LENOX — How can you help your child adapt to a rapidly changing digital landscape? Dr. Jill Walsh, a researcher and lecturer at Boston University, has some answers.

On Monday, Walsh will kick off National Screen-Free Week with a free talk from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School's Duffin Theatre focused on practical strategies to help children navigate today’s digital world. The talk is open to Lenox Public School families and community members, and no registration is required.

"Technology is one of the most important conversations we can have with our kids right now, and we want to ensure families don't have to navigate this alone," Superintendent William Collins said in a statement. "We're grateful Dr. Walsh is joining us."

The talk will be preceded by interactive student workshops during the school day on Monday that will give late-elementary and middle school students an opportunity to "reflect on their own digital habits, connection and emotional health, as well as a voice in shaping how technology fits into their lives," the district said in a statement.

A shoe bag hangs in a Lenox Memorial Middle and High School classroom holding students' phones for the duration of class.

Screen-Free Week is a global initiative held during the first week of May, encouraging families, schools and individuals to take a break from "entertainment screens and experience more peace, connection, and fun." It is stewarded by the American Association for the Child's Right to Play and evolved from TV Turnoff Week, which was founded in 1994 by activists Henry Labalme and Matt Pawa.

How does it work? While TV Turnoff Week initially encouraged families to go without television for a week, Screen-Free Week invites families to choose the apps, platforms or devices they deem the most "problematic" and set an individualized goal for time spent away from them, such as an hour, a day or a week. More information on how to participate and additional resources can be found at screenfree.org.

Walsh's talk will focus on best practices for children when it comes to digital devices, gaming and social media. It will also examine technology's impact on childhood development, offer guidance on rules parents can incorporate into daily routines, address when and how to introduce devices and platforms, and highlight key conversations parents should have with their children about technology.

Walsh's research has focused on how social media has altered the pathways of adolescent development. Her dissertation, "The Highlight Reel and Real Me: How Adolescents Construct the Facebook Fable," examined how Facebook has become a space where adolescents can engage in self-reflection and community.

Her research is part of a growing body of work nationally examining the benefits and risks of youth social media use. A recent advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General's Office notes that while social media can have positive impacts for youth — such as connecting them to online communities and peers with shared interests — it also says that "there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents."

The talk and activities come as state lawmakers consider new limits on social media use and digital devices for minors. Last July, the state Senate passed a bill