Jane Bourne Unplugged speaking at Ignite Berry
Getting off our phones and stopping the doom scrolling is something that matters to all of us. We all know we do it. At the Ignite event on 5 September at the Berry School of Arts, Jane Bourne challenged us to think about what it is doing to our children, and to ourselves.
“We want a free roaming childhood back. Children should be out playing with kids of all ages, not glued to a screen.” Jane Bourne
Jane is the founder of Kiama Unplugged, a movement born from her determination to protect her own children from the mental health impacts of smartphones and social media. Instead of giving in to the idea that “everyone else is doing it,” she decided to act.
“Disconnect to reconnect, that is how we will beat the loneliness epidemic.”
The initiative creates phone free spaces for families and communities. The very first events were held at Finding Fillmores, an adult only event when people gathered, without their phones, played cards or chess, built Lego, coloured in, and talked with strangers. The idea quickly grew into monthly family friendly gatherings at Finding Fillmores, and weekly book hours at Cin Cin Wine Bar, offering simple and joyful ways for people to connect.
Jane reminded us that social change can happen. Once upon a time no one wore seatbelts and people smoked on planes, until enough of us decided to do things differently. She believes the same shift is possible with screens, and that children deserve a free roaming, creative childhood.
“On average we spend 10,000 hours online, enough time to complete a medical degree or learn an instrument. What if we invested that time differently?”
Her vision is to see Kiama Unplugged become part of a wider Australia Unplugged movement, encouraging families everywhere to make the pledge not to hand over smartphones just because their children are starting high school.
“They say from small things big things grow. I believe enough people want change, and we can make it happen.”
It was a powerful reminder that when we disconnect, we can reconnect, with our children, our communities, and ourselves.
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