Presentation 16:
"GET OFF THAT COMPUTER, NOW!"

This is more than a workshop on 'cyber safety' - it goes well beyond it by addressing the delicate balance required to support kids to manage real life responsibilities, screens, social media and video games. Video gaming is intoxicating because they have the capacity to feed the brain with rich visual and auditory stimuli. This stimulus is so powerful that while engaged, our brains set up a tantalizing positive feedback loop hard to tear away from. And, given that the 'off switches' in kids' brains aren't fully developed until they reach their mid to late twenties, it's no wonder so many find it hard to self-regulate.

In this workshop, I'd like to take you down a road that creates a balance between screens and other aspects of living a real life. Capturing a balance is a much healthier approach than endlessly screeching, banning, fighting over and being the controller of screens and devices. You need to be empowered, not scared off. We live in a digital world and it can enrich our lives in many ways, when used well.