Steve Jobs did not allow his children to use iPads, and many top Silicon Valley executives send their offspring to a low-tech school. More and more people are realising that too much time in front of a screen can be damaging for kids. In early 2018 two influential investors demanded that Apple change its products to make them less addictive to kids. A few weeks later, another group of investors demanded that Facebook Kids Messenger be taken down, as social media has been shown to have a negative effect on children. How much technology is too much, and what can parents do to get back in charge?

Join several of the UK’s leading experts on children and technology for a discussion about how technology changes us, what makes our gadgets so addictive, and how you can manage your children’s screen time. We will share practical tips to grow healthy, intelligent and creative children and teens. We will also pay a special attention to the impact of social networks, as part of the Scroll Free September campaign that is run by Royal Society for Public Health. This mental health campaign aims to get children and adults to give up social media for 30 days.

Programme:

Doors open 7:00 pm

7:30-8:15 pm ‘Why do we need to supervise our kids’ screen time?’: talk by Dr Anastasia Dedyukhina, who in a simple and entertaining manner will explain how technology changes our behaviour and affects our health, thinking, decision-making and creativity.

8:15-9:00 pm Panel discussion and Q&A on ‘How parents can get back in charge of technology” moderated by Anastasia Dedyukhina. Panelists are:

Noel Janis-Norton (Calmer, Easier, Happier Parenting): how to establish and follow through on screen time rules and routines

Isabelle Delmas (Kinfo app): What to do with kids instead of screens

About our participants:

Dr Anastasia Dedyukhina is a coach, TEDx speaker, Huffington Post blogger and author of Homo Distractus. She got rid of her smartphone as well as her senior international career in digital marketing, when she realised how dependent she had become on her gadget. She eventually set up Consciously Digital, a consultancy that helps people develop a healthier relationship with technology. She is frequently quoted in the press talking about tech-life balance.

Isabelle Delmas is a mum of 3. She used to work in the corporate world, and so had limited quality time to spend with her family. She decided to launch Kinfo together with her husband because they felt frustrated by not having easy access to the wealth of information that parents share spontaneously every day about what is good for their children, whether it is a book they loved, a toy they keep playing with, a healthy recipe they adore, etc. Isabelle believes that screen bingeing should not be the only option for kids. By sharing hundreds of other ideas that work well with other kids Kinfo helps families find alternatives to passive digital entertainment.

Noel Janis-Norton is a learning and behaviour specialist, parenting advisor, and author of eight books, two of which have been Amazon UK bestsellers. Her latest book, ‘Calmer, Easier, Happier Screen Time’, offers parents much needed practical advice on how to wean children and teens off their screen dependency. In many families screen time is a very real cause for concern, leaving parents feeling powerless, frustrated and confused. By learning and practising the fool-proof methods that Noel has developed over many years of working with families, parents can get back in charge.

When: Thurdsay 11th October

Doors open 7:00, start 7:30 sharp until 9:00 pm

Where: The Eagle Labs, 28 Chesterton Road Cambridge CB4 3AZ

Parking available at the premises

Tickets: advanced sale only.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-perils-of-technology-how-can-parents-get-back-in-charge-in-cambridge-tickets-50307686645?aff=camtalks