FINALIST | 2023 Foreword INDIES Awards: Family & Relationships

Ditch the devices and bring back the magic of being a kid

Screens are everywhere. Children spend an average of 7.5 hours on digital devices every day with profoundly negative consequences. While some tech may "amplify" real-life experience, the vast majority undermines it by limiting physical activity, creating anxiety, or damaging self-esteem. Childhood Unplugged takes a bold approach to creating healthy boundaries around the use of digital media.

Drawing on her own family's experience, plus interviews with digital minimalists, educators, and child development experts, Katherine Martinko presents:

Meticulously researched analysis of the impacts of excessive screen time on children's physical, neurological, emotional, and social development
Specific pathways to reduced screen exposure, naturally leading to more time spent outdoors, increased confidence and empathy, and more creative and active play
Inspiration for caregivers overwhelmed by the thought of severing ties with the digital babysitter
Age-appropriate advice for parents of babies and toddlers, school-aged children, and adolescents.
Taking a calming, nonjudgmental approach, Childhood Unplugged is a lifeline for parents, caregivers, educators, and anyone who questions the role of digital media and yearns for the young people in their life to experience the profound beauty and magic of childhood.

Katherine Martinko is a writer with a decade of experience in digital news publishing. She was a senior editor at Treehugger, a major green lifestyle site, and wrote extensively about free-range parenting and low-impact living. Katherine previously wrote for Discovery Network. She lives in Port Elgin, Ontario.