Jocelyn Brewer

Jocelyn Brewer's Biography

Jocelyn Brewer is a Sydney-based registered psychologist with a special interest in the psychology of technology and staying human in the digital age.

Jocelyn has previously been a high school social sciences teacher and school counsellor, working across NSW public schools between 2003 and 2021. Her 2009 psychology thesis explored the impacts of increasing access to Internet enabled laptops on a cohort of grade 10 boys and the emerging area of Problematic Internet Use (PIU), colloquially known as ‘Internet Addiction’.

In 2013, Jocelyn created Digital Nutrition™ – a framework to guide parents and technology users understand the virtual nutritional values of the online media content we consume via apps and games on tablets and screen technology.

Jocelyn is an affiliate of the Cyberpsychology Research Group at Sydney University, where she completed a Masters of Applied Science (Cyberpsychology) in 2021. Her thesis explored the role of self-control and parenting factors in the prevention of Problematic Smartphone Use in a cohort of year 7 students in Metropolitan Sydney. Jocelyn is also on the advisory committee for the Centre For Digital Wellbeing in Canberra.

Jocelyn has a busy private psychology practice in Sydney’s inner-west, supporting individuals and families with general mental health challenges as well as with problematic internet and gaming. Jocelyn is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Gottman Couples Therapy (level 1). She uses a range of creative and practical techniques to inspire positive change.

Jocelyn has a warm, humorous and engaging presentation style, and the ability to put scientific research into practical perspectives. She regularly called upon to comment in the media on a range of issues and present to various groups about the impacts of technology and improving digital wellbeing.

In 2019 and 2022 Jocelyn provided keynote addresses at EduTechAU, Australia’s largest education conference, and has appeared at the renowned Happiness And It’s Causes conference (2019 and 2022). She has appeared ABC TV’s QandA panel twice (in June 2019 and October 2020).

When Jocelyn presents no two presentations are the same. She tailors every session to the needs of the organisation and audience, and is continuously updating her slide deck to include the latest trends, research and issues in cyberpsychology and digital practices.

Jocelyn has an adaptable, flexible style that can accommodate speaking to 3000 people in a corporate conference keynote or to a small group seminar for teenagers. She is a Trusted eSafety Provider with the Office of the eSafety Commissioner and a NESA accredited provider of Teacher PD.

Speaking Topics Include

Jocelyn has written extensively in the media and on her own platforms on a wide range of topics relating to how to be human in a digital world.

Below are some examples of her topics of expertise. Jocelyn is happy to share bespoke ideas and create specific stories in response to media requests.

 

Why there’s no magic number when it comes to kids and tech minutes:

Obsessing over screentime is so 2016. In today’s world, technology is a given, so instead of counting consumption in minutes, let’s focus on the content they’re consuming and help them to create meaningful connections.

 

How to create a tech agreement for your family that actually means something:

Whatever the ages and stages of the kids and adults in your home, it’s likely you’ll all have a presence in the digital world. So how can you create and maintain tech boundaries in your home, which actually work, without having to be the ‘tech police’?

Are they addicted to tech? Or to social connection?:

There’s a lot of fearmongering out there when it comes to talk about screen addiction and technology consumption amongst our kids. But as humans, we’re wired to connect, so it’s often more of an addiction to connection than to technology. Here’s how to change the conversation into one that’s productive and timely.

 

Business Presentations:

 It’s time to call BS on balance:

There’s a lot of chat out there about balance as a goal for our lives, tech use, productivity, parenting, etc. But rather than aiming for the unachievable notion of balance, let’s explore how to be intentional, rather than caught up with getting the balance ‘right’.

Who’s supporting the social media managers?:

Behind every huge brand and social media account, there’s a social media manager or online community team who are responsible for curating and responding to content and commentary. But how do we support this emerging role, and recognise the problematic nature of being ‘always on’?

Are you an intentional influencer?:

When you have an online presence, no matter how big or small, it can feel all-consuming. Your community has a sense of ownership, and while many people sing your praises, there are also the nasty DMs and trolling comments that come with any kind of profile. So how do we become intentional and create boundaries around this, without losing our self in the process?

Time to polish your digital leadership skills?

Not in an ICT Manager way, but in creating clear digital leadership and setting realistic expectations for employees, especially in the world of working from home and 24/7 access. Let’s explore how leaders and managers can set good examples, create clear boundaries for teams, and build the digital health of their business.

 

Digital wellbeing hacks for your business:

Let’s explore how to transform the wellbeing culture of your organisation, with strategies for healthy digital habits, productivity hacks and how to create meaningful choices - both online and offline.