Press & Media
It takes a village to opt out of a Metaverse.
Here’s ours.
NEWS:
Our bestselling book The Opt Out Family won a Mom’s Choice Award!
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Hear our founder in conversation with today’s top podcast hosts on all things kids, technology, and how to create a brighter future for both.
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Erin and Ginny explore deeper questions about technology's impact on family relationships, discussing the shift from an attention economy to an intimacy economy. They ponder the sacredness of privacy in a world where devices track our every move. Erin's insights and practical advice will inspire you to rethink how you engage with your family and create meaningful connections beyond the screen.
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Host Mandee Hamann engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Erin Loechner, former social media influencer and founder of The Opt-Out Family movement. Erin shares her journey of stepping away from a digital-centric lifestyle to embrace a low-tech approach, focusing on genuine family connections and intentional living.
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In our highly-connected digital world, many voices have come along to warn of the dangers of overindulgence in technology. While many encourage boundaries and moderation, Erin argues that opting out completely is a better way. Have you felt the pull to change your family’s relationship with technology? Before you think, “I could never do that,” give this episode a listen! Erin gently challenges us to craft the kind of family culture where technology cannot compare to the joy of real life.
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Host Tsh Oxenreider chats with her old friend Erin Loechner about unplugging as a lifestyle choice, both for us as adults and for our kids. She’s got kids a few years younger than Tsh’s, but they’re both in lock-step with their ethos of letting their kids be kids. They get into the rebellion of not giving kids smartphones, why it’s important for local friends to do this together en-masse, and how to live fully without instagram, incessant smartphone-checking, and other forms of swimming against the current.
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In a world where screens are practically an extension of ourselves, it’s hard to imagine life without them. From the moment we wake up to the notifications buzzing in our pockets, technology has woven itself into every facet of our daily routines.
But what if there was a different way to live?
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This week on The Aro Podcast, Joey sits down with Erin Loechner, founder of the global tech-free movement The Opt-Out Family. They discuss the Loechner family's motto, "be more engaging than the algorithm," and what it means to be an opt-out family—a household that intentionally minimizes technology use based on evidence of its developmental harms. She and Joey explore what we can provide our kids that technology can't, the impact of algorithms on our behavior, and the five critical areas where technology is most detrimental.
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We’re all trying to impose limits on how, when, and why our kids interact with technology. But in our increasingly tech-driven world, it can be hard to navigate. Writer Erin Loechner is joining me on the podcast to discuss her new book, The Opt-Out Family, and to offer her life-giving take on building lasting connections with your kids. We discuss everything from the importance of boredom to Erin’s practical and easy-to-implement advice for becoming unplugged.
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She was at the top of her game as an influencer when she realized that something was very wrong. Join me for a compelling conversation with Erin about why she decided to walk away from that career, and from social media altogether, to start a new life with her husband and kids as an Opt-Out Family.
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Erin Loechner is a former social media influencer who walked away from a million fans to live a low-tech lifestyle—and is now teaching others how to do the same. I brought in Erin to share her experience and give advice to parents on their choices around tech.
We cover a ton of topics, including; youth mental health, "sharenting," how algorithms work, privacy and data collection, AI tools, video games, the importance of independent play and much more.
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Hear Erin Loechner discuss the challenges of social media, the power of the algorithm, and the importance of being more engaged in our real life. Erin shares her insights on how to make the shift to a low-tech lifestyle and shares examples of how her family lives a low-tech lifestyle.
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In this episode, Jami chats with Erin, author of the brand new The Opt-Out Family, all about technology use in the home and the concept of opting out.
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Listen as former social media influencer Erin Loechner offers valuable insights from her personal experience with the benefits and drawbacks of social media. She shares strategies used by tech experts and platform specialists, enabling you to leverage their billion-dollar playbook to engage your family meaningfully away from screens.
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Erin Loechner is a former social media influencer who walked away from a million fans to live a low-tech lifestyle and is now teaching others how to do the same! Her book is written in a way that is part guide, part interactive and best of all it’s written in Erin’s friendly encouraging voice. In this episode we talk about how to talk to schools, coaches and other parents, set intention in your home and so much more.
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Many of us have a love-hate relationship with technology. It enables incredible things but also erodes family life and authentic connection. What can we do about it?In this episode, you will hear:
-How to move away from traditional methods like parental control apps and time limits and replace with alternative approaches
-Ways to hack the strategies of tech wizards and platform experts
-Encouragement that you are not alone and that “opting out”is possible
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A few years ago, Erin Loechner and her family decided to remove social media and opt out of a technologically driven lifestyle. This means having a smartphone that is no more used than a dumb phone, an iPad that can only play scales, and saying no to the digital community in favour of building community amongst your neighbours.
Join Jennifer and Erin as they dig into what it looks like to walk away from social media, the unexpected benefits, what you might miss, and all you gain.
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Greg sits down with Erin Loechner, the visionary founder of the Opt Out Family movement. Erin discusses her bold transition from the digital spotlight to living a tech-free lifestyle. This episode explores how her decision to step away from social media has enriched her personal life and strengthened her family bonds. Erin shares her journey, the challenges she faced, and the profound impact it has had on her and her family's quality of life.
