Catherine Price

EXCLUSIVE
  • Award-Winning Journalist
  • Author of Bestsellers 'How to Break Up With Your Phone' and 'The Power of Fun'
  • Expert on Work/Life Balance and Deliberate Living
  • Featured Thought Leader at TED, The Aspen Ideas Festival, SXSW & Leadercast

Award-winning science journalist, speaker, and author Catherine Price is dedicated to helping people scroll less, live more, and have fun.

Hailed by The New York Times as the “Marie Kondo of brains,” Price has authored numerous books, including her bestsellers How to Break Up With Your Phone and The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again. Her popular Substack newsletter How to Feel Alive (and its companion podcast) features conversations, inspiration, ideas, and evidence-backed advice for how to fill life with more fun, adventure, joy, connection, and delight. As the creator and founder of Screen/Life Balance, Price and her work have been featured in outlets including The Best American Science Writing, NPR, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Popular Science, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, TIME Magazine, Wired, VOX, Refinery29, BBC World News Service, CNN, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Rachael Ray, and The Guardian, among many others.

Price is comfortable and experienced providing keynotes, participating in chats and panels, and leading interactive workshops—all both in-person and virtually. Having spoken in front of audiences and clients including TED, The Aspen Ideas Festival, Leadercast, SXSW, Intel, Cigna, the NSA, Hyatt, T. Rowe Price, Warburg Pincus, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Rancho La Puerta, Endeavor, Penguin Random House, Google, Livongo Health, The Marbles Children’s Museum, Miraval, Yale University, RSA, Oprah Winfrey, and more, Price is an in-demand speaker, consultant, and workshop leader who offers lively and uniquely tailored programs full of what she calls “science-backed self-help” that are compelling and actionable for audiences of all kinds.

"Catherine is a dynamic and engaging speaker who is able to connect with and inspire audience members from a broad range of backgrounds. She weaves together science, personal anecdotes, practical advice, and humor in a way that makes the subject matter approachable and actionable. Her virtual sessions have been among the best attended and most popular talks in our series, and people are still approaching me months later to thank me for bringing her to speak at our institution.” —Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

 


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Past Hosts Include:
  • Meg Root, MS, NBC-HWC (program coordinator of Rancho La Puerta Family Week)
  • Yale University
  • Morgan Stanley
  • Warburg Pincus
  • Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Intel
  • Hyatt
  • SXSW
  • Oprah's 'The Life You Want'
  • Aspen Ideas Festival
Rave Reviews About Catherine Price
Catherine was such an engaging expert speaker for our recent Hyatt Virtual Wellbeing Retreat. Guided by our company purpose to care for people so they can be their best, it was important for us to team up with speakers who share our values – making Catherine a natural add to the program. Catherine’s session on digital detox and emotional wellbeing was incredibly insightful and well received by attendees.

Catherine Price - Why Having Fun Is the Secret to a Healthier Life | TED - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Catherine Price
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How Fun Is the Secret to a Happier and Healthier Life* — At Home AND At Work

*And How to Have More of It The idea of prioritizing fun might seem counterintuitive—perhaps even counterproductive—especially at work. But according to CATHERINE PRICE, science journalist, Screen/Life Balance founder, and author of The Power of Fun,  How to Break Up with Your Phone, and the popular ...

*And How to Have More of It

The idea of prioritizing fun might seem counterintuitive—perhaps even counterproductive—especially at work.

But according to CATHERINE PRICE, science journalist, Screen/Life Balance founder, and author of The Power of Fun,  How to Break Up with Your Phone, and the popular Substack newsletter, How to Feel Alive, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead, she argues that “True Fun” (which she defines as the magical confluence of playfulness, connection, and flow) can be a powerful tool that increases connection, creativity, productivity, collaboration, engagement, and happiness in all areas of life.

Audiences leave Price’s presentation—which can be delivered as a keynote, chat, workshop, or moderated Q&A — feeling both inspired to make a change, and equipped with tangible things they can do that very day to increase the amount of true fun that they have, both at home and at work.

Groundbreaking, eye-opening, and packed with concrete examples and useful advice, Price’s presentation will revolutionize the way that audiences think about fun.

