Burlingame and Hillsdale families can learn how social media and AI platforms affect teens at a district workshop on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
The event, "Keys to Building a Tech Healthy Household," runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center, 600 N. Delaware St., next to San Mateo High School. Spanish interpretation will be available. Families can RSVP through Eventbrite.
The San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD), Project Reboot and the parent organizations of all six district high schools — including Burlingame High — are co-sponsoring the workshop.
The session comes as the district prepares to enforce a bell-to-bell phone ban during the 2026-27 school year. The SMUHSD Board of Trustees voted unanimously on March 26 to prohibit student cellphone use for the entire school day, meeting the requirements of California's Phone-Free School Act (AB 3216). On May 7, the board approved the purchase of Quiet Case pouches for students. San Mateo High will continue using Yondr pouches.
The district has also pledged to develop a digital citizenship curriculum alongside the ban.
Workshop leader
Dino Ambrosi, founder of Project Reboot, will lead the session. Ambrosi launched the organization in 2022 after struggling with his own screen habits. He built a course at UC Berkeley that helped more than 100 students cut their daily screen time by an average of 3.5 hours, according to the district's event page.
Since then, Ambrosi has spoken to more than 60,000 students and parents worldwide. His TEDx talk, "The Battle for Your Time," has drawn more than 2 million views.
In that 2023 TEDx talk at Laguna Blanca School, Ambrosi said, "Today, the average 18-year-old in the United States is on pace to spend 93% of their remaining free time looking at a screen."
What the workshop covers
The 60-minute presentation, followed by 30 minutes of Q&A, will address three topics:
- Tech addiction: How platforms and AI tools maximize engagement and what that means for a teen's brain.
- Talking tech at home: How to discuss screen time, social media and device use with intention.
- Practical steps: Three strategies for healthier tech habits and how schools and parents can reinforce them.
All attendees will receive take-home resources and discussion guides. Doors open at 7 p.m.
