Parent Workshop

Raising Healthy Teenagers: How to Support Our Children in the Digital Age

Saturday, March 15, 2025

Bloomfield Hills High School

9 a.m.- 12 p.m.

In today’s fast paced, technology driven world, raising children comes with new challenges and opportunities. From social media to screen time, online safety to digital well-being, parents play a crucial role in guiding their children toward responsible and healthy technology use.

Join us for an engaging and informative workshop designed to equip you with the tools and strategies to support your child in the digital age. Our experts will share insights on fostering positive online habits, setting healthy boundaries, and encouraging open conversations about technology use at home.

Event Agenda

Check In
- 8:30-9 a.m., Main Commons
Welcome & Keynote
- 9-9:45 a.m., Cynthia Von Oeyen Performing Arts Center
Break Out Sessions
- 9:55-10:35 a.m., 100 Level Classrooms
Break Out Sessions
- 10:40-11:20 a.m., 100 Level Classrooms
Closing Session
- 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Cynthia Von Oeyen Performing Arts Center

Nicole Runyon, LMSW, is an esteemed psychotherapist specializing in parenting, author, and keynote speaker renowned for her expertise in child and adolescent mental health, backed by an extensive 22-year career in the field. Nicole is also the mother of 2 children.

Katey McPherson brings experience in school leadership, prevention, and organizational change with 25 years as a secondary school teacher, guidance counselor, and K-12 school administrator. Katey has worked diligently on several youth mental health initiatives in the State of Arizona and has assisted in passing 3 key pieces of suicide prevention and school safety legislation.

Katey delivers professional development to learning communities with a focus on creating adaptive coping skills and resiliency and regularly speaks to students to increase their awareness and education in digital citizenship/social media responsibility.

Katey currently serves as the Director of Community Partnerships for Bark Technologies, Inc., an artificial intelligence app that protects over 7 million children while they play and learn online.

Keynote Session

It's Not the Kids, it's The Culture- Nicole Runyon

We keep being told we are experiencing a mental health crisis. We are actually experiencing a cultural problem - a perfect storm of technology, which has infiltrated and stunted childhood development, and parents who are overwhelmed, don’t trust their own instincts and try to make life too comfortable for their children. We have created an environment in which children’s mental health has been compromised. We assume the solution is greater mental health care, but that is only treating the symptoms. We need to treat the cause- the environment. We can do that through two pathways: 1) more robust control of our kids' access to technology, and 2) by giving parents their instincts back. Parents have a more powerful impact on their child’s life than any other individual, they have the power to build the independence, self confidence and resilience that is disappearing.

Childhood 2.0: How to Reach, Teach, and Support iGeneration Kids- Katey McPherson

It is imperative that trusted adults and caregivers recognize that childhood has drastically changed with the advent of the smartphone and other devices we hand our children. In addition, the stressors they face are drastically different than what we as parents experienced. The race for academic performance, athletic prowess, bullying on social media/gaming platforms and the increase in youth mental health issues must be met with a call to action that includes front loading them with prevention and coping/resiliency training to confront the challenges they may face. Join us as we discuss practical ways to help and support our students and to gain keen insight into their world.

What to Expect: Breakout Sessions

Connecting to the iGeneration- Nicole Runyon
- Today's parents are revolutionaries, the first of our kind to be parenting under technology's hold on children's lives. This talk will teach about the profound ways children today are being stunted in their development through their use of technology. You will learn how today’s culture of parenting coupled with the use of technology decreases independence and maturity. With this knowledge, parents will connect to their instincts and give children what they need in each phase of their development. Parents will walk away from this presentation feeling empowered with the tools they need to help their children grow.
Stop the Tug of War: How to Put Tech in Its Place- Katey McPherson
- American households have been "dancing" with devices for many years. Parents are nagging, kids are whining. The relational side of tech is at times coming in between parent and child especially as students age into the tween and teen years. This session will cover youth developmental brain science, tactical ways to manage technology and devices, and creative ways to work in tandem with your children to build trust and craft a futuristic digital footprint that lasts.
The AI Conversation: A Parent's Guide to Supporting Your Child in the Age of Intelligent Technology- Jessica Lupone, Rachel Matz, and David Shulkin
- This session will provide parents with a clear understanding of artificial intelligence, a technology increasingly present in their children's lives. We'll explore the valuable benefits AI offers in education, such as personalized learning and enhanced problem-solving. Crucially, we'll address key concerns regarding information literacy, privacy, and ethical considerations, offering practical guidelines for responsible AI use at home and at school. Our goal is to empower parents to navigate the AI landscape and support their children's healthy interaction with this powerful technology.
Navigating the Digital Age: A Community Conversation for Parents- Dr. Dan Hartley & Holly Hammerle
- Join us for an interactive and informative session focused on the impact of screen time on our children's mental health. This session is designed to empower parents with knowledge, strategies, and a supportive community to navigate the challenges of raising children in the digital world.
Be Intentional: Creating and Practicing Family Norms Around Technology Use With Elementary and Middle School-Aged Children- Julianne Umbarger, Jessica Stage, Lauren Dempsey
- During this session, we will engage in a balanced conversation around appropriate uses of technology in elementary and middle school-aged children, expert recommendations around screen time in this age group, and practical ways to develop intentional agreements and routines around technology as a family.

Partnerships