How Can We Remain Connected to our Children in the Digital Age?

"As the focus of family has turned to the glow of the screen - children constantly texting their friends, parents working online around the clock - everyday life is undergoing a massive transformation. Easy availability to the Internet and social media has erased the boundaries that protect children from the unsavory aspects of adult life. Parents often feel they are losing a meaningful connection with their children. Children are feeling lonely and alienated. The digital world is here to stay, but what are families losing with technology's gain?" Catherine Steiner-Adair, EdD, The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age.

Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair is an internationally recognized clinical psychologist, school consultant and author. In her book: The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age (Harper), Catherine examines ways in which technology and media are putting our children at risk at every stage of development. while challenging what it means to be a family. Over the past 30 years. Catherine has worked in more than 350 independent schools throughout the United States and abroad, leading workshops for administrators, teacher s, and parents on a wide range of topics related to strengthening children's social and emotional intelligence and resilience. These include: challenging unhealthy cultural values, helping schools develop curricula and programs designed to increase children's confidence and competence as emerging leaders, and nourishing healthy relationships in the age of technology. A leading expert on the impact of technology on work/family/life balance, she also works with corporations and non-profit organizations.