How do we vaccinate ourselves against digital distraction, without throwing our devices overboard?
Jocelyn Brewer is a Sydney-based registered psychologist with a special interest in the psychology of technology and staying human in a digital age. She has been studying digital wellbeing for over a decade.
Jocelyn has a warm, humorous, and engaging presentation style, and the ability to translate scientific research into practical perspectives. She is regularly called upon to comment in the media on a range of issues and presents across Australia to various audiences about the impacts of technology and improving digital wellbeing.
Current work:
Jocelyn is a member of Sydney University's Cyberpsychology Research group where she is completing her Masters of Applied Science (Cyberpsychology) exploring the role of self-control and mindfulness in the prevention of Problematic Smartphone Use.
Jocelyn is a member of the Australian Psychological Society and is an expert listed with their media referral service. She is regularly called up to provide commentary on a range of modern psychological, socio-cultural, and relationship issues. Jocelyn also has a solid volume of her own writing which has appeared in Quartz, Medium, Daily Life, and Junkee.
Jocelyn is the creator and founder of Digital Nutrition™, an award-winning, fear-free framework for considering how we might create a healthy, sustainable relationship with technology and become more conscious consumers of online information.
Jocelyn runs a small private psychology practice in Sydney – where she sees adolescents, families, and adults for a variety of psychological conditions, including problematic uses of social media and video games. Jocelyn is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and uses a range of creative, practical, and dynamic techniques to inspire positive change
Previous experience:
Jocelyn is a qualified teacher and registered psychologist - she spent 16 years working in NSW state schools across Sydney as both a high school teacher and school counselor.
As well as presenting, Jocelyn's communication skills are enlisted by brands for expert commentary and media spokesperson duties. She has represented Old El Paso, HCF, SocietyOne, McAfee, Lenovo, and Microsoft and worked with agencies including Thinkerbell, three monkeys Zeno (London), Map & Page, and ZiNG Communications.
Her 2009 psychology thesis explored the impacts of increasing access to Internet-enabled laptops on a cohort of grade 10 boys and the emerging area of Problematic Internet Use (PIU), colloquially known as Internet Addiction'.
Digital Nutrition was awarded the NSW Premier's Teacher Scholarship for Health Education in 2014, and Jocelyn traveled to the USA to further explore the issues relating to healthy technology habits and digital citizenship.
Jocelyn delivered a TEDx talk in 2015 on Digital Nutrition and the quest to uncover digital superfoods' and has steadily increased her profile as a thought leader in the digital wellbeing space.
In 2019 Jocelyn gave keynote addresses at EduTechAU, Happiness and it's��s Causes, Future Schools and Mental Health In Schools events, as well as appearing on ABC TV's QandA panel.
Talking Points
Reboot: Reclaiming Control (and the controller) of your Family's Technology Use
One of the biggest issues and sources of conflict in modern parenting is over screen time and device use in families. Fear and misinformation over the impacts of social media and gaming abounds and has many parents confused and overwhelmed when it comes to reshaping habits. Reboot: Reclaiming Control (and the controller) of your Family's Technology Use
In this 90-minute session Jocelyn Brewer, founder of positive tech-use philosophy Digital Nutrition will take you through new insights into how to move beyond counting digital calories and monitoring screen time to more practical ways to assess the digital diet and virtual vitamins'. We'll examine digital junk foods and digital superfoods and ways to consider shaping more intentional and intelligent habits with devices that foster connection and communication.
Audience:
Parents of young people aged 8 -18 years
Key takeaways:
- Why communication and collaboration trumps conflict and contracts
- How to get curious not furious about young people's technology use
- The importance of role modelling healthy tech habits by parents
- Practical strategies for digital wellbeing.
Screens in Early Childhood: empowering parents and educators to manage digital devices
We live in a digital world and young children are increasingly using screen-based media use from infancy. This raises many questions about the impacts on brain, language and social skill development.Screens in Early Childhood: empowering parents and educators to manage digital devices
In this fear, shame and guilt free presentation, parents and early childhood educators will learn practical skills to help toddlers and pre-schoolers use digital devices in healthful and meaningful ways.
Audience:
Parents, carers and grandparents of children aged 6 months to 6 years and early childhood educators
Key takeaways :
- Understand the positive and potential negative impacts of screen-based media use on toddler and pre-schooler development.
- Build the skills to select appropriate apps and games for toddlers.
- Apply the principles of healthy technology habits and a balanced relationship with devices, apps and games.
Digital wellbeing and authentic self-care for teachers and/or school leaders: Strategies to Avoid Burnout and Build Career-Sustaining Behaviours
The AISTL standards do not include teacher or leader wellbeing, yet much of the public discourse relates to maximising wellness, practicing self-care and looking after your mental health. This 60-minute workshop will pull back the curtain on cliched wellbeing practices and provide realistic strategies for supporting school leaders refill their tanks and untether from administrivia.Digital wellbeing and authentic self-care for teachers and/or school leaders: Strategies to Avoid Burnout and Build Career-Sustaining Behaviours
Audience:
Teachers and school leaders Australia wide. This session can be adapted to a range of industries and knowledge workers.
Key takeaways:
- Strategies for de-plugging and using neuro-productivity to support wellbeing
- Maintaining boundaries with technology and taming email for teachers
- The challenge of authentic self-care in a digital age (beyond manicures and massages).
Digital Nutritionâ„¢, Not Digital Detoxes: how to foster your wellbeing in a screen-saturated world
Unplugging totally is a luxury many of us simply cannot afford, yet we crave a time before the relentless pull of our digital devices and an always-on, constantly-connected, fake-news saturated COVID restricted world.Digital Nutritionâ„¢, Not Digital Detoxes: how to foster your wellbeing in a screen-saturated world
There is a middle path between digital detoxing and addiction - psychologist Jocelyn Brewer calls it Digital Nutritionâ„¢. Jocelyn will share the underlying philosophy of her approach, one which empowers us to stay human and thrive in a digital age.
