Reclaiming Focus: Evidence-Based Strategies for Kids in a Screen-Filled World
Special Thank you to Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy for making this webinar possible
Description
This intermediate-level, 2-hour workshop equips clinicians and parents with evidence-based strategies for helping children navigate a screen-saturated childhood. Drawing on developmental psychology, behavioral science, and current research on technology design, the session traces the "Great Rewiring" of childhood between 2007 and 2015 and examines four foundational harms of excessive screen use: social deprivation, sleep disruption, attention fragmentation, and habit-formation/addiction. Participants will explore the neurochemical and design principles (including the "Hooked" model of trigger, action, variable reward, and investment) that make digital platforms compelling, alongside a balanced discussion of technology's genuine benefits, particularly for marginalized youth and creative expression. The presentation reviews current evidence-based norms, including delayed smartphone and social media access and phone-free school environments, and addresses the collective action problem parents face when peer norms conflict with family values. Attendees will leave with practical, individualized strategies for clinical practice and family consultation, including concrete household routines, content-monitoring approaches, and open communication frameworks that support healthier child and adolescent relationships with technology.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Identify and describe the four foundational mechanisms (social deprivation, sleep disruption, attention fragmentation, and habit-formation/addiction) through which excessive screen use affects children's psychological development.
- Apply the "Hooked" habit-formation model (trigger, action, variable reward, investment) to evaluate how digital platforms are engineered for sustained engagement, in order to inform client and family psychoeducation.
- Evaluate current evidence-based norms (e.g., delayed smartphone/social media access, phone-free school environments) and translate them into individualized, family-specific intervention recommendations.
Instructor Bio
Dr. Ariel Kornblum is a licensed psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA/LBA) in New York State. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from The George Washington University and completed her graduate studies at St. John's University, with additional specialized training in supporting Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) through the UK PDA Society and PDANA.
As Senior Director of Clinical Operations, Behavioral & Educational Services, Dr. Kornblum leads a multidisciplinary team serving learners ages 2–21+ across the NYC metro area. She specializes in CBT, ACT, parent management training, SPACE, and ABA, with particular expertise in anxiety, school refusal, ADHD, ASD, and PDA — all grounded in a neurodiversity-affirming approach. She is a regular presenter to parents and professionals on these topics.
Dr. Kornblum does not have any conflicts of interest for this webinar.
Contact Us
For questions, please contact: ce@gsapp.rutgers.edu
Continuing Education Provider Statements:
Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0123.
Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content
Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 8145. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.