Protecting Childhood in a Digital World

Technology is increasingly woven into children's lives—but what happens when it begins to replace the real-world experiences children need to grow and thrive?

Join Dr. Richard Freed, child and adolescent psychologist and author, for a special morning exploring childhood, technology, development, and the experiences that help children build attention, creativity, curiosity, connection, and resilience.

Rather than focusing only on screen time or finding “better” technology, Dr. Freed's work asks a broader question: What do children need from childhood, and what can be lost when technology begins to take the place of those experiences?

What We'll Explore

During this workshop, we will explore:

• How imaginative and unstructured play support children's developing minds
• Why real-world experiences, relationships, movement, and exploration matter for healthy development
• How consumer and educational technologies can affect children's attention and everyday experiences
• Why delaying smartphones and other technologies may benefit children's development
• How schools can cultivate attention, creativity, curiosity, and resilience
• Practical ways parents can create healthier boundaries around technology without constant conflict or guilt
• What children need from childhood that technology cannot replace

About Dr. Richard Freed

Dr. Richard Freed is a child and adolescent psychologist and author of the books Better Than Real Life and Wired Child. Freed has a leading role in exposing the secret addictive science behind our kids' screens.

This science—called persuasive design—is designed to keep users engaged and can encourage children to spend more time on social media and video games rather than engaging in physical play, school, family life, and other real-world experiences.

Freed's insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other media outlets.

He received his professional training at Cambridge Hospital / Harvard Medical School and the California School of Professional Psychology. He serves on the advisory boards of Smartphone Free Childhood-US, the Screen Time Action Network at Fairplay, ScreenStrong, and Wait Until 8th.

Dr. Freed lives in Walnut Creek, California, and is the proud father of two daughters.

Who Should Attend?

This event is open to parents, educators, and members of the broader community who are interested in childhood, healthy development, education, and the role of technology in children's lives.

Come ready to listen, reflect, and consider how we can protect more of what childhood needs to be.

Saturday, November 7, 2026
9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Sunrise School of Miami
Palmetto Bay, FL