Kathleen Barlow, mother of six and grandmother of four, taught middle and high school French for about a decade, and left the classroom in 2024.

She felt compelled to begin advocating for less screentime for kids, particularly in schools. 

She now educates families and other community members about ways to be more intentional in prioritizing real-life connections over screen entertainment.

Her mission involves helping to change the norm for kids, so that they can revert back from their current screen-based childhoods, to the play-based childhoods that they deserve.

Kathleen is a founding member and also currently serves on the leadership team of Smartphone Free Childhood US.

She is also a member of Utah’s Child First Policy Center team.

Kathleen is a certified ScreenStrong Ambassador, and is a member of Screen Time Action Network (Screens in Schools work group).

Kathleen offers presentations to schools for educators, parents and students (Kids’ Brains & Screens) on behalf of the ScreenStrong organization in addition to one-on-one coaching for parents who are looking for ways to pull back from digital technology in their homes, and establish more calm family connection. 

She also coaches teens and young adults who are looking to establish healthier habits around their screen time.

Find more of Kathleen on her Substack, in her podcast on screentime for the Gen Z generation, and in her interactive workbook, 52 Screen-Free Experiences for Families.

In her spare time, Kathleen enjoys mountain biking, yoga, reading, journaling, puzzles, and spending lots of unplugged time with her family. Kathleen practices, yet sometimes fails, at being present in each moment. It’s a lifelong pursuit and she continues to work at it!