Protecting the Play-based Childhood in San Geronimo
PACT - Parent Alliance for Conscious Tech
If you find that your children struggle to entertain themselves through real-world play—like you once did—and you're exhausted from the constant screen-time battles at home, you're not alone. Every parent is navigating some version of this challenge, and no one has it all figured out.
Finding a healthy relationship with digital media is deceptively hard—even for adults. For parents, these struggles often play out behind closed doors, leaving many feeling isolated or ashamed to talk about it or ask for help.
PACT is a community of parents committed to supporting one another through open, non-judgmental conversations—sharing both the challenges and the small wins. We believe there are no perfect answers and no one-size-fits-all solutions. What we need is the courage to start talking and the willingness to explore this new terrain together.
Our Approach
Learning
Through film screenings, curated web resources, and thoughtful discussions, we deepen our understanding of the challenges—and possibilities—surrounding kids and digital media.
Tech and Emotional Support
From setting up parental controls to navigating your own emotional landscape, PACT aims to provide both technical and emotional support. We recognize that our own relationship with technology shapes our children’s experiences with it. That’s why we strive to offer guidance from both peers and professionals, in a space that’s supportive and non-judgmental.
Language, Policies, and Agreements
Productive conversations start with shared language. Unfortunately, this space is filled with vague and inconsistent terms. Take “screen time,” for example—a phrase that doesn’t distinguish between a child watching cartoons, doing homework, or connecting with friends. At PACT, we use the term Digital Media to refer more specifically to the types of technology that tend to displace essential childhood experiences.
We also work together to craft clear policies and family agreements—tools that not only work at home but are easier to align with as a community.
IRL (In Real Life) Offerings
PACT helps parents create and coordinate real-world opportunities for kids and families. Our WhatsApp community is a place to connect around outdoor roaming, offline play, and shared supervision—building a culture where kids can safely explore and thrive beyond the screen.
Here are some actions you can take to protect your community’s children from the impacts of digital media
Learn about the impacts of digital media on kids
Implement parental controls on all devices your child has access to
Create family agreements around use of digital media at home
Participate in the creation and/or implementation of community agreements around kid’s use of digital media
Volunteer - from helping other parents set parental controls to helping with administrative tasks, there is a plethora of ways you can get involved.