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Reclaim childhood from digital devices-and rediscover the wonder of real life
Screens dominate modern childhood. The average child spends 7.5 hours a day on digital devices, leaving parents worried about anxiety, disconnection, and lost creativity. Childhood Unplugged offers a proven path to reclaiming childhood—without guilt, shame, or unrealistic rules.
Written by journalist and parenting expert Katherine Martinko, this inspiring guide helps families replace screentime with meaningful, hands-on experiences that build confidence, curiosity, and connection.
What You'll Learn
How to reduce digital dependency and set healthy screen boundaries at every age.
The hidden links between screen use, childhood anxiety, and attention challenges.
Practical strategies for nurturing independent, resilient kids in a tech-saturated world.
Real-world stories from families who've successfully reclaimed childhood—no tech meltdowns required.
Ways to make outdoor play, creativity, and boredom your family's greatest teachers.
With a warm, evidence-based approach, Martinko blends neuroscience, family psychology, and digital minimalism to show parents how to raise happier, calmer, more grounded kids.
Praise for Childhood Unplugged
"...solid ideas for reducing digital dependency." — Publishers Weekly
"...a helpful guide for parents who hope to curb their family's electronic habits." — Foreword Reviews
"Real-world tools for parents to declutter their minds and set up safeguards to put themselves in control of digital technology. A digital minimalist's must-have guide." — Joshua Becker, #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Things That Matter
"Katherine Martinko has written a treatise no parent should miss. How do we protect and enhance the humanity of our children in an age where they've been so recklessly bombarded with unfettered technology?" — Loreena McKennitt, Founder, Stolen Child Project
A Gentle Invitation
If you've felt uneasy about how digital devices shape your child's world—but aren't sure where to start—this book offers clarity, compassion, and a roadmap toward balance.
It's time to unplug and rediscover the magic of being a kid.
List of contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Lenore Skenazy
Introduction: The Beautiful Chaos
Part I: The Personal and Social Costs of ScreensChapter 1: The Kids Are Not All Right
Chapter 2: Amplify, Don't Amputate
Part II: How to Take Control of ScreensChapter 3: Begin as You Mean to Go On (Babies & Toddlers)
Chapter 4: Freedom to Play (Elementary-Aged Kids)
Chapter 5: Grant Freedom, Demand Responsibility (Adolescents)
Chapter 6: But Everyone's Doing It
Chapter 7: The Parent's Role
Chapter 8: School of Screens
Further Reading
Endnotes
Index
About the Author
About New Society Publishers
About the author
Katherine Martinko is a writer with a decade of experience in digital news publishing. She was a senior editor at Treehugger, a major green lifestyle site, and wrote extensively about free-range parenting and low-impact living. Katherine previously wrote for Discovery Network. She lives in Port Elgin, Ontario.
Summary
Ditch the devices and bring back the magic of being a kid
Screens are everywhere. Children spend an average of 7.5 hours on digital devices every day with profoundly negative consequences. While some tech may "amplify" real-life experience, the vast majority undermines it by limiting physical activity, creating anxiety, or damaging self-esteem. Childhood Unplugged takes a bold approach to creating healthy boundaries around the use of digital media.
Drawing on her own family's experience, plus interviews with digital minimalists, educators, and child development experts, Katherine Martinko presents:
- Meticulously researched analysis of the impacts of excessive screen time on children's physical, neurological, emotional, and social development
- Specific pathways to reduced screen exposure, naturally leading to more time spent outdoors, increased confidence and empathy, and more creative and active play
- Inspiration for caregivers overwhelmed by the thought of severing ties with the digital babysitter
- Age-appropriate advice for parents of babies and toddlers, school-aged children, and adolescents.
Taking a calming, nonjudgmental approach,
Childhood Unplugged is a lifeline for parents, caregivers, educators, and anyone who questions the role of digital media and yearns for the young people in their life to experience the profound beauty and magic of childhood.
AWARDS- FINALIST | 2023 Foreword INDIES Awards: Family & Relationships
