October 7, 2025 NJ DCF Launches Public Awareness Campaign to Address Parental Technoference

NJ DCF Launches Public Awareness Campaign to Address Parental Technoference "Time Out on Tech" Urges Parents to Make Tech-Free Time a PriorityFor Themselves and Their Children TRENTON - In an effort to encourage parents and caregivers to unplug from their devices and prioritize tech-free time with their children, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, in partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) and Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey (PCANJ), is launching a public awareness campaign to call a "time-out on tech." "We know that safe and stable nurturing relationships are the foundation of childhood resilience-and that moments of loving connection and full presence to one another are key," said Dr. Rebecca Bryan, Director of the DCF Office of Resilience (OOR), which is leading the work on this public awareness effort. "We also know that technology is a necessity of daily life, and shaming parents around their technology usage doesn't work to empower them to change their behavior. Through robust public awareness, we can shine a light on this issue, and direct parents and caregivers to our Technoference webpage and connect them to useful information and resources that will help them be more intentional in connecting with their children." Technoference is the term used when technology interferes with the healthy connections necessary to maintain nurturing relationships. In the case of parental technoference, it creates obstacles for parents and caregivers to be emotionally present for their children. Missed social cues and opportunities to connect can disrupt the serve-and-return response between parents and babies that is vital to healthy brain development, and in older children, the same missed opportunities for connection can lead to feelings of depression and isolation. On the other hand, having tech-free connections during which a parent is fully present-physically and emotionally-can improve development, bonding, and build stores of resilience in children through Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs), which are crucial to address the negative long-term outcomes from childhood adversity. In order to inform the public awareness campaign, DCF conducted a survey of nearly 2,500 New Jersey parents to understand trends and attitudes toward technology usage. Well over half of parents surveyed (72%) reported feeling that they used their cell phones too much when in the presence of their children. Similarly, 69% of survey participants reported that their children sometimes say they wish their parents would spend less time on their phones. The insights collected in the technoference survey were later used to develop the messaging for the public awareness campaign. "Every moment of full attention we give to our children tells them they are valued, safe, and loved," said Gina Hernandez, Executive Director and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey (PCA-NJ) and the Child Wellness Institute. "Parents reducing their own screen time isn't about achieving perfection-it's about being present when it matters most. By putting down our devices, even briefly, we open up space for meaningful connection, communication, and the positive experiences that help children thrive." The idea to focus public awareness around parental technoference began through a partnership between NJ DCF and the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) in response to grant funding made available through the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to promote positive social norms that increase childhood resilience. SAMHSA grant dollars were used to develop the creative concept of the campaign, with additional funding from NJ DCF. "We're thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with DCF to raise awareness on parental technoference," said Kamala Allen, Senior Vice President for Program and Strategic Planning at CHCS. "We know that unmitigated Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, can have lasting effects on an individual's health, long into adulthood, creating a significant public health challenge for New Jersey. By empowering parents to create more Positive Childhood Experiences, or PCEs, we're able to undo the harm caused by unaddressed childhood adversity and give children the emotional strength to cope with whatever comes their way." NJ DCF hopes that by raising consciousness around parental technoference, the public awareness campaign will be able to encourage healthier habits related to parents' use of technology when their children are present. "We're very excited about the potential for this campaign to shift public sentiment, and to encourage parents to be intentional about the ways in which they can connect with their children without the interference of technology," said NJ DCF Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer. "We know that the use of technology is embedded in so many facets of our work lives, our social connections, our entertainment options, and so much more. But we want to send a message to parents-you can pause the scroll and prioritize being there for your children. The benefits for them, and for yourselves, are too big to ignore." To learn more about parental technoference, visit https://http://nj.gov/technoference, or to view the video playlist for the public service announcement on YouTube, visit bit.ly/4nxAjpb. Top ^