The Camden Conference presents a screening of the short film “Like” with a Q & A following with Catherine Steiner-Adair on Saturday, October 19 at 2pm at the Rockport Opera House. More than 2 billion people have smartphones today. And we check our phones on average an incredible 150 times every day. Technology makes our lives easier in so many ways – but what is the cost of our dependence, and our children’s reliance, on screens? LIKE reveals the true effects of technology on the brain and uncovers the impact social media can have on our lives. The film’s mission is to educate, inform and inspire people to effectively self-regulate their screen time. This event is open to all. Donations are appreciated. 

Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair is an internationally recognized clinical psychologist, school consultant and author of the award-winning book, The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age (HarperCollins). Dr. Steiner-Adair examines ways in which the wonders of technology and media also change how children learn and grow, and shows parents and educators how to reap the benefits of tech while reducing the risks it poses at every stage of child development. In The Big Disconnect (cited as a Wall Street Journal TOP 10 Best Non-Fiction 2013) and in her work internationally as a speaker and consultant, Dr. Steiner-Adair identifies digital age challenges for parents and educators, and ways to strengthen children’s social and emotional development to help them grow to be responsible, resilient, confident, and capable young adults. In her book, as in her keynote presentations, Dr. Steiner-Adair shares real-life stories from her clinical practice and her work with educators, experts, parents, and children, including extensive interviews with students from pre-school through high school and beyond.

The focus of family has turned to the glow of the screen—children constantly playing on devices, texting their friends while going online to do homework, and parents working online or using social media around the clock—everyday life is undergoing a massive transformation. Dr. Steiner-Adair offers insights and advice that help parents achieve greater understanding, authority and confidence as they engage with the tech revolution unfolding in their living rooms. Easy access to the internet and social media has erased the boundaries that protect children and Dr. Steiner-Adair helps her audiences to understand the psychological fallout that children are experiencing, often with their parents unaware.

Dr. Steiner-Adair has a private practice in Cambridge MA, where she works with children, adults, couples, and families. She is a Research Associate in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an Associate Psychologist at McLean Hospital, and is the scholar in residence at the Gardner Carney Leadership Institute.