Attend screen time & attention talk

[SJaffa]

What’s Really Going on with Screen Time, AI, and Our Attention?

A live session with Dr Daniel Weisberg, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and founder of CAYP Psychology

In today’s world, screens are woven into almost every part of our lives, from how we work and study to how we relax and connect. But what is this constant digital engagement actually doing to our brains, our sleep, and our ability to focus?
In this session, Dr Daniel Weisberg will explore the psychological realities of modern screen use, including the growing influence of AI, and what this means for both young people and adults.
Designed for both academic and professional services staff, this session offers a dual perspective. It will provide insight into the digital lives of today’s students, helping staff better understand and support them, while also offering practical guidance for managing your own digital habits and setting boundaries at home.

Across the session, we will explore:

• The science behind screen time, including the role of dopamine, blue light, and app design in shaping behaviour, sleep, and overall wellbeing
• Why we find ourselves “doomscrolling” late into the night, and how to recognise and shift these patterns
• The rise of AI and what it may mean for attention, thinking, and cognitive development, including discussion around the Flynn effect
• What today’s students are experiencing in a digitally saturated world, and how this shows up in focus, regulation, and learning
• Practical, realistic strategies for navigating screen use, both professionally and personally, including supporting children and teenagers at home

[SJaffa]

Notes:

Youtube/tiktok train attention spans to 15 seconds and people's brains expect dopamine hits. We need to ackowledge that, and adapt to it as well as try to un-train it. Discussing it helps people not feel like a failure.

How to support students to not use AI for learning or social media in class:

• Boundaries: Clear limits around what is and isn’t acceptable (including around screen use). He emphasised that boundaries are not harmful or restrictive – they create safety.
• Predictability: Children know what will happen in a given situation because responses are predictable. This reduces anxiety and cognitive load.
• Consistency: The same rules and responses are applied repeatedly and fairly, not changed depending on mood, child, or context.
• Routine: A clear structure or timetable so children know what’s coming next. He described this as closely linked to the other three and overlapping with them.

Lots of otehr stuff, I need to make notes before I forget it all but I have another meeting now!!!