Kids’ Brains & Screens: Preventing & Reversing Childhood Digital Addiction

When: September 27, 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.

Where: The Wink Wynne Lodge at Eagle Ranch, 5500 Union Church Road, Flowery Branch, GA

Why: Explore current research on internet and video game addiction, and learn actionable strategies to prevent and counteract screen addiction in youth

How: The workshop fee of $135 covers all workshop materials, continental breakfast, lunch and snacks. Sign-Up Will Be Live in April.

What Will I Learn?

This program offers a comprehensive exploration of the profound influence exerted by video games, social media, and smartphones on American youth, underscoring the imperative for a nuanced understanding of their societal impact. Through an examination of current research on internet and video game addiction, encompassing risk factors and comorbidity, the program aims to deepen comprehension of this multifaceted issue. Moreover, it provides actionable strategies to prevent and counteract screen addiction in youth, elucidating protective measures and outlining steps for driving widespread community change. Targeting frontline professionals such as LPCs, LMFTs, and LCSWs, the program equips practitioners with the latest research findings and practical guidance to effectively address problematic screen dependency among their younger clients.

Onsite workshop materials, continental breakfast, catered lunch, and snacks provided.

CEU Eligibility:

• 6 Core Hours approved with LPCA-GA, GAMFT
• 6 Related Hours with GA-LCSW (Not eligible for Core Hours)

This CEU training will include interaction and built-in breaks to keep you engaged and help you:

• Illuminate the profound influence of video games, social media, and smartphones on American youth, fostering a deeper understanding of their pervasive impact in our society.
• Explore research insights into Internet and video game addiction epidemiology, unraveling risk factors, comorbidity, and resultant outcomes for enhanced comprehension.
• Delve into strategies to prevent and counteract screen addiction in youth, identifying protective measures and outlining actionable steps to drive community-wide change.

Who Should Attend

Licensed Professional Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists, Psychologists, school counselors, clinical mental health counselors, individuals working with children & families, and graduate students in these fields. Clinical teams are encouraged to attend together.

Event registration will open in April 2024. No late registrations. If participant cancels registration, workshop fees will be refunded, but Eventbrite fees are non-refundable.

About the Presenter

Melanie Hempe, BSN

After her oldest son, Adam, dropped out of college due to his video game addiction, Melanie Hempe, BSN, put her nursing degree from Emory University to good use and founded ScreenStrong. It’s her mission to create educational programs for kids and parents so no one will experience the pain of screen addiction. Her ability to simplify medical science and provide practical solutions for families has allowed her to share her passion and bold screen solutions nationally. ScreenStrong has won the hearts of many families who are preventing and reversing childhood screen conflicts and addiction and are thrilled to experience a new-found freedom in their lives.

Melanie hosts the popular weekly ScreenStrong Families Podcast and has been featured in Psychology Today, Thrive-Global, The Wall Street Journal, A&E Network, CBS, CNN, NPR, Screened Out (the movie), and various news and television outlets. Her ScreenStrong Kids’ Brains and Screens Courses are available for parents and students. Her three books include: “Will Your Gamer Survive College?” “Can Your Teen Survive—and Thrive—Without a Smartphone?” and “The ScreenStrong Solution: How to free your child from addictive screen habits.”

Melanie lives in North Carolina with her husband, Chris, and four children and is happy to report that Adam has finished college. They are also delighted to trade wasted hours spent on screens for reading good books, spending time with friends in their home, and sharing plenty of family fun. It’s never too late to win back your kids, and ScreenStrong is here to help you do that!

Event Schedule

Note: You must attend all sessions to earn CEU hours

8:00 a.m. Workshop Sign In/Breakfast/Eagle Ranch Tours

• Attendees please bring license number to ensure we have it correctly listed.

8:45 a.m. Welcome to Eagle Ranch/Program Presentation

9:00 a.m. Session One: Kids' Brains & Screens (1.5 CE Hours)

This session covers the science behind healthy brain development, the benefits of healthy human attachment, the effects of screens on the developing brain, the dopamine addiction reward pathway, and the difference between ADHD and electronic screen syndrome. Participants will:

• Review adolescent brain development
• Understand what makes a healthy brain
• Review the effect of screen use on brain development and the physical effects of screen time
• Understand how addictive gaming and social media habits affect the brain in a manner analogous to substance abuse

10:30 a.m. Break

10:45 a.m. Session Two: Video Games, Smartphones & Social Media (1.5 CE Hour)

Learn the signs and symptoms of screen overuse and understand the levels of screen immersion for teenagers. This session also covers what pre-teens and teens are doing on social media, the mental health effects, and data on stress and anxiety caused by these platforms. Persuasive design, pornography, and sextortion are discussed, concluding with warning signs, risks, and the best age for a smartphone. Participants will:

• Review addiction test and warning signs of video games and social media overuse
• Recognize how persuasive design overwhelms developing brains and be able to identify key persuasive design techniques 
• Examine video game violence and its effects
• Review the levels of gaming immersion and the effects of pornography and social media on the adolescent brain
• Review the data supporting increased depressive symptoms, anxiety, and suicide in teens

12:15 p.m. LUNCH (Provided On-Site)

1:15 p.m. Session Three: School Screens & Screen Myths (1.5 CE Hours)

This session will look at the issue of screens in the classroom, including cheating.Overview of research on laptop use in the classroom, paper vs. screens, and classroom tips for teachers. We will look at how entertainment screens replace childhood sports and extracurricular activities. This session will wrap up with a review of ScreenStrong’s answers to the top cultural screen myths. Participants will:

• Understand the use of personal screens in the classroom from a student perspective
• Understand how screens are utilized for cheating in the classroom
• Understand how students are gaining access to blocked websites and gaining access on school servers
• Review research on the effects of personal screens and grades
• Understand the definition of cognitive load and how screens can easily create a heavy cognitive load for students
• Understand how personal screens can sabotage motivation and motor skills related to sports activities
• Review the top cultural screen myths

2:45 p.m. Break

3:00 p.m. Session Four: ScreenStrong Solutions & Preventing Media Addiction (1.5 CE Hours)

Our ScreenStrong solutions will equip you with steps to reverse and prevent childhood screen addiction. This session includes practical tips to decrease the risk of problematic screen use. From video games to social media, you will learn how to free your children from screen addiction and start getting your kids back on track. Participants will:

• Learn the steps to effectively remove problematic technology from pre-teens and teens
• Learn how to reverse the effects of screen overuse
• Learn how to prevent screen overuse
• Review the protective factors of what is needed in order to avoid screen addiction in children and teens
• Understand the next steps to effect change in communities

4:30 p.m. Workshop Closing Activities

• Participants Trade Evaluations for Program Certificates
• Eagle Ranch Tours

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