This presentation is appropriate for a wide variety of industries and organizations, including finance, technology, internet security, education, government, real estate, healthcare, entertainment, HR, publishing, travel, and health and wellness, among others. Past hosts include The Aspen Ideas Festival, TED, Morgan Lewis, the NSA, Penguin Random House, Anheuser Busch, and Cigna, among many others. 

Sample audience feedback:

  • "Magnificent"
  • "I loved your session!"
  • "Thank you very much for teaching me how to incorporate more fun into my life!”

Price’s TED Talk on this topic, which has 5M+ views, was one of the “Most Popular TED Talks of 2022.”

Note: this talk can also be coupled with access to Catherine’s text-message-based “Find Your Fun” course (which participants can take individually or as a group) as a way to team-build and further put their insights from the presentation into practice.

The Scientific Truths to Living Well

CATHERINE PRICE, health and science journalist and author of The Power of Fun,  How to Break Up with Your Phone, and the popular Substack newsletter, How to Feel Alive, shares her most profound insights gathered from a career spent researching how to live well—a question that is increasingly urgent, ...

CATHERINE PRICE, health and science journalist and author of The Power of Fun,  How to Break Up with Your Phone, and the popular Substack newsletter, How to Feel Alive, shares her most profound insights gathered from a career spent researching how to live well—a question that is increasingly urgent, as we spend ever more time on screens.

But Price doesn’t just talk about the problems that we face; she offers concrete solutions and ideas for things people can try that very day. Audiences leave Price’s presentation—which can be delivered as a keynote, chat, or moderated Q&A, and is relevant for a wide range of audiences — feeling both inspired to make a change, and equipped with tangible steps they can take to increase their happiness, strengthen their relationships, and feel more alive.

Past audiences have included companies and organizations in finance, technology, internet security, education, government, real estate, school commencements, healthcare, entertainment, HR, publishing, travel, and health and wellness, among other fields. 

Sample feedback:

“Catherine’s session on digital detox and emotional wellbeing was incredibly insightful and well received by attendees.” – Hyatt

"Catherine is a dynamic and engaging speaker who is able to connect with and inspire audience members from a broad range of backgrounds. She weaves together science, personal anecdotes, practical advice, and humor in a way that makes the subject matter approachable and actionable. Her virtual sessions have been among the best attended and most popular talks in our series, and people are still approaching me months later to thank me for bringing her to speak at our institution.” - Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Kids, Smartphones and Social Media: Events on Screen/Life Balance for Kids, Parents, and Schools

As the founder of Screen/Life Balance, the author of How to Break Up with Your Phone, a parent of a young child, and a former middle school teacher, CATHERINE PRICE is a leading voice in the conversation about digital devices and how to create healthy relationships with technology. She has done pres ...

As the founder of Screen/Life Balance, the author of How to Break Up with Your Phone, a parent of a young child, and a former middle school teacher, CATHERINE PRICE is a leading voice in the conversation about digital devices and how to create healthy relationships with technology.

She has done presentations about smartphones, social media and screen/life balance for organizations including Fortune Brainstorm Health, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Yale University, ISC(2), The Pennsylvania Conference for Women, Colorado Academy, Livongo Health, Credible Behavioral Health, Clementine Montessori, Flintridge Prep, the International School of Denver, Rancho La Puerta, Miraval, and The Philadelphia School, among many others.  Price is also officially collaborating with Jon Haidt (bestselling author of the Anxious Generation) as a speaker, advisor, resource curator, and writer, and has received his public endorsement: She gave one of the best talks I’ve seen on the problem of the phone-based childhood… It’s a talk that every parent should watch.”

Price offers a variety of talks, in a variety of formats, to parents, school administrators, and students ages 12 on up, including: 

What To Do About Kids, Smartphones, and Social Media: The Risks and the Solutions

A customizable presentation for adults—which Jonathan Haidt has described as "focused, brilliant, and clear"— about the scientific and moral arguments for delaying the age at which children are given access to smartphones and social media (and banning them in schools from bell to bell).

Evidence-backed and thoroughly researched, Price’s presentation doesn’t just talk about the problem; it explores the positive cognitive and developmental impacts of limiting children’s screen time, both at school and at home—which include improvements in resilience, relationships, attention spans, creativity, productivity, and mental and physical health.

