With today’s widespread use of technology and social media, it can be daunting to set boundaries for phone and computer usage at home. This session is aimed at giving families the support that they need to help their children create more positive habits around screen time, and to help them understand the destructive impacts that screen overuse can have on their mental health and academic achievement. Presented by Erica Marcus, this session on October 22nd from 6-7:30pm at King Middle School will empower families to open up a conversation around home tech-use, and will provide tips for educating children and teens on the importance of setting screen time boundaries. This session will be interpreted, and refreshments and childcare will be available to all attendees. 

Erica Marcus has over twenty years of experience in formal and informal educational settings, serving as a mindfulness educator, middle school English teacher, and outdoor educator. She has a Master of Arts in Teaching as well as Mindful Schools and Kripalu Yoga certifications. She founded Wise Minds. Big Hearts. in 2015 to bring mindfulness to students, families, and staff around New England. In the fall of 2020, she transitioned to the role of Mindfulness Coordinator for Cape Elizabeth Middle School, where she is to this day. In the Spring of 2022, Erica published Attention Hijacked: Using Mindfulness to Reclaim Your Brain from Tech, in which she offers a compassionate approach to bringing awareness and intention to tech use for teens and the adults who care for them. She is also a delighted (and often exhausted) mother of two young kiddos. In her free time, she runs trails, swims, and eats ice cream. Learn more about Erica and her body of work at www.wiseminds-bighearts.com.