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Digital wellbeing & productivity researcher | speaker | author | consultant

There is a war raging on that you
might not be aware of.
It’s the battle of the 21st century
Between you and technology

There is a war raging on, and you might be losing
So many memories to make, so many milestones to celebrate
But you’re constantly being pulled away
By the never-ending thumb-scrolling
The attention-grabbing sound of new notifications
And the little red numbers on your screen, begging to be seen

They say technology is a helpful servant but a dangerous master
Now, more than ever, people are tethered to it
And joy, happiness, and productivity are compromised
But it’s not your fault

Your brain is wired to enjoy that rush of dopamine and hit of adrenaline
With every ping, scroll and interaction
Your brain is being rewarded, all in a digital minute
Long-term gratification is a thing of the past

Attention is the most precious resource you have
Own it. Protect it at all costs

What if I told you that you could own your attention
And use it to focus on the things that really mattered?
So you can be present where you are, where you matter
You are in your power, and no technology can pull you away
From your kids, from your partner, from the important work before you

What if I told you that you can be in control of your attention?
That you can win the war between you and technology
So you can reposition yourself, no longer a slave to the screen, but a master of it

So you can reposition yourself, no longer a slave to the screen, but a master of it And you can take back your joy, happiness, and productivity

We marvel at how our kids learn to tap, swipe and pinch (before they’ve learnt to tie their shoelaces or ride a bike), but at the same time we worry about what all this ‘screen time’ is doing to their physical health, social & language skills and attention spans.

We see our teenagers’ digital dependence as they spend hours scrolling their social media feeds, or playing games (or even more bizarrely, watching YouTube clips of their peers playing games, or doing hair tutorials), to the point where we hear that phone bans are being rolled out in schools.

As adults, we struggle with our own digital infatuations...whether we’re tethered to our tech for work (never-ending email alerts, or Slack notifications pinging in the background), or indulging in our guilty-pleasure of binge-watching a Netflix series, or scrolling Instagram (instead of going to bed). Yet we can’t imagine living without our phone or going #laptopless. The elusive work-life balance is even more pronounced as technology permeates every facet of our lives.

There’s little doubt that technology plays a fundamental role in our lives.


But are we in control of technology, or is technology controlling us?

Have you paused (& looked up from your phone) to consider the costs of your digital dependence and distraction on your wellbeing and productivity?

Have you ever worried about the impact of your child/teen’s digital obsession on their physical and mental wellbeing? Are you worried about it stunting their learning, or derailing their development?

For most of us, adults and kids alike, digital devices have become an integral part of our lives. We find it so hard to unplug. This is no accident. The reason lies with our brains.  Basically, we’ve got ancient brains operating in a high-tech, fast-paced world. Our brains simply haven’t evolved to cope with the incessant demands digital devices pose.

Popular technologies

Utilise clever design techniques to get us hooked, they cater for our basic psychological drivers (it’s no accident that our unread email notification is red and it’s no coincidence that the background music in our kids’ games is hypnotic and repetitive)

Cause physiological changes in our body (there’s such a condition as ‘email apnoea’ where we literally hold our breath when we check our inboxes)

Cause neurological changes in the brain (we get dopamine hits as we scroll through Instagram or our inbox and our kids’ & teens’ sensory and nervous systems are hyper-aroused online and the aggressive post-screen behaviour is their attempt to discharge built-up cortisol).

For some of us, our digital behaviours have become problematic (most parents have endured their child’s or teen’s #technotantrum and we know many adults partake in ‘toilet tweeting’, i.e. using your phone in the bathroom). But we don’t have to be tethered to our devices and nor do our kids. We can form healthy & sustainable digital behaviours that enable us to use technology in healthy & helpful ways.

Dr Kristy Goodwin (1)

I’m Dr Kristy Goodwin

I’m on a mission to help parents, their children, and professionals (educators and corporate employees & executives) tame their toxic tech habits (and stop being a slave to the screen).

I provide research-based, yet realistic, advice and strategies so we can use technology in productive and purposeful ways and counteract its negative consequences...without reverting to phone bans or constant digital detoxes.

I’m a speaker, author, and media commentator fascinated by how our always switched-on, digital culture is compromising our wellbeing and is counter to optimal and sustainable performance and learning.

For years, I’ve researched and spoken about the ways in which technology shapes children’s and teens’ wellbeing, health, and learning. However, recently, I realised that digital wellbeing was also an issue impacting adults too. For a time, I struggled to digitally disconnect and tame my digital distractions too. Technology was controlling me! My digital behaviours had detrimental impacts on my wellbeing — from late-night social scrolling sabotaging my sleep to suffering from techno stress, digital dementia, and compare-and-despair syndrome. My digital behaviours were also diminishing my performance when I worked. I’d open my laptop to work and the incessant ping of email alerts, the buzz of social media notifications & my constant (failing) attempts to multitask severely compromised my productivity and efficiency.

That’s why I’ve amalgamated both research and practical experience to devise digital hacks and healthy digital behaviours that support (not stifle) people’s wellbeing and productivity. I now help corporations promote employee digital wellbeing and performance in the workplaces. 

Increasingly, we’re hearing more about the costs of our always-on work culture on employee wellbeing & efficiency. Every day there’s a new headline warning us of the harmful effects of technology on children or teens.

We’re seriously questioning our own digital infatuation. Most adults are now no longer more than one metre proximity away from their phone for most of the day and 80% of adults check their phone within 15 minutes of waking.  Also, the scare of the “digital apocalypse” makes us feel guilty and fearful about our kids’ digital behaviours.

But there’s no need (or time) for #technoguilt. We face a digital reality and banning or avoiding technology isn’t a viable solution.

So I want to help you make informed choices about your digital habits (or your family’s tech time), based on the latest neuroscience, developmental science, organisational psychology and technology research.

Education

I equip parents and teachers with the latest research about parenting in the digital age, their students’ digital wellbeing, and an understanding of how their digitalised childhoods and adolescence are shaping their learning.

Corporate

I help businesses prioritise their employees’ digital wellbeing and bolster their performance at work. I help them minimise digital distractions and preserve staff wellbeing by taming their toxic tech habits (both at work & home).

Whether we love it or loathe it, technology’s here to stay. The genie’s out of the bottle.


We have to find healthy and helpful ways to use technology & mitigate its potential pitfalls.

I’m Dr Kristy Goodwin

I’m a researcher, speaker and author, delivering keynote addresses, seminars and workshops to parents, educators, health professionals and employees throughout Australia. I’m on a mission to disseminate the facts and dismantle the fears about young children’s, teens’ & adults’ digital wellbeing & productivity.

I provide practical, evidence-based information about what we really need to thrive both online and offline.