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Join Erin Loechner for a refreshing and non-judgmental discussion that will equip you with the tools and encouragement to navigate technology in your family thoughtfully and intentionally.
You’ll learn:
-How to make informed choices about technology use in your family without falling into the trap of tech-bashing.
-Personal stories and mistakes weve made with tech in our own families.
-Practical ways to engage your family in activities that are more captivating than any algorithm. -
In this episode, Erin Loechner shares with us about her brand-new book, The Opt-Out Family: How to Give Your Kids What Technology Can’t - full of compelling research and helpful, practical ideas for helping your family opt out of tech.
What makes Erin’s book even more compelling is that she is actually living that life with her family. Four years ago Erin left her successful career as a social media influencer, shut down her social media accounts and opted out.
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Revamp your family's tech habits by learning from our guest about meaningful parenting in the digital age. Strengthen your family's bond with unique insights on outsmarting social media algorithms to reduce screen time and enhance togetherness. Embrace a tech-balanced home, create meaningful moments, and shape a bright, device-free future for your kids.
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Making choices about what we bring into our homes or put in our children’s hands has been a long-standing issue I would like to examine. Today, Erin Loechner shares her journey and how we can become an opt-out family. Listen in for some much-needed inspiration.
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What if we opted out of technology? What would it look like? Who would we be? Let's find out. Founder of global tech-free movement The Opt-Out Family, Erin Loechner is a former social media influencer who walked away from a million fans to live a low-tech lifestyle—and is now teaching others how to do the same...
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If your kids opted out of having a smartphone, social media and video games, would they be better or worse off? Imagine saying goodbye to parental controls, fights, and time limits. Today's guest Erin Loechner is the author of The Opt-Out Family: How to Give Your Kids What Technology Can't. As you can imagine, I love this book! ...
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In this episode, Colleen hosts founder Erin Loechner to discuss 1) The pervasive belief that kids need technology, suggesting families can thrive without it. 2) Erin's family motto is "be more engaging than the algorithm," focusing on meaningful offline activities. 3) The negative impacts of technology on children’s mental health are highlighted with compelling statistics. 4) Erin shares practical strategies for families to reduce screen time. 5) She emphasizes the importance of parents modeling low-tech behavior and fostering real-life connections to help kids develop critical thinking and a love for discovery. Additionally, Erin discusses the challenges and strategies for managing technology in schools, advocating for alternatives to digital assignments and promoting device-free environments to enhance students' focus and well-being.
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Our guest, Erin Loechner, discusses how we can reverse engineer some of the ways that social media and technology hold our undivided attention and how she personally applied these principles to her own life and to the lives of her children, resulting in more connectivity with each other and the world around them.
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We all see how influencers seem to have the perfect life, and we all compare ourselves and want what they have thinking they have it so good. Well, for today’s expert special, I brought on former influencer who is going to give us the low down on what social media is doing and why we don’t need to lust after it. Meet founder of global tech-free movement The Opt-Out Family, Erin Loechner; a former social media influencer who walked away from a million fans to live a low-tech lifestyle—and is now teaching others how to do the same.
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Erin Loechner walked away from over a million online followers to choose a different way of life for her family. Since then, she has done a lot of research and discovered the possibility of borrowing from the playbook of the tech industry to engage your family in meaningful ways. Erin suggests that we, as parents, can actually be “more engaging than the algorithm”! Sound hard to believe? You’ve got to listen to this conversation!
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In this episode of the Heartful Parent Podcast, I have Erin Loechner, author of The Opt-Out Family here to explore the benefits of a low-tech lifestyle, and how to really make that happen in our homes.
Erin shares her journey of going from being a social media influencer, with over a million followers, to embracing a more intentional tech-free life for herself and her family. There have definitely been challenges along the way, but there are ways to find a community that you can connect with and take the journey together.
This discussion with Erin will give you practical steps to reduce your family’s dependence on screens, remind you of the importance of real-life interactions, and give you some tips and ideas of how to start with some really fun ideas for your kids.
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As you wrestle with whether to hand your kids a smartphone, you may be thinking a smartphone will help your child connect with his friends, provide safety in a dangerous situation, and lead to responsibility and greater independence. But what if that’s not the whole story? What if it’s not true at all? Today I welcome back to the show Erin Loechner, the author of The Opt Out Family: How to Give Your Kids What Technology Can’t. She believes it’s not enough to simply say no to devices. We have to say yes to something better on the other side. Listen in.
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“This influencer deleted everything. Here’s what she found instead.”
Erin Loechner, author of 'The Opt Out Family,' sits down with Jonathon Van Maren to discuss the perils of social media and digital culture.
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“In her latest book, The Opt Out Family, Erin is full of brilliant ways to maximize the online algorithms within our homes to spark connection and delight in our family, all without tech. She is generally just a delightful human, and she's going to share stories and tips and inspirations with all of us now.
Here's our chat on low-tech parenting!”
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Read clips, interviews, and media spotlights about the story behind our growing movement, why it matters, and where we’re heading next.
