Screen Sense

With Gordon Neufeld, Deborah MacNamara, and Tamara Strijack

It’s not getting any better. After 20 years, society is only now beginning to reckon with the downsides of the digital tools we have invented, never mind their insidious impact on the development and well-being of children. And now AI has been added to the mix. We can’t put the genies back in their lamps, so we are left to consider how to raise children in this new world.

For parents and teachers who long for the unfolding potential of the children in their care, important questions arise: What guidelines can safeguard the attachments children need? How do we implement them when support is scarce? How do we win our children back once they have become consumed? Where do we begin with the young? And how do we recognize when they — or we — have lost our way?

This recording is a replay of the Neufeld Institute Saturday Symposium, held on November 22, 2025. The event features three full one-hour keynote presentations by Gordon Neufeld, Deborah MacNamara, and Tamara Strijack, followed by a panel discussion with Gordon, Tamara, and faculty member Heather Ferguson.

Together, the presenters examine the digital phenomenon through the lens of attachment and developmental science. They explore what is happening and why, offer a careful critique of prevailing explanations, and provide practical considerations for different ages and circumstances. The symposium also offers language and frameworks to support meaningful dialogue among parents, families, educators, and other caring adults.

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