We were delighted to be featured in Port Stephens News Of The Area this month, in an article exploring why Port Stephens Unplugged started and what the movement is setting out to do.
The piece speaks with founding directors Barbara Everson and Kate Preston about the experience that led them here: trying to set sensible limits around technology at home, and discovering how hard that is when you are doing it on your own.
I realised we weren’t failing – we were just doing this alone, without a community around us that shared the same values.
Barbara Everson, founding director
That idea sits at the heart of everything we do. Port Stephens Unplugged is not anti-technology. It is about families choosing together to delay smartphones, so that no single child is the odd one out and no single parent has to hold the line alone.
What the movement is working towards
- Delaying the introduction of smartphones for as long as possible
- Following the eSafety Commissioner’s guidance on screen time, social media and AI
- Giving parents practical tools, awareness and community events
- Reviewing consent for schools to post children’s photos on social media
The article also notes that we are currently recruiting allied health partners, with the longer-term goal of expanding the movement beyond Port Stephens.
Read the article
The full piece, written by Nico Lombardo, is available on the News Of The Area website: How a new Port Stephens movement is seeking to protect children from harmful technology exposure.
You can also find all of our press coverage on our In the News page.
Ready to join us? Take the pact and connect with other local families at Take the Pact, or sign up to help out via Get Involved.