Best of all, it offers parents and schools a practical plan for how they can tackle the thorny issue of kids, social media and smartphones (and the rising issue of artificial intelligence and chatbots), and join forces to create a cultural shift.

Audiences will leave Price’s talk feeling inspired—and empowered.

For Tweens, Teens, and Screens: How to Create a Healthy Relationship with Technology and Take Back Your Brain

In this talk, specifically geared toward kids and teenagers from fifth grade through college, Price uses her background as a science journalist and middle school teacher to make a compelling, non-judgmental, non-condescending, evidence-backed case for why kids and young adults should think deeply about their relationships with phones, social media,  AI, and screens—and provides them with techniques they can use to reduce conflict with their parents and create long-term healthy relationships with technology.  

Price's goal is to leave her audiences outraged by how app and device makers are attempting to manipulate them, and inspired to take action.

In particular, Price emphasizes the fact that, unlike adults, tweens and teens are in an exciting stage of brain development where, by making intentional decisions about what to focus on, they have the power to decide what kind of brain they want to have for the rest of their lives. Do they want a brain that is scattered, unfocused, and fixated on superficial rewards and external affirmation? Or do they want a brain that is able to pay attention, think deeply, learn new skills, generate creative thoughts, and maintain healthy and fulfilling relationships?  

Note: this presentation can be offered in several ways, including as a 45-60 -minute talk or lecture, or as a longer session that combines the talk with an opportunity for discussion. Price is also available to do a presentation for students during the day, coupled with a presentation for parents and adults at night. 

“Catherine has figured out a way to talk with, not at, kids, teens, and parents about the negative impact digital devices and screen time are having on their lives and how breaking up with their cell phones could be a radical act of wellness” – Meg Root, MS, NBC-HWC (program coordinator of Rancho La Puerta Family Week)

How to Break Up With Your Phone and Create Screen/Life Balance

CATHERINE PRICE, science journalist, and author of The Power of Fun,  How to Break Up with Your Phone, and the popular Substack newsletter, How to Feel Alive, offers a customizable presentation — delivered as a talk or informal chat, either in-person or virtually — on how “breaking up” with your pho ...

CATHERINE PRICE, science journalist, and author of The Power of Fun,  How to Break Up with Your Phone, and the popular Substack newsletter, How to Feel Alive, offers a customizable presentation — delivered as a talk or informal chat, either in-person or virtually — on how “breaking up” with your phone and prioritizing screen/life balance can help you lead a happier, healthier life.

A leading voice in the conversation about technology and digital devices, Price has spoken about screen/life balance and phone breakups in front of audiences including among many others, and her work has been featured in countless podcasts, television shows, and newspaper and magazine articles, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, CBS This Morning, The Today Show, CNN, Good Morning America, and the podcast of the Surgeon General of the United States.

After revealing why screen/life balance can be so challenging to achieve (especially now, given the increasing prevalence of AI), Price explains how audiences can create more balanced and intentional relationships with their phones and devices—and how doing so will improve their resilience, relationships, attention spans, creativity, productivity, and mental and physical health. This program combines a lively, compelling keynote with actionable, evidence-backed suggestions that people can begin to put into practice that very day.

Note: this talk can be coupled with access to Catherine’s text-message-based 30-day “Phone Breakup” course, which participants can take individually or as a team, as a way to team build and put the skills and philosophies of the talk into practice for the long run.

Sample feedback:

"We can’t thank Catherine enough for her amazing insight on living a more intentionally mindful life by 'breaking up with our phones' and finding the silly joys in everyday life. We’ve already gotten a ton of requests for a replay of the event and some amazing input from audience members.” – Intel

“I still use my phone, of course, but having a saner relationship with my device has freed up time for a much richer relationship with my family.” — Dan Harris, former anchor for Good Morning America and host of the 10 Percent Happier podcast

“Catherine Price is the Marie Kondo of brains. . . . [F]or the first time in a long time, I’m starting to feel like a human again.” — Kevin Roose, tech reporter, The New York Times

"I think it’s so important during this time to re-focus my energy away from my smartphone, set reasonable boundaries and mindfully enjoy the world around me. If you feel the same, [Catherine’s] book may help.” — Halle Berry

“In How to Break up with Your Phone, Catherine Price has written the essential guide for taking control of our lives. . . . Price has established herself as one of the leading writers and speakers on this vital conversation.” — Arianna Huffington