This 4560-minute session will help participants take control of their tech habits, evaluate their digital diet and build traction with the things that *really* matter.
Audience:
Any human who looks at a screen for extended periods and wants to have more control of their digital habits and wellbeing
Key takeaways:
- The Digital Nutritionâ„¢ analogy of technology use being similar to food intake (not drug use) and ways to appraise your relationship with technology, apps and the information consumed online.
- Take control of your tech use, and create healthy habits to last a lifetime.
Neuro-Productivity Hacks: overcoming digital fatigue and other modern afflictions
People working from home (and living from work) and in contemporary office environments are processing huge volumes of information and managing multiple channels of inputs on an hourly basis. The human brain is struggling to keep up with the demands on our attention and our ability to do what author Cal Newport describes as Deep work' is being significantly impacted. Neuro-Productivity Hacks: overcoming digital fatigue and other modern afflictions
This 45-60-minute session will provide a range of brain-based hacks and habits to help manage productivity, prevent procrastination and create space for deep attention tasks. We'll look at ways that teams can stay connected without being constantly pulled into a digital riptide, and how to create digital etiquette that suits your workplace or small team.
Audience:
Any human who looks at a screen for extended periods and wants to have more control of their digital habits and wellbeing. Great for small to large teams and organisations keen to foster work/life balance.
Key takeaways:
- Tools for increasing productivity, minimising procrastination and doing Deep Work'
- Creating healthy boundaries when work and life are intertwined
Social media, video games and digital devices: what you need to know in 2022 (and beyond).
This 60-minute session will provide a walk through some of the main features, issues and uses of both the major social media platforms and significant smaller platforms that are ones to watch. We will look at some trends in video gaming culture and the basics of eSports that are of concern as well as an introduction to some of the uses of AR, VR, AI and other digital tools that are on the horizon. A range of resources to keep up to date (without spending hours) on digital trends will be shared.Social media, video games and digital devices: what you need to know in 2022 (and beyond).
Audience:
This session is great for those who feel somewhat overwhelmed with the digital landscape and would like to understand some of the different platforms and trends. Teachers, parents, professionals keen to keep up with tech-trends.
Key takeaways:
- Get up to speed on social media, gaming and digital trends
- Reduce overwhelm when understanding the digital landscape
Beyond do not feed the trolls': strategies for managing cyber abuse
Online abuse is an unfortunate feature of participating in digital environments. It can have huge impacts on victims of abuse, who are often women and those in the public eye. Beyond do not feed the trolls': strategies for managing cyber abuse
This 45-minute session will look at the types of cyber abuse, the psychology behind it and other trolling behaviours, as well as strategies for managing it. Will explore the new Online Safety Act and the steps to report abuse and seek support for its impacts
Audience:
Influencers and creators, athletes and celebrities, journalists and other humans who are frequent users of social media.
Key takeaways:
- Understand online safety and strategies to deal with online abuse
- Practical steps to report abuse and seek support
Inbox, Manageable: lessons in email productivity
Email overwhelm and overload is real. In many organisations, email was thrust upon staff with no lessons in how or when to use it effectively. In our personal lives, excitedly checking our Hotmail accounts has been replaced with dread as we login to a deluge of unread messages.Inbox, Manageable: lessons in email productivity
In this 60 to 75-minute webinar, psychologist and email wrangler Jocelyn Brewer will take you through a range of practical and cognitive hacks to manage your inbox(es) to break free from constant checking, and the paralysis of a flooded inbox.
By investing time to organise, sort and manage your messages, you'll spend more time reading and replying to the communication that matters.
Audience:
Anyone who uses email in their work and personal life and would like to be more effective in their use of it. Teachers, executives, humans with inbox anxiety!
Key takeaways:
- The principles of email etiquette that you were never taught
- Why it's about inbox manageable not inbox zero'
- How your personality factors may influence your approach to email organisation and responding
- How to set up folders and rules to manage the flow of information, based on your priorities
- Why a password manager is crucial to your sanity and security
Video
Jocelyn Brewer | Speaking Reel
Jocelyn is a Sydney-based registered psychologist with a special interest in the psychology of technology and staying human in a digital age. She has been studying digital wellbeing for over a decade.The quest for digital superfoods | Jocelyn Brewer | TEDxNorthernSydneyInstitute
In her talk, Jocelyn will introduce us to the concept of Digital Nutrition, an award-winning framework for teaching the principles of a healthy, balanced relationship with technology. It borrows from the healthy eating pyramid and food nutrition principles to communicate key concepts around screen-time limits, digital citizenship and impulse control, and evaluates the cognitive benefits of apps and games. It is not about a digital 'diet' or 'detox', but about a positive, long term relationship with cyberspace that allows us to get the best out of technology, while avoiding the pitfalls of 'internet addiction'. Are there healthy life choices for digital consumption? Are there digital superfoods?Jocelyn Brewer - media reel 2021
Jocelyn is a Sydney-based registered psychologist with a special interest in the psychology of technology and staying human in a digital age. She has been studying digital wellbeing for over a decade.Jocelyn was well informed of external contributing factors that impact upon teenagers in our modern society such as smartphones and apps and I was pleased to hear about this. I liked the Emo ... keep reading Engaging Adolescents Workshop
The presentations surpassed my expectations and I liked how Jocelyn linked and understanding of the brain, an individualised, more complex overview of how young people use technology and ideas for how young people can make good decisions about their technology use and parents can also support and model these.
