is spent looking at screens. We're stuck in a rectangle shaped prison of 10k LED lights. The default setting is the "always online".

Comes with doomscrolling, Youtube, social media, smart everything, interconnectedness, which screws up your brain in countless ways.

The research is clear: A 2025 JAMA Pediatrics study found that parental screen use in a child's presence directly hinders early development. Meanwhile, Lurie Children's Hospital reports that 55% of parents believe screens interfere with quality time, yet 28% report their children use screens during meals.

The alternative option is equally nuclear: "offline". But this is a luxury not many can afford. We live, earn, spend in the digital world. You can't just simply unplug unless you're rich enough to hire someone who will *screw up their brain for you*.

The Third Way: Screenless (Not Offline)

So as I was experimenting with Alfred, I asked myself: what would a screenless life look like? not offline, but also not always online.

Something that would allow me to keep the benefits of our convenient digital life but also protect me from getting sucked in.

In our household we have a TV, 2 macbooks, a PC, 3 smartphones, a tablet and 2 apple watches. How would I still access all the technology I use today if I couldn't use any of these things the way I do today?

Humans weren't built to stare at screens. We were built to be present with our loved ones, do cool stuff and move our bodies. To me, that's the real promise of AI agents. To be our proxies in the digital world, do all the stuff I'm doing today for me.

So I don't have to click clack type type anymore.

How AI Agents Enable Screenless Living

Recent research on AI digital detox tools shows promising results: smart break prompts, voice automation, and behavioral nudges can reduce screen time while maintaining digital productivity. The key is delegation, not deprivation.

I don't know how but I'll build it. Not just for me. For my daughter.

The idea has become so central to my days that I decided it deserves it's own project. So I'm launching the Screenless Dad. On there I will share

  • My daily struggle with screen addiction
  • Experiments and trials of reducing our screen dependency
  • I will move Alfred's build in public logs to the Screenless Dad too

The reason is simple: Alfred was always meant to be our family butler. I did get distracted by trying to make it a universal agent but honestly you can use Manus for that.

I will keep Lumberjack what it always has been: a place for non-technical people to build stuff with no-code and AI.

But if you're a dad who finds himself doomscrolling on the toilet way too often, maybe check out my new blog. If it resonates, let's connect there.

Otherwise, see you soon with no-code and vibe-coding stuff here:)

Watch: How AI Agents Can Transform Your Digital Life

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "screenless" mean? Are you going completely offline?

No. "Screenless" is the third way between "always online" and "offline." It means using AI agents as proxies in the digital world to handle email, calendar management, shopping, research, and administrative tasks — so you don't have to stare at screens all day. You still benefit from technology, but through voice interaction and automated delegation rather than constant screen engagement. Think of it as having a personal assistant who handles the digital busywork while you stay present with family.

How much does excessive screen time really impact child development?

Research from JAMA Pediatrics (2025) found that parental technology use in a child's presence directly hinders health and development in early years. Lurie Children's Hospital reports that 55% of parents recognize screens interfere with quality time, yet struggle to reduce usage. The issue isn't just kids' screen time — it's parental distraction during critical developmental windows.

What is Alfred and how does it help reduce screen time?

Alfred is an autonomous AI agent built on OpenClaw that acts as a family butler. It handles email triage, calendar management, appointment scheduling, shopping, research, and administrative tasks via voice and automated workflows. Instead of spending hours on email, calendar apps, and admin tasks, you delegate them to Alfred and interact through brief voice commands or async updates. See the full setup at My Current Alfred Setup.

Isn't this just replacing one technology addiction with another?

No. The difference is interaction mode and attention hijacking. Scrolling social media, checking email every 5 minutes, and context-switching between apps are designed to capture and hold your attention (infinite scroll, notifications, variable rewards). Delegating tasks to an AI agent means: (1) voice-based interaction (5-second commands, not 20-minute sessions), (2) async updates (Alfred reports back when done, you don't wait), and (3) no dopamine loops. Research on AI digital detox tools shows behavioral nudges and automation can reduce screen fatigue without sacrificing productivity.

How can I start building my own "screenless" setup?

Start small: (1) Identify your top 3 screen time drains (email, social media, admin tasks), (2) Delegate one category to automation (e.g., use AI automation tools for email triage), (3) Set boundaries (no phones during meals, no screens 1 hour before bed), (4) Track results (use screen time tracking apps to measure progress). Follow the Screenless Dad project for experiments, tutorials, and build logs. The goal isn't perfection — it's progress toward presence.

Last updated: February 16, 2026

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