Newsletter #02 Jan. 2026
Hello Friends!
Welcome to our first newsletter of 2026! This year has so much in store and we are so excited to share it all with you.
We would love to know, what screen-related goals or resolutions did you, dear reader, make for the new year (for yourself or for the kids in your life)? How are you circumventing screens to find truly connective time with your immediate family? With your friends or with your grandchildren? What positive change have you seen in the past year in regards to screens and screen time? Or was this past year your wake-up call? As always, we are all ears and always want to know anything you’d like to share with us. Write in and tell us where you’re having success and where you need support!
And our perennial question - are you a part of a coalition yet? We just launched our How to Build a Coalition Guide as well as our Coalition Finder on our website. Check it out and see if there are like minded community members rallying in your area (and if there aren’t yet, put your town or city on the map!) - form a coalition, tell us about it, and we’ll add you to the site and support you however we can along the way.
Coming up this month we have our first event of the year and we would love to see you all there!
Join us at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, January 21st 2026 at OMSI for our screening (and panel discussion) of Can’t Look Away! It is free to attend and you can reserve your seat here. Tickets are moving fast!
2/3rds of them are going… going… going… GONE!
Can’t Look Away is a gripping and deeply human story centered on the harms of social media and the intersections of resilience, courage, and the often hidden realities of what our screens can do. This special community screening offers an opportunity to experience the film together in a supportive environment - and to connect with others who care about healing, awareness and meaningful change.
Following the screening, a live moderated panel featuring experts, advocates, and community leaders will offer insights on online safety, emerging challenges, and the path forward. Our fabulous co-hosts are Senator Lisa Reynolds, AI expert John Cusey from the Institute for Families and Technology, parent advocate Julianna Arnold, educator Ryan Richardson, Lines for Life, Oregon Community Foundation, Smartphone Free Childhood US, and OMSI.
OR Unplugged and Mindful Media will both have tables at this event, come say hi to us before or after the screening!
Love to read? We have a new book club starting soon!
Get ready to chow down at the Ed Tech buffet with Jared Cooney Horvath’s new book The Digital Delusion. In it, Horvath unpacks the myth of classroom technology as progress and lays out the roadmap to reclaim real learning. Meetings will be held every other Friday (starting on January 16th) at 10am PST (1pm EST) - register here!
Meetings will be led by our very own Kathy, Jody, and Megan in addition to our friends from VT Coalition, Laura Derrendinger, and DMV Unplugged’s Keena McAvoy.
MEET THE AUTHOR BEHIND THE BOOK - Jared Cooney Horvath will be joining us at our first meeting!
We also are excited to debut a new section of our newsletter - our news of the month! Here we (Kathy, Jody, Megan, and Simcha) each share a crucial thing we read, saw, or listened to this past month - and why we think you ought to read (or watch or listen) to it!
Kathy’s Pick(s):
How Tech Companies Rig Parental Guilt from After Babel
Kathy says - Wonder why you fight all the time with your kids about screentime and then feel guilty afterwards? Here’s why! And hint, it’s rigged.
The Digital Delusion by Jared Cooney Horvath
Kathy says - Jared’s book provides clear research on the harms of Ed Tech and their extreme limitations to learning, critical thinking, literacy, creativity, focus, attention. Jared also provides us with video briefs to go along with the chapters which are great tools to deepen your understanding as you read! Check out the videos here (scroll down until you reach videos) and the book at the link above (and don’t forget to join our bookclub!)
Jody’s Pick:
It’s Not Just a Game Anymore from After Babel
Jody says - I suspect that parents don't really know what kind of content this "free" game has available to kids as young as 4, and how many pedophiles use this game to groom and sextort vulnerable children. I wish every parent could read this prior to allowing their child free access to Roblox.
Megan’s Pick:
The Amazing Generation by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price
Megan says - I LOVE this new book by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price! As parents, it can be so difficult to explain why tech limits are a good idea, and this book does a fantastic job helping us get buy-in from our kids. Part graphic novel, and full of interesting facts and interactive challenges, it's great for kids ages 8-12, and perfect for parents and kids to read together!
Simcha’s Pick:
Simcha says - This past week I’ve been really grappling with how many experts in our field use AI in big and little ways to further their work. Prior to being the administrative assistant here at OR Unplugged, I have always been really staunchly anti-AI and now I feel even more so since our work revolves so heavily around the futures that we are trying to build for today’s kids and the kids of tomorrow. For me, the most resonant point is the environmental impact of AI on the world we are trying to build. If we want our kids to have the option of playing outside, having fresh water to swim in and drink, and clean air to breathe - it feels vitally important to try and reduce or eliminate AI use.
Coupled with AI’s impact on learning in schools and mental health for teens, the ramifications of AI being so integrated into our lives are becoming clearer by the day.
Lastly, here are some ways you can support current legislation here in Oregon!
The Oregon Executive Order on Phone Free Schools formally went into effect on January 1st, 2026 (Wahoo!)
What you can do:
Check out the PED (Personal Electronic Device) Policy that is posted on your school district's website and see how it lines up with the executive order and model policy.
Ask administrators to send that out to every parent in their district (or spread the word yourself!)
Check out how they are storing the phones and see if there is any room for improvement.
BEST - Centralized lockers/bins (out of sight, out of mind - helps reduce addiction, distraction)
OK - Yondr pouches*
COULD IMPROVE - Students’ lockers (But hey! It’s better than in students’ pockets!)*
*The reason Yondr pouches or lockers/backpacks aren’t our favorite storage solutions is that kids are still able to access their devices in spaces like bathrooms. If a child still has their device on them, it is still a distraction even if its inaccessible (i.e. in a Yondr pouch).
Here is a survey- for parents, students, admin and teachers that would be POWERFUL to measure effectiveness https://tapskit.stanford.edu/
On the horizon in our legislative world - Senator Lisa Reynolds and her colleagues are bringing forward a bill to put guardrails on AI chatbots when they are interacting with people who are expressing suicidal thoughts. Even though Oregon legislators are only in session in February, AI is harming kids (and others) at alarming rates, requiring urgent action.
And something that you can always do, if you haven’t already, is Sign Our Letter of Legislative Support!
Comments, queries, or concerns? You can reach us 24/7 (practically) at ORUnplugged@proton.me
Warmly and with gratitude,
the OR Unplugged team
Kathy, Jody, Megan, & Simcha
