In today’s digital age, navigating screen time has become one of the biggest challenges for parents, teachers, and kids alike. Enter Katherine Martinko, author of Childhood Unplugged: Practical Advice to Get Kids Off Screens and Find Balance (2023), and a dynamic speaker and expert in helping families regain control over their devices, their time, and their attention. Katherine’s approach is not anti-tech; rather, she empowers the audience to understand the difference between digital media used as a tool, not a toy. She explores the risks of excessive screen time, urging us to rediscover childhood as a time for exploration, creativity, and face-to-face connection. With engaging anecdotes and real-world advice (offered not just professionally, but also personally, as a mother of three school-aged kids), Katherine tackles tough questions, like when to give a child a smartphone, why we need to create phone-free spaces, and how to say “no” while managing feelings of FOMO. Packed with practical strategies for fostering independent play, building healthier tech habits, and redefining safety in the digital age, Katherine’s talks challenge everyone to think critically about our collective responsibility in raising a generation that does not rely on the Internet for a sense of identity and belonging, and has an opportunity to develop human skills that set them apart from machines. Don’t miss this session if you want to walk away with hands-on solutions for curbing screen time and reigniting the joy of real-world play!
