TLO Hopkinton
Our community brings together local parents, educators and professionals in Hopkinton who care about healthy and safe technology use by our children. Through this community, we can support each other by sharing information, resources and our best tips that empower community members to make healthy choices about technology use. Together we can inspire positive change around technology use in our families and community.
a welcome from your TLO hopkinton champions
Hello Hopkinton! We are so excited to share this important community initiative with you!
Turning Life On is an inspiring organization, started by a group of parents in Concord, MA who were concerned about the effect of technology on the well-being of the children in their community. It has been so successful that it has spread throughout the Commonwealth and beyond. We are very excited to partner with them to bring this initiative to Hopkinton.
We know that many of you share our concerns about the effects of technology on our children and the peer pressure that exists at too young an age to get a smartphone. TLO Hopkinton, and especially the public promise now gives us a place to do something about it!
The goal of TLO Hopkinton is to unite our community around healthy approaches to the digital and virtual worlds in which our kids live, learn, and play. We are here to support you and your children as you navigate the challenges of technology exposure in childhood. We hope to build a culture in Hopkinton that fosters the development of interpersonal skills and connections made through time spent in play and interactions with friends & family in real life and protects our youth from the many harms of screen time as well. We hope to partner with you and other organizations in the community who are committed to the social, emotional and physical health of the children and adolescents in Hopkinton.
TLO Hopkinton is here to connect parents with resources to support our kids’ healthy development -- it’s all about coming together to set healthy boundaries, creating a village of support with real-life friends and neighbors.
We have three levels of participation outlined below; please join us at whatever level fits your family's choices. If you are a community leader or organization, we welcome you to become a TLO Partner by filling out this Partner form. Be sure to mention Hopkinton in the comments section. Thank you again for joining us. You are doing a wonderful thing for your child and your community by showing your support of this important initiative.
Welcome!
TLO Hopkinton Champions: Christina Hannigan and Ann Salerno
Ann Salerno has been a resident of Hopkinton for 12 years. She is a pediatrician who specializes in kidney disease and hypertension. She has two boys, one in first grade at Marathon and one in 3rd grade at Elmwood. She also has a step daughter and a step son, ages 19 and 21 years who are away at college. She has seen the effects of smartphones and technology on her patients and on her step children’s generation. She is motivated to participate in TLO so that her children and all the children of Hopkinton have the support they need for the development of healthy social and emotional well-being.
Christina Hannigan has been a resident of Hopkinton for almost 10 years. She has a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and worked as a Software Engineer for 7 years. She's now a full-time mom to her three kids who are in second grade, Kindergarten and preschool. She has served on the boards of the Hopkinton Moms Group and the Hopkinton Parent Teacher Association and is hopeful that TLO can ease the pressure that parents feel to give their kids cell phones at an early age.
Together, Ann and Christina started the 'Mommying Is Hard' support groups in Hopkinton. These are in-person monthly meetings where moms with kids of similar ages have the wonderful opportunity to celebrate each other's successes and support each other through their struggles. Cell phones and screen time often come up in the discussions reflecting the need for more support in this area of parenting in our community.
“Hopkinton Youth and Family Services is excited to partner with an organization that seeks to build community and stronger families! The impacts of smart phone technology on family life and youth development have become an issue of public health concern. Trends of increased social media use and exposure and increased depression/anxiety in youth appear to have synergy in recent scientific data. Fostering in person relationships, time in nature, and time growing skills through hobbies and interests, etc. is shown to promote mental health. We look forward to this initiative growing a culture of safe technology use and “turning life on”!”
Joining TLO Hopkinton
Public Promise Members by Child’s Year of High School Graduation: Parents listed as Promise Members have taken a public promise to delay giving their child a smartphone until at least 8th grade as smartphones easily provide access to the Internet, social media and gaming. Our public promise helps to reduce the social pressure to have a smartphone by making smartphones the exception, not the rule.
Public Supporters: Healthy and safe technology use is about more than just smartphones in middle school. That’s why we support all parents. Members listed as “Supporters” publicly support and join our community even though they are unable or unwilling to make the promise at this time (perhaps your child has “aged out” or you are a grandparent).
Private Supporter: Private Supporters will be added to our mailing list and will have access to our local closed discussion groups but will not be publicly listed on our website.
To join TLO Hopkinton, please complete this form.
To be a local partner or to get more involved, contact Hopkinton Champions Christina Hannigan and Ann Salerno at TLOHopkinton@gmail.com. Please also complete this form so we have your info!
*We add names manually so sometimes it can take up to 48 hours to see your name on the list. If your name is missing, misspelled or mis-listed, just reach out! We are human and we make mistakes.*
The following community members in Our community are committed to healthy technology use by our children.
PROMISE MEMBERS:
2025:
Heather C
2026
Christina and Tom E
Kristi B
2027
Amanda S
Kristen H
2028
Kristi B
Amanda S
Christina and Tom E
Susan F
Kelly B
2029
Ann S and Scot B
Liz and Andy S
Sharon R
Lynn and Brad V
Heather C
2030
Christina H
Kelley and Bradley H
Amanda S
Christina and Tom E
Susan F
2031
Ann S and Scot B
Beth F
Sharon R
Kristen H
Lynn and Brad V
2032
Christina H
Kelley and Bradley H
Beth F
Liz and Andy S
Christina and Tom E
Kasey M
2034
Christina H
public SUPPORTERS:
Sarah P
Dawn R
Mahsa G
Lori N
LOCAL PARTNERS:
Dawn Alcott, LICSW, Director of Youth and Family Services
Heather Backman, Library Director, Hopkinton Public Library
Dr. Carol Cavanaugh, Superintendent of Schools, Hopkinton School District
Kasey Mauro, Hopkinton Public Health Nurse
Abbie Rosenberg, Founder/Executive Director, Mental Health Collaborative