Parent Workshop: Building A Tech-Healthy Household

An interactive session on how parents/caregivers/guardians can support digital wellness at home.
About this Event

This parent workshop kicks off with a screening of the short film, "Disconnected." This film was the end product of Clarkson Institute's inaugural script competition seeking to engage Nebraska youth in conversations about how their "always-connected" lives impact their mental health. The winning script was written by a then-high school junior from Auburn, Nebraska, and presciently explores the ease with which AI technology can supplant IRL connections.

Next, Dawson Kelly of national organization Project Reboot will share his experience as a former tech-addicted teen, highlight some of the well-intentioned mistakes that parents often make when approaching the topic of screen time with teens, and give actionable advice to encourage healthy tech habits at home.

There will be discussion questions throughout the presentation and time for Q&A at the end.

Parents will walk out wiht actionable resources, including dinner table discussion guides, the Project Reboot parent handbook, and an invitation to join Project Reboot's online parent community where they host regular conversations, share resources, adn runw ebinars with students in the Youth Avocaccy Network.

Key Learnings

• The neuroscience of tech use: The latest research on the implications for our brains, performance, and mental health
• Why phone bans alone won't cure the epidemic of digital dependence
• How screen time scales over a lifetime, and the price students pay for using social media (time and attention)
• The research-backed process used in the groundbreaking UC Berkeley course that helped students reduce their screen time by an average of 3.5 hours per day
• The four (well-intentioned) mistakes parents make when approaching screen time
• Top strategies from experts on how parents can avoid the "me vs. you" mindset and have productive conversations with kids about addictive tech

Agenda

🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:15 PM
Welcome
Host: Dr. Bill Lydiatt, CEO, Clarkson Institute
🕑: 03:15 PM - 03:30 PM
Short Film: "Disconnected"
Host: Beau Thomas: Student Writer, "Disonnected"

Info: "Disconnected" shares how being so always-connected is a primary challenge facing youth today. Through the story of a high school student struggling to maintain connection in his everyday relationships after a personal loss, the film shows the ease with which technology can supplant IRL connections. A collaboration with The Glowmedia Project, the film is the result of a statewide script competition asking students to reflect on their relationship with technology. It was written by a high school junior from Auburn, Nebraska--who then was flown to Los Angeles to watch his script turn into film form.

🕑: 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Parent Workshop
Host: Dawson Kelly

Info: 1. Tech Addiction: Why it happens and how it can be overcome 2. How to Discuss Screen Time: Conversations with kids (without eye rolling) 3. Practical Tips: Maintain balanced relationships with tech