Organizing across PA to restore real-world connection & build stronger communities.
We are a growing group of Pennsylvania parents, caregivers, and community members concerned about unchecked expansion of screen-based technology into daily life.
We are working to restore real-world connection, reclaim our collective attention, and champion intentional technology use to build stronger communities and drive lasting change for the next generation.
We are not anti-technology. When used with intention and purpose, we believe tech can be a powerful tool. We also believe childhood needs to be protected in an increasingly digital world.
While technology continues to advance faster than society can adapt, collective action remains our greatest tool for change.
PA Unplugged advocates for change in homes, schools, communities, and Harrisburg. Specifically, we are rallying around delaying smartphones and social media, making schools distraction-free, strengthening online safety laws for children, and building communities where kids have the freedom to play freely and grow independently.
We are pushing back against the screen-based childhood.
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By age 4, more than half (58%) of children have their own tablet. By age 8, nearly 1 in 4 children have their own cellphone.
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For mobile phones and social media, both high and increasing addictive use were associated with 2-3x greater risk of suicidal behavior and suicidal ideation. Nearly 1 in 2 kids demonstrated “high addictive use” with mobile phones, 1 in 3 with social media, and over 40% with video games.
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4.8 hours. The amount of time the average teen spends on social media each day. That is nearly 35 hours per week — close to a full-time job.
