By Madeleine Voth
In recent years, you might have heard whispers of a new epidemic on our hands: that of the iPad Kid. You have probably seen them in the wild—kids walking home in clusters, heads turned down, with thumbs scrolling across glowing screens. At lunch, in parks, even in the classroom, devices rarely leave their hands. For a growing coalition of parents, educators and doctors, this epidemic signals more than a simple distraction—it is becoming a public health crisis.
Founded in December 2025, OR Unplugged is a new Oregon-based coalition advocating for the mindful use of technology for children. Operating under the fiscal sponsorship of SE Uplift, the volunteer-led group is working to address what members describe as an escalating crisis in youth mental health, academic outcomes and social development tied to excessive screen exposure.
“Our goals are to bring back all the things that have gotten chased away out of childhood by screens…to restore childhood and adolescence,” said co-founder Dr. Kathy Masarie, a retired pediatrician who has been speaking out about screen overuse since the 1980s, when the concern was primarily television.
Masarie’s urgency sharpened after reading The Anxious Generation by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, which argues that the rapid rise of smartphones and social media has fundamentally altered childhood.
“The very foundational experiences kids need to be healthy were rocked out of the water,” Masarie said, pointing to rising rates of depression, anxiety and suicide among youth.
National data show that Oregon ranks 47th in the country for positive youth mental health and 45th in educational outcomes, statistics coalition members cite as evidence that the state cannot afford complacency in this matter.
For Masarie and fellow co-founders Dr. Jody Scheer, also a retired pediatrician, and Megan Orton, a former SE Portland teacher and founder of Mindful Media, an organization helping parents navigate challenging screen time issues, the conclusion was clear: Oregon needed its own coordinated effort, which is how OR Unplugged came to be.
Many of the behaviors known to support mental health—time outdoors, free play, face-to-face interaction and even sleep—are increasingly displaced by screens. Teens now average roughly eight hours a day on entertainment-based technology, including social media, gaming and streaming. “That’s more than a full-time job,” Orton remarked.
The coalition also points to impacts in the classroom. For every hour students spend on screens at school, members say only about 38 minutes are devoted to active educational use, the remainder often lost to distraction or passive consumption. Citing research from cognitive neuroscientist Jared Horvath, members argue that much of the promised academic benefit of education technology has not materialized at scale. Scheer emphasized this, saying, “We’ve been told that EdTech, for example, is going to make kids learn better, and there is no evidence to prove that. In fact, it makes learning and outcomes worse.”
Founders stress they are not anti-technology, though. “We make a strong distinction between technology as a tool and technology as entertainment,” Orton said. “When we put healthy limits on entertainment technology, it doesn’t take anything away from the fact that you can still use technology as a tool for productivity.”
They describe the issue not simply as exposure to content, but as a design problem—platforms intentionally engineered to maximize engagement and some argue, addiction.
OR Unplugged operates through three primary strategies: legislation, collective action and community networking.
On the policy front, members support Oregon’s phone-free school policies and are advocating for guardrails on AI chatbots marketed to youth. Longer term, they hope to see social media restricted for users under 16, reduced screen use in preschools and daycares and stronger accountability measures for tech companies.
Scheer says accountability is key. “We are putting the entire burden on families,” she said. “But many of these products are built to be addictive and have no protections from unsavory content.”
Beyond legislation, OR Unplugged focuses heavily on helping parents build collective norms. One strategy they promote: delaying smartphones until at least high school—or even until a teen is old enough to drive—and opting for basic call-and-text devices for younger children.
The group also promotes outdoor independence and unstructured play, echoing Oregon’s strong culture of nature-based living, and often points families toward resources such as Let Grow, which encourages free play and youth independence.
“When kids can run around the neighborhood and play independently, parents feel less pressure to hand them a screen,” Orton said.
In an effort to remedy this, meetings with local schools are already underway. A recent screening of the documentary Can’t Look Away at OMSI drew nearly 300 attendees, and additional screenings are planned in the area, including events February 28 and March 15.
The organization frames its work as part of a broader cultural shift rather than a quick fix. “We have lots of tools to help parents get together with one another,” Masarie said. “One person struggling alone, they feel overwhelmed, they feel guilty, they feel hopeless, they feel helpless. You get two people together that feel the same way, and they feel cared for, empowered, energized, and want to do something.”
OR Unplugged is actively seeking volunteers and encourages parents, educators and community members to connect with others in their neighborhoods to establish shared technology norms. Tools for starting parent coalitions and information on upcoming events are available at orunplugged.org.
OR Unplugged staff at a recent event. Photo by Simcha Einhorn.