Watch Price’s keynote for Fortune Brainstorm Health HERE >>

Read Kevin Roose’s Viral New York Times article about Catherine and her work HERE >>

Listen to Price’s interview with US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy HERE >>

Listen to Price’s interview with Jon Favreau on Offline HERE >>

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Speaker News

Catherine Price’s powerful encouragement to scroll less and live more inspires audiences through global news outlets

As a science journalist, ScreenLifeBalance.com founder, and author of The Power of Fun,  How to Break Up with Your Phone, and the popular Substack newsletter, How to Feel Alive, CATHERINE PRICE is a leading voice in the conversation about screen/life balance and our relationships with technology, whose advice on phones, fun, and human connection has been sought by countless media outlets and experts, including The New York Times, The Guardian, NPR, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, the BBC, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, CNN, The Today Show, and the Surgeon General of the United States.

Here are some of her recent media appearances in which she shares her personal experiences and professional insights on fun, screen/life balance, and how to feel more fully alive:

Watch Catherine Price’s speaker reel here >>

Watch Catherine Price’s mainstage TED Talk here >>

Catherine Price’s Substack chosen as a featured publication…TWICE!

Award-winning journalist CATHERINE PRICE connects directly with her audience via her Substack, “How to Feel Alive with Catherine Price,” which reaches 31K+ subscribers. Chosen twice as a Substack featured publication, Price shares tips to scroll less, live more, and have fun along the way. Audiences leave Price’s articles and presentations feeling inspired to make a change and equipped with tangible things they can do that day to increase their happiness and feel more alive. Groundbreaking, eye-opening, and packed with useful advice, Price’s presentation won’t just change the way your audience thinks about fun. It will bring them back to life.

Watch Catherine Price’s exhilarating mainstage TED Talk here >>

Watch Catherine Price’s speaker reel here >>

Bestselling authors Joanne Lipman and Catherine Price address the importance of work-life balance in refreshing keynote speeches for the Women in Cable Telecommunications Network Leadership Conference

Bestselling business writers JOANNE LIPMAN and CATHERINE PRICE brought their distinctive yet harmonic perspectives to the Women in Cable and Telecommunications (WICT) Network Leadership Conference . Providing impactful sessions on taking control of one’s own time and narrative, the two thought leaders kept audiences captivated throughout their sessions.

Joanne Lipman brought her candid advice on how to change your life, workplace, and career in a talk entitled “The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work.” This discussion built on her blockbuster book, Next!: The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work, wherein Lipman uses data-driven insights as well as anecdotes from top leaders to address the challenges and benefits of self-transformation.

Catherine Price spoke directly to WICT members’ hearts with her empowering keynote “The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again.” Her book, also titled The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again, makes the case for work-life balance, identifying “fun” as a key element to flourishing in both career and personal spheres. This concept fueled her and continues to delight audiences in corporate, nonprofit, and other spaces.  

By balancing their research-backed perspectives on work-life balance with expertly engaging speaking styles, Joanne Lipman and Catherine Price delighted WICT’s event planners. Seasoned speakers, they built on the existing schedule to engage audiences on a human level. WICT says, “Both Joanne and Catherine were wonderful additions to our line-up of speakers and connected with the audience! Personally, I really enjoyed their content, approach and delivery.”

Watch Catherine Price speak at Women in Cable and Telecommunications (WICT) here >>

Event Success Story: Catherine Price brought so much fun to the Aspen Ideas Festival that she was invited back, receiving a rave review

Award-winning journalist CATHERINE PRICE captivated audiences at the Aspen Ideas Festival where she led her interactive Funtervention workshop. Price engaged her audience in an interactive opportunity to connect, delivering an actionable and uplifting message that sets the right tone for your company’s sales kickoff, employee appreciation event, or conference.

After impressing the event planners, Price was immediately invited back to speak again. The Aspen Ideas Festival event planner said, "Catherine Price delighted the Aspen Ideas Festival audience as one of the main presenters... She helped 'level-set' for the following days. She came prepared and was great to work with… I am so happy we had her as part of this important session."

