Looking back at 2025, there were several notable trends (6/7 anyone?) but there was one that the Team at Unplugged got very excited about: A shift toward healthier relationship with technology. From a measurable decline in Social Media use to GenZ seeking more in-person experiences, the distracting presence of
Welcome to the second Holiday Gift Guide from New Canaan Unplugged! We hope you find hours of screen-free fun and connection in these “lower-tech” gift recommendations. Happy Holidays! SIMPLE DEVICES * Camera - Fujifilm Instax, Polaroid, Camp Snap * Music Player - Mighty Vibe, Campfire Player * Digital Watch - Casio G-Shock, Swatch
New Canaan Unplugged's series on family tech stories continues with another parent's perspective on devices for their children. This family has taken a slower approach to introducing technology and is admittedly still feeling their way through the process. If you've been enjoying our series,
We’re taking a brief break from our series on Family Tech Stories to talk about AI. Over the last few weeks, there have been several new features announced on major AI platforms that families should be aware of. Some are exciting changes that enable new ways to use this
Our next Unplugged Family Tech story focuses on how you can make a smart phone work as a first-time phone by bringing it back to basics. Rather than relying on what comes pre-loaded on a phone, you can remove problematic pre-sets and construct a more thoughtful set of apps for
The Unplugged team is excited to share another New Canaan Family's approach to technology. Parents often feel alone with the choices they make around devices, unsure if they are being too strict or too lenient. Ultimately, the best decisions are the ones that work for your family, but
This fall, New Canaan Unplugged will be sharing stories from families in our community highlighting a range of household technology choices. The number of communication options is huge and each family’s needs are distinct, but we can all learn from the different approaches that will be featured. The families
If you are looking into getting a phone for your child before school starts, it's helpful to know about the range of alternatives that can help delay or even replace a smartphone: * First Phones - A smartphone doesn't have to be a kids first phone. There
In many homes, landlines have gone extinct. And in those that still have them, they exist only to field telemarketers and robo calls. But in the last few months, an interesting thing has been happening – landlines are making a comeback - for kids! Families are forming “phone groups” where home
As the school year ends, it’s a great time to reflect on what worked (and what didn't) for your family. If something wasn't working, there is good news - Summer is a terrific time to reset! The change in schedule provides a unique opportunity to
When the iPhone was introduced in 2007, few people anticipated how having a computer and access to the internet in the palm of our hands would change our lives. In many ways, it was a grand experiment that yielded lots of advances, but also many challenges. As we navigate the
"Touch Grass" is often said to people who spend too much time online and need to take a break from the virtual world. Even if you don’t consider yourself “extremely online”, we are all subject to demands on our attention that keep us from being as present
This past Friday (5/2/25), Google announced they would be rolling out the Gemini AI Chat Bot to children under 13 (Click HERE to read the New York Times announcement). It was a stark reminder that AI is expanding into all facets of our daily lives at an incredibly
New Canaan Unplugged will be hosting an open conversation around building healthier relationships with technology and our families on Friday April 25, 2025 - 10:30am at Le Pain Quotidien on Elm Street. The goal of our gathering is to share learning and gain an appreciation for how others in
One year after the publication of The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt’s pivotal book has sparked a national discussion about technology and childhood. To commemorate its publication, Jonathan made his talk for parents and teachers available to everyone. If you haven’t read the book, this talk is a great
For the past 16 years, the Global Day of Unplugging has been celebrated on the first Saturday in March. From sundown on Friday March 7th to sundown on Saturday March 8th, people around the world will be putting away their phones and participating in a day without technology. They’ll
This holiday season, we hope you have many opportunities to unplug with friends, family and loved ones. We also hope that some of the tools from New Canaan Unplugged come in handy to make those gatherings feel more connected. In today’s newsletter, we offer some thoughts around making gift
Part of Unplugged’s mission is to build community awareness around healthier technology habits. With that in mind, we invite you to join us in celebrating NoSo November! November is social media detox month and a great way for Adults and Teens to build a healthier tech-life balance. #NoSo offers
It is no secret that being a parent today is challenging. In August 2024, the US Surgeon General even issued an advisory about the mental health and wellbeing of parents (you can read it HERE). There is no silver bullet, but we can begin by talking about opportunities for improvement
The new school year is a great time to “start fresh” and build new habits around digital discipline. The conversation might be hard at first and the changes might not all stick, but the best part will be the dialogue you create with your family. Below we offer some thought-starters
As the summer winds down, it is a great time to take stock of your tech use. A few small changes can help you reduce the time you spend on your phone and make it more intentional. If you are looking to make positive changes this fall, we have some
Summer is an ideal time to reset your relationship with technolgy, no matter what age you are. In this newsletter, we’ve compiled several ideas to help you and your family begin unplugging in a way that works for you. * GO GREY - The bright colors on your phone make
The more we talk as a community about navigating technology during childhood, the stronger our solutions will be. An important part of New Canaan Unplugged’s mission is to begin these conversations. We will be hosting and facilitating in-person events to spark discussions around this topic in the coming months.
Welcome to the first newsletter from New Canaan Unplugged. This newsletter will provide updates on community activities, recommended reading and ideas to help navigate today’s technology for healthier kids. For those who are familiar with our “why”, we encourage you to forward this email to other interested families. In