The Minnesota Unplugged Movement Says Skills Over Screens and Evidence Over Trends.
Statewide coalition MN Unplugged hosts its first sponsored event, “Let’s Talk (Intentional) Tech,” Monday September 14 in St. Paul, backed by SAVE, MyPhone by Ooma, the Institute for Families and Technology, and The Rosenberg Center.
ST. PAUL, Minn: A growing movement of Minnesota advocates is drawing a line: distraction-free learning should not depend on your zip code. On Monday, September 14, MN Unplugged, the statewide coalition of parents, educators, and community members championing intentional technology use in our schools, will host its first sponsored in person event, “Let’s Talk (Intentional) Tech,” from 6 to 8 p.m. at Iron Ranger, 1085 Grand Avenue in St. Paul.
Sponsored by SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education), MyPhone by Ooma, the Institute for Families and Technology and The Rosenberg Center, the evening will bring parents, educators, and community members together for honest conversation about responsible technology use in our homes, schools, and broader communities.
“We are not anti-tech. We are pro childhood and pro learning,” said Grant Eustice, of MN Unplugged. “We are working with parent advocates across Minnesota who are concerned with the unchecked expansion of technology and AI in our schools. We are interested in working alongside school leaders, legislators, and families to promote human-centered, evidence-based learning. This event is about bringing those families together in one room, face to face, to share what is working, support each other, and turn individual willpower into collective action. That is how real change happens.”
“The research linking excessive screen time and social media use to anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in young people is impossible to ignore,” said Erich Mische, CEO of SAVE, the Bloomington based national suicide prevention organization. “Parents are waking up to what constant connectivity is doing to their kids, and they are deciding they do not have to accept it. What gives me hope is a room full of parents ready to talk about it and take action together. That is exactly what MN Unplugged is building, and SAVE is proud to stand with them.”
Attendees will leave with practical tools for partnering with schools, strategies for setting boundaries around technology at home, resources for talking with kids about their digital lives, and connections to a growing statewide community of families on the same journey. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP Here.
The gathering comes at a moment of remarkable momentum. Advocacy groups from Battle Lake to St. Louis Park to Minneapolis to Rochester are organizing under the MN Unplugged banner to promote human-centered learning and bell to bell phone-free school policies, families are delaying smartphones for their children, and lawmakers in St. Paul and Washington are advancing legislation to hold technology platforms accountable for harms to young people. “Let’s Talk (Intentional) Tech” offers Minnesota families a place to turn that momentum into everyday practice.
About MN Unplugged
MN Unplugged is a statewide Minnesota coalition of parents, educators, and community members organizing to restore real world connection in homes, schools, and communities. The coalition unites local parent groups across the state and advocates for bell-to-bell phone free schools, evidence based and human centered learning, collective action to delay smartphones and social media, and stronger online protections for kids. Learn more at www.mnunplugged.org or follow @mn_unplugged on Instagram.
About SAVE
SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education) is a national nonprofit headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota. Founded in 1989, SAVE works to prevent suicide through public awareness and education, reduce stigma, and serve as a resource to those touched by suicide. SAVE’s work is built on four pillars: Education and Training, Advocacy, Support for Suicide Loss Survivors, and Lethal Means Safety. Learn more at www.save.org
About MyPhone by Ooma
MyPhone by Ooma is a modern home phone designed for families who want to delay smartphones while keeping kids connected to friends and family, with calling free of screens, apps, and social media, plus approved contact lists, quiet hours, and address based 911 service. Learn more at myphone.com.
About the Institute for Families and Technology
The Institute for Families and Technology (IFT) is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit education and advocacy organization dedicated to supporting the movement to prioritize children’s safety, health, development, and overall wellbeing in the design and use of digital technology. Learn more at instituteforfamiliesandtechnology.org
About The Rosenberg Center
The Rosenberg Center is a clinic of excellence offering assessment and treatment for children with developmental and behavioral needs and their families. We strive to be a center that offers families support, guidance, and the time they need to make good decisions for their children and their futures. Learn more at https://rosenbergcenter.com/
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
CONTACTS:
MN Unplugged: Katrina Ball, Grant Eustice, Michelle Gustafson & Sarah Langford, hello@mnunplugged.org
SAVE: Erich Mische, CEO, emische@save.org, 651-600-1188