Catherine Price

*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.

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

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)

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 >>