Pre pandemic Dr Mari Swingle traveled far and wide presenting her seminal work on the effects of Interactive Screen Based Technologies on the socio-emotional & cognitive development of children through elders, emergent culture, and society at large. She also championed Responsible Neurotherapy Practice presenting to both professional groups (conferences & universities) and lay audiences (schools & parenting groups) on what Neurotherapy is, and equally important, what it is not!
From sold out public events in Australia, packed rooms in Italy, Sweden and throughout the US, to intimate professional gatherings and specific interest community events around Vancouver, Canada, Dr Mari Swingle entertains and illuminates. In both her speaking and writing, she is well known for slashing through the hype, delivering often esoteric scientific concepts in clear, objective, accessible language.
Her talks are intriguing, her passion contagious. Her objective to share. She never directly tells her audience what to do. Rather, she slices through the fog, lifting the curtain, on the fascinating intersecting worlds of technology and EEG brain science while simultaneously dropping the smoke screen on pseudo-science and technological flash and pan. She leaves her audiences with many new questions (and answers) but most importantly with informed choice.
Organizer Comments
Dr Mari Swingle was a highlight for the 2019 Childhood Summit in Queensland, Australia. Blowing the minds of the entire audience with her incredible timely research. This was supported by Mari’s weaving, engaging and interesting delivery. Mari made the complex scientific ideas accessible and turned the hard hitting facts to practical solutions.” Hyahno Moser, Program Manager, Nature Play Queensland
“Mari is an absolute wealth of information on the effects of excessive screen time on children’s developing brains. Her presentation to an audience of 350 for us here in Perth Western Australia, triggered discussion and debate for everyone who attended. She is also an excellent media talent, confidently, and skilfully, conducting a one-hour radio interview with talk back on our national broadcaster and delivering a great interview on television for a highly rated current affairs program.” Griffin Longley, CEO Nature Play Western Australia
“I was delighted when Dr Swingle graciously accepted our invitation to speak at the 80th CPA Convention. Mari engaged the audience with humour and research in equal measure.” E.H. Professor and Director of Health Leadership
Royal Roads University
Dr Mari Swingle is able to convey complex subject matter to highly scientific and non-scientific audiences, in an entertaining and meaningful way … Dr Swingle’s research and message is essential and relevant. Plus she is fun and easy to work with. Dr Swingle comes highly recommended …” Michelle Cunningham, Executive Director, Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback and the Association of Health Care Internal Auditors
Professional Workshops
Dr Mari Swingle offers both informational as well as practical hands-on intensive workshops on Neurotherapy, and in-depth lectures on the effects of interactive screen-based technologies on our brains, our behaviour, and culture at large.
Screen-Based Technologies & The Brain: Topic Ranges
Developmental issues from the cradle to cane (e.g., failed smile response, alteration in attachment, failed inhibition response, vestibular system deregulation, compromised social-sexual development, etc.).
Educational compromise including strong alliance to the development of attentional disorders (including ADHD), written output disorders and processing disorders, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia.
Cognitive / Intelligence including non-integration of information, thwarted analytical and critical thinking, pattern recognition and development of ‘wisdom’ over the lifespan.
Artistic and Inventive non-development of observation skills & production skills, including curiosity and experimentation in unbound environments, undirected circumstance, and non-reward-based activities.
Behavioural disorders including conduct disorders, defiance, anger management, excessive tantrums.
Sexual including juvenile ED, avoidance & repulsion, lack of development of pair bonding & emergence of preference for depersonalised / de-emotionalised and non-embodied sexual experience.
Sleep regulation disorders including sleep onset disorders and nonrestorative sleep.
Social / Peer interaction including social anxiety & cyber-bullying.
Mental The great alliance with the Big 3 (Anxiety, depression, and the OCD spectrum).
Addiction social media, gaming, etc.
Social / Political the parenting trap, vested versus non-vested research, the attention economy, etc.
Please note Dr Mari Swingle is not anti-technology. Her research clearly points to how it is not if we do or don’t use i-tech; but How and Why we use it, including how often & how young and whether it is used as a complement or override to face-to-face & heart-to heart interpersonal interactions (as parents, peers, partners, etc.).
Her objective is to facilitate informed choice; helping parents & professionals differentiate research & science from tech glitter & media hype. Her central critique is that we fully assimilate i-technologies in all aspects of our lives (social, work, education) before we have even a basic understanding of their impact on our biology (mental & physical health and socio-emotional & cognitive development). Her objective is to have us all looking a little deeper into the science of screens before we look deeper into the screens themselves.
