Pacific Grove workshop urges parents to limit screen time and shows how to report cyberbullying

At a virtual and in-person workshop hosted at Pacific Grove Middle School, presenters from Monterey County Behavioral Health and nonprofit partners urged parents to monitor children’s screen time and described practical steps to identify and respond to cyberbullying.

Casey Redenbush, services manager for Monterey County Behavioral Health and leader of the Rainbow Connections project, opened the session by asking parents to consider how many hours their children spend online and by noting district survey results showing substantial screen use. "We gathered some survey data, and 51.9 percent of our students average 4 hours a day or more on screen," Redenbush said, adding that weekend use is often higher.

Why it matters: workshop leaders and school staff said sustained online exposure can harm students’ mental health, interfere with school attendance and learning, and sometimes requires action by schools and law enforcement. The presenters gave a working definition of cyberbullying and steps families and schools can take to respond.

Denise Adeza, Rainbow Connections’ bullying-prevention specialist for Harmony at Home, read the workshop definition: "Cyberbullying is…