Appstinence

Did you make a resolution to spend less time on your phone in 2026? If so, you're not alone... The Today Show (NBC) featured a segment last week about how people are using a combination of tools, like the Brick or Opal App Blocker to reduce the time they spend on their devices. Click HERE to watch the clip on YouTube and learn more about this healthy trend.

The next installment of our Family Tech Stories, featured below, shares the perspective of a family that has carefully introduced technology to their 2 children with firm boundaries. If you would like to share your family's technology journey (anonymously, of course!), please drop us a note at  newcanaanunplugged@gmail.com.

Our Family & Devices: We have two children in the New Canaan Public School system—one in middle school and one in elementary school. Our family currently uses two iPads and one Apple Watch.

How Devices Are Used:

• Middle Schooler
  Our middle schooler may use an iPad and Apple Watch to text and email friends and family, always with parent oversight. Group chats are not allowed. If they are added to one by mistake, they know they may read messages but not participate.
• Elementary Schooler
  Our elementary schooler may use an iPad to email family members, with parent oversight.

Parental Oversight & Safety: All devices belong to the parents. We may review content on the devices at any time. Content controls are enabled on all apps to help keep usage safe and age-appropriate. Purchases are not allowed on iPads. The Apple Watch account may be used for approved retail purchases only.

Time & Boundaries: On school nights (Monday–Friday), device use is limited to:

• Communicating with parents as needed
• iPad time from 7:15–8:15 PM

Video games are included in this weekday time and are only played at home with no outside players. All devices are left downstairs overnight. We have not had issues with sneaking devices, so no additional restrictions are currently needed.

Earning & Keeping Device Privileges: Device privileges are a responsibility and may be paused if:

• Homework is incomplete, rushed, or grades decline
• Devices are taken into bedrooms at night
• Passwords are changed without telling a parent
• Apps are downloaded without permission
• Inappropriate content is accessed, shared, or created

Our goal is to help our children build healthy, responsible technology habits while keeping communication open and respectful.

BOOK HIGHLIGHT

The Sirens’ Call, a new book from Chris Hayes, host of All In with Chris Hayes on MSNBC, argues that attention has become a commodified resource extracted from us, and from which we are increasingly alienated. He takes a strong stand against the temptations of social media and information overload, on the grounds that the human attention span is ill equipped to absorb and act on such a constant stream of data. 

Click HERE to read more about the book, which was released on January 27, 2026.

ARTICLES WORTH YOUR TIME

Landmark Lawsuit against Social Media - Last week, jury selection began in a bell-weather lawsuit against social media platforms such as Snap and Instagram. A California woman alleges she became addicted to social media apps as a child, leading to physical and emotional harm. Her case is the first in a series accusing major social media companies of intentionally designing their products to be addictive, especially to children. This echoes the lawsuits brought against cigarette companies a generation earlier that radically changed the landscape for tobacco based products. Click HERE for an outline of the case from PBS.

Social Media Age Limits expand Worldwide - In January, French lawmakers approved a bill to ban social media access for children under 15, aiming for implementation by the September 2026 school year. France is just one of several countries following the lead of Australia, who was the first to sign into law an age limit for social media. Below is a chart from a recent article on Bloomberg.com highlighting the growing number of countries that are moving toward social media limits for children (data as of November 2025).

You can read more about why this is an important and encouraging sign in a recent post on Jonathan Haidt's substack, After Babel. Click HERE to read the piece.

A.I. Offers Comfort, Not Love - Is love without risk really love? On “The Opinions", from the New York Times, the psychotherapist Esther Perel argues that what makes relationships with A.I. appealing is exactly what makes them hollow. Click HERE to watch the video or read the transcript on the New York Times website.

Help New Canaan Unplug

If you are interested in creating a healthier relationship with technology for our children, please check out our survey HERE to let us know how you can help.

New Canaan Unplugged is a parent-run group completely independent from the New Canaan Public School System and the Town of New Canaan.