Plugged In & Tuned Out: When gaming and screen use becomes a problem
A masterclass with Maggie Dent and Brad Marshall
Register for lifetime access to the replay and bonus resources.
An online masterclass exploring why gaming, social media and streaming can be so addictive and what we can do about it.
Screens are now a ubiquitous part of our lives. And there’s no doubt that screen use has become a major pain point for parents, particularly those of us with tweens and teens. Whether they’re gaming, chatting, streaming or scrolling on social media – our kids (and we) are increasingly spending much of our lives on devices. And the implications of this are broader than we can imagine.
But what do we do when our tween or teen’s screen use, especially their gaming, becomes problematic? How do we know when their behaviour has moved beyond enthusiasm into unhealthy excessive use or, worse, a disorder? Why are boys more likely to struggle with problematic gaming?
And above all, how can parents work with their adolescents to have healthy boundaries?
In this masterclass, parenting author Maggie Dent teams up with ‘The Unplugged Psychologist’
Brad Marshall to equip parents with simple, powerful strategies for reclaiming
their tween/teen’s lives in a screen-saturated culture.
In 2025, Maggie and Brad went on to become two of the founding members of the Ctrl+Shft Online Safety Coalition, alongside Kirra Pendergast from Safe On Social, and child safety and victim advocate/ educator/ mum-of-seven Madeleine West. Their mission is to ensure no school, family or workplace faces digital risk alone.
Register now
With a special focus on gaming and social media, Maggie and Brad will explore:
→ What are the impacts of being raised as a digital native?
→ What makes social media, streaming, gaming and screens in general SO addictive?
→ What strategies the gaming/screen industry use to get us hooked (and how we can counter these).
→ Do digital agreements help families with healthy boundaries?
→ When do we worry? What are the warning signs of an unhealthy balance?
→ Why and how do parents monitor and manage screen time rather than simply expecting our tweens/teens to learn self-control?
→ The 7 steps parents can take to help manage problematic usage, without destroying your relationship with your child.
As well as the live event, this masterclass will also include some additional video content. We'll hear from a young man who has transformed his relationship with gaming from being all-consuming and at the expense of his physical and mental health – to no longer controlling him. Isaac Waddell, founder of the Goldfish Academy will share his inspiring story with masterclass participants and share some strategies from someone who has lived experience of a screen addiction.
Join Us
The live class has already happened but you can still sign up to watch the replay whenever you like.
Free gifts included...
Everyone who registers will receive a copy of Maggie’s eBook
Chill N Skills and her Creating Success audio track.
Plus...
As a handy reference, you'll also receive a PDF handout with notes and links to further information and resources.
Your Hosts
Maggie Dent
Maggie Dent is one of Australia's favourite parenting authors and educators, with a particular interest in the early years, adolescence and resilience – as well as being an undisputed 'boy champion'. Maggie’s experience includes teaching, counselling, and working in palliative care/funeral services and suicide prevention. She is a dedicated advocate to quietly changing lives in our families and communities. She is the mother of four sons and a very grateful grandmother.
Maggie is the author of 10 major books, including the 2024 release, Help Me Help My Teen, Girlhood: Raising our little girls to be healthy, happy and heard, the her bestselling boys' books, Mothering Our Boys and From Boys to Men. She hosts The Good Enough Dad podcast and led six seasons of the award-winning ABC podcast, Parental As Anything.
Brad Marshall
Dr Brad Marshall (AKA The Unplugged Psychologist) is recognised as one of Australia’s leading experts in excessive internet and screen use otherwise known as Internet Addiction or Gaming Disorder. As the Director of The Screen & Gaming Disorder Clinic; Australia’s first established specialty clinic, he is a well-respected presenter and speaker on the topic, frequenting schools, health, and corporate organisations around Australia.
He is the author of three best-selling international books that have been published in over a dozen languages and 30 countries world-wide. These include The Tech Diet for Child and Teen and How to Say No to Your Phone. In his spare time Brad conducts research with world-leading academics at Macquarie University and published Australia’s first ever clinical treatment trials for smartphone addiction and gaming disorder. Brad is an Adjunct Fellow at the School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University and a member of the Ctrl+Shft onine safety coalition, alongside Maggie.
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