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"The Opt-Out Family (Zondervan 2024) covers the same ground as The Anxious Generation and other recent books when it comes to the addictive qualities of social media. But author Erin Loechner’s main point is to answer the question “Yes, but how?”
Loechner uses her knowledge of online manipulations, particularly through algorithms, to reverse-engineer their insidious appeal. Throughout the book, she contrasts “Tech’s Playbook” to “Our Playbook” (e.g., replacing Mark Zuckerberg’s “Move Fast and Break Things” with “Move Slow and Mend Things”). Tech’s proven strategies for online engagement can be turned around to create an intimate, real-time, social-media platform called home. “If Silicon Valley has shown us the way in,” she writes, “it also shows us the way out.”
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“Once upon a time, my livelihood relied on maintaining a social media presence. I taught digital workshops in a boutique studio in Singapore, modeled a slow fashion campaign in the Taj Mahal, and twirled pasta with Maria Shriver and Hoda on The Today Show. But with every post uploaded, captioned, and shared, a niggling feeling would creep into my consciousness: Is this healthy for us? Is social media good for our souls?”
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Stay tuned!
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The role of the algorithm that controls Facebook, TikTok, X, and every other app and platform is to personally tailor our streaming experience to suit our likes and dislikes. Unfortunately, it does not do so to promote or preserve our individuality, but to secure and enhance our conformity. Users who are directed by the algorithm to view increasingly radical political posts end up trapped in cyber silos. And that is a boon for advertisers, for polarized and isolated people are more pliable to suggestion and susceptible to influence.
As insidious as this process is on the general public, it becomes even more so when it divides the members of a family from each other. Each is caught in his or her own digital bubble, connected, so they think, to a community that truly loves them and understands what they really want and what they really need. How does the algorithm do this? In The Opt-Out Family: How to Give Your Kids What Technology Can’t, Erin Loechner explains exactly how the method works.
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“I was curious to learn why a highly successful influencer would “cancel” herself and decide to step away from the online world, and more importantly, how she chose to live life differently with her family…”
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"Social media influencer Erin Loechner walked away from a million fans – literally — to live a low-tech lifestyle. Chasing Slow, her first book, was a bestseller. Now she’s inspiring others, including kids, to reconnect with the real world through her new book. This Q & A has been edited for length and clarity."
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At Axis, we believe that the decision to give your child a smartphone is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make, and one that will change both of your lives. This is why we’re passionate about helping to equip you to do so as well as possible.
Welcome to the “Everything Smartphone” Guided Toolkit featuring guidance from Erin Loechner...
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"[Loechner's] approach to opting out is refreshingly active; it is not just about taking things away, but also about building things up. For example, Loechner suggests that we should do research and gather data on what our children enjoy, “just like the algorithm does,” so that we can more effectively woo our children back from the brink. We should also adopt Meta’s “remove, reduce, inform” strategy, designed for managing “harmful content” on apps, and use this tiered strategy to wean our families off tech and onto better activities and real-life connections. Loechner also claims that TikTok watches viewers’ faces while they are on the app, reading facial expressions in order to know what video to show next. It’s difficult to understand how TikTok collects and uses biometrics (see TikTok’s statementhere, an ACLU summary here, and information on a recent settlement here), but in any case, Loechner argues that parents need to pay as much attention to reading their children’s faces as TikTok might. In this way, parents can learn what their children really like and dislike, and thus how to attract them back to real life..."
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Why the mom behind the ‘Opt-Out Family’ movement is causing a stir
"Erin Loechner took a break during a mountain outing with her family this week to speak with the Deseret News about what an “opt-out family” is, why she believes so many influencers are unhappy, and how a social-media free life can work despite the pressure to be online..."
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Celebrating our STARRED review in the acclaimed Library Journal here: "This volume is a must-have resource for parents. It’s jam-packed with ideas for getting offline, all in a highly accessible and readable format."
(Thank you!)
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How to Win the Screen Time Battle and Build a Life Your Family Loves
"In a world where we’re constantly trying to “strike the tech balance,” wondering “How much is too much?” and ultimately seeking an answer grounded in truth, I’m craving something more black and white. “When we’re at the mercy of constant time management and check-ins and parental controls and screen time charts,” author and editor (and former influencer) Erin Loechner points out, “We’re setting ourselves up as tech managers, rather than parents and mentors and trusted confidantes.”
The idea of taking parental controls (not to mention arguments about screen time) completely off the table is certainly appealing. But… is it really possible to remove technology to such a degree? That mountain seems strenuous—and I’m not sure I’m conditioned to climb it.
But you can’t climb a mountain without a guide. And thankfully, Erin’s important work has paved a path that many have discovered to be more open, vast, and free than the alternative. In her most recent book, The Opt-Out Family, Loechner brings forward the research and resources to give kids what technology can’t. I had the privilege to chat with Erin about her own opt-out journey—and how we can create a life for our family that far out-rivals the algorithm..."
Act
Join the movement and create change in your own community! Invite our founder Erin Loechner to present at your local event below.
Your playbook is here.
You’re in. You’re tired of waiting for legislation to protect our kids, and you’re ready to start fighting BigTech on the only battlefield you can actually control: your home.
Friend, you’re in good company.