Watch Catherine Price’s Spark Keynote at Aspen Ideas Festival >>

Watch Catherine Price’s Funtervention Workshop at Aspen Ideas Festival >>

Catherine Price shares her research on Oprah, the Guardian, NPR, the New York Times, and more

Award-winning journalist CATHERINE PRICE emphasizes the importance of prioritizing and savoring fun adds meaning to our lives. She was the inspiration and coach behind The Guardian’s “Reclaim Your Brain” email newsletter series, which – at more than 140k signups since December – is their fastest growing newsletter ever. Price was featured in a double-episode interview with Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle on We Can Do Hard Things. She even brought her uplifting message of FUN to a very special event– a live class with Oprah called “The Life You Want.”

Price regularly shares fun’s positive impact in national news outlets including NPR, PBS, The New York Times, and more. Known for her viral TED Talk, Price seamlessly connects the hard facts to creative storytelling, packaging her research accessibly. Audiences are inspired by Price to make a change, and equipped with tangible daily actions to increase their happiness and feel more alive.

Watch Catherine Price’s exhilarating mainstage TED Talk here >>

Watch Catherine Price’s speaker reel here >>

 

Catherine Price’s revelatory new TED Talk offers the secret to a healthier life: more true fun

Award-winning science journalist CATHERINE PRICE took the TED2022 mainstage with a powerful talk inspired by her newest book, The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again. In her already-viral TED Talk "Why fun is the secret to a healthier life," Price makes an irresistible case – her playfulness balances the urgency of her message, “fun is the secret to feeling alive.” Price’s talk inspires laughter throughout, with light-hearted and authentic insights about our relationship to fun, how we misuse the word in our daily lives, and how to truly connect with joyful experiences. One of the “Most Popular TED Talks of 2022,” audiences are invigorated and reassured by Price’s own vibrant sense of ease, and she weaves riveting examples of what she calls “science-backed self-help” throughout, making a transformative shift in our daily lives seem possible.

As she does in her compelling in person and virtual interactive talks, Price proposes a new, more precise definition of fun, reveals the science-backed truths about why fun is so good for us, and actionable strategies for creating more fun in our lives. As the Screen/Life Balance founder illuminates her keynote, events with Price capture the very elements she’s describing – inspiring playfulness, connection, and creating a shared experience that makes a resounding and lasting impact with audiences.

Watch Catherine Price’s vibrant TED Talk here >>

Speaker Spotlight: Catherine Price helps people scroll less, live more, and have fun

Hailed in The New York Times as "the Marie Kondo of brains," CATHERINE PRICE is an award-winning science journalist, speaker, and author of How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life and The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again. As a speaker, consultant and workshop leader, she helps individuals and organizations create healthier personal and professional relationships with their phones (and other devices), and establish best practices to encourage creativity, productivity and mental health. In other words, she helps people scroll less, live more, and have fun.

Her engagements can be customized based on audience size and area of interest, but they are always compelling and actionable, chock-full of what Catherine calls "science-backed self-help." Sought out to speak everywhere from SXSW to Fortune, Catherine receives out-of-this-world reviews, such as: "A very enlightening and thought-provoking discussion that may even prove to be life-changing." (San Francisco Giants); "Catherine’s talk has been one of the most well received we’ve ever had. Not only is she an engaging speaker, but she’s insightful, and will have you thinking about the concepts she touches on for months..." (Livongo Health)

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Books by Catherine Price
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Biography

Hailed in The New York Times as "the Marie Kondo of brains," Catherine Price is an award-winning science journalist and speaker, whose work has been featured in media outlets around the world, from The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal to NPR and the BBC. She's also the author of books including How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life and The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again, which was the inspiration behind her TED talk about fun, which has been viewed more than 5 million times. Her ultimate goal is to help people—including herself—scroll less and live more.

How to Break Up With Your Phone has been published in more than 35 countries and featured in scores of high-profile media outlets around the world, including in a viral New York Times article by technology journalist Kevin Roose. The Power of Fun was chosen by The Independent as the best self-help book of 2022, and led to Catherine leading a class about joy for Oprah Winfrey. Catherine also writes the popular "How to Feel Alive" Substack newsletter, which combines evidence-backed suggestions and ideas with personal stories of her attempts to put her own advice into action.

To learn more about Catherine and her writing, courses, and resources, please visit CatherinePrice.com.


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