Events & Media
Screen-Wise Families: What’s Your Family’s Tech Policy? – Toronto, Ontario
Date: February 6, 2025 @ 7.30 pm (EST)
Place: Cedarvale Community School (145 Ava Rd)
The session will focus on helping parents make informed decisions about technology in their homes based on their family values.
Speakers
Katy Albert, M.Ed, Registered Behaviour Analyst, OCT
Casper Jones, Technology Consultant.
It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn practical tips for managing screen time, online safety, and more while aligning with your family’s priorities.
Online Safety: Presented by the RCMP Nova Scotia
Date: February 27, 2025 @ 6.30 pm (AST)
Registrations: Eventbrite link
The Nova Scotia Chapter of Unplugged Canada is putting on a FREE event for parents and caregivers focusing on Online Safety held at the Canada Games Centre Boardroom.
Presented by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Community Action Response Team, learn the importance of keeping your child safe online. Topics covered will include: cyberbullying, sextortion, sharing intimate images, child luring, cybertip.ca and Project Arachnid.
Unable to join in person? Register for the live stream via Zoom.
Media
Unplugged Canada official launch
To build on the groundswell of support we received, Unplugged Canada hosted an in-person speaker session for Vancouver families. It took place on Saturday 14th from 4:30pm until 6:30pm PST at the Kay Meek Arts Centre in West Vancouver, BC.
Our panel of experts led discussions and offered practical advice on how to approach this topic with your children and other community members.
Our special guest was Brooke Shannon, Founder of “Wait Until 8th” in the USA.
Other guests included:
- Carol Todd, who has impacted the world as an educator, an advocate, and a leader for social action in speaking openly about the bullying, cyberbullying, exploitation, and the mental health challenges that Amanda, her daughter, went through.
- Sharon Selby – a Registered Clinical Counsellor
- Grace Yu – a pediatrician in British Columbia
- Margot Denomme – former Crown Attorney and founder of RAAD (“Raising Awareness about Digital Dangers”).
CBC News – Edmonton
September 21st, 2024
Canadian parents are pledging to delay getting their kids smartphones
In this interview with Emily William, a reporter at CBC, Unplugged Canada—an initiative inspired by the U.S. Wait Until 8th program—urged parents to delay giving their children smartphones until age 14. The movement highlights concerns about the connection between early smartphone use and mental health issues in adolescents, including increased anxiety and depression, as explored in Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation. By postponing smartphone access, the initiative aimed to foster healthier childhood development and minimize exposure to online risks.
Columnists from CBC Radio
September 25th, 2024
Who’s taking the smartphone pledge?
CBC’s Blair Sanderson explored what motivated parents to sign up for the initiative, which aims to promote healthier childhood development and reduce the risks associated with early smartphone use.
CBC Nova Scotia
December 11th, 2024
Campaign urges parents to delay smartphones
Our Unplugged Canada Nova Scotia chapter was interviewed by CBC News to raise awareness and help create a collective action movement to empower parents to delay smartphones.
CBC Maritime Connection
December 15th, 2024
When did you give your child a smart phone? and why?
Discussion with Preston Mulligan on the Sunday’s Maritime Connection about delaying smartphones and Unplugged Canada’s mission to unite parents.
CBC Evening News Nova Scotia
January 16, 2025
Aly Thomson speaks with Jenna Poste, a co-founder of the NS Chapter of Unplugged Canada advocating for parents to delay giving their kids smartphones till highschool. Simon Sherry and author Jonathan Haidt weigh in on the psychological impacts these devices and social media have on children.
Experts, advocates make case for smartphone-free childhood
Jenna Poste from Unplugged Canada stresses the importance of reevaluating societal norms that prioritize early smartphone use for children. She raises concerns about mental health issues and social media addiction, supported by research findings. Jenna advocates for delaying smartphone access until high school to foster healthier development. While recognizing technology’s benefits, she advocates for cautious use, including parental controls and managing screen time effectively.
Global News Morning
January 17, 2025
Paul Brothers speaks with Jenna Poste from the NS Chapter of Unplugged Canada who urges parents to pledge to delay giving their kids smartphones until High School. Paul speaks to Jenna about the incredible response to their January 16th event and how parents can navigate this.
Global News Morning Edmonton
January 27, 2025
Kirsten Sweet and Katryna Forsch from Unplugged Canada recently spoke with Global News Morning Edmonton about their advocacy to delay smartphone use for kids until high school. They discussed youth and technology, weighing the benefits and drawbacks of children having phones and accessing social media.
Newstalk 610 CKTB
January 27, 2025
Josette Calleja, Parent Coach and Ambassador for Unplugged Canada, shared with the audience Unplugged Canada’s mission and emphasized the importance of limiting smartphone use for kids until high school.
Past Events
Unplugged Canada Webinar
November 27th, 2024
Unplugged Canada hosted an awareness webinar on November 27th, 2024, featuring guest speaker Tania Johnson, Co-founder of the Institute of Child Psychology. Our webinars aim to empower parents with insights and information, enabling them to make informed choices.
Nurturing Childhood in the Smartphone Era – Nova Scotia
January 16th, 2025
The event focused on addressing the challenges parents face in managing their children’s relationship with technology in today’s smartphone era. Attendees learned about the latest research regarding the impact of devices like smartphones and social media on children’s development. Strategies were discussed to delay smartphone usage to promote children’s mental well-being, and methods to achieve a healthy balance between technology and real-life experiences were shared.
Participants had the opportunity to connect with other parents in the community and collectively navigate these important issues.
A Smartphone-fee Childhood Parent Session – St. Albert
January 23rd, 2025
The St. Albert Chapter of Unplugged Canada hosted an informative session for parents featuring Tania Johnson, co-founder of the Institute of Child Psychology, and local experts.
During the session:
- The latest research on the risks of early smartphone and social media use was reviewed.
- Local trends in youth social media behavior were discussed.
- The impact of smartphones on student learning and career readiness was explored.
Unplugged St. Albert provided resources and introduced the Unplugged Canada Pledge, emphasizing its role in connecting families who opt to delay smartphone and social media use. This initiative aims to build a supportive local community focused on promoting healthy technology habits among children.
The Ugly Truths of Smartphones –
January 30, 2025
ICP Co-Founder, Tania Johnson, spoke with Ambassadors from Unplugged Canada, whose mission is to unplug smartphones, rekindle real-life connections, and guide children towards a life filled with the warmth of human relationships and the beauty of the natural world.
Ambassadors Dr. Grace Yu, Kristen Sweet, and Josette Calleja joined us to discuss several case studies that showcased real-life stories of the dangers. They also shared how their practices had changed in recent years due to technology and social media overuse.
In addition, we talked about Unplugged Canada and how an online pledge could shift the culture from a phone-based childhood back to one of connection to the real world and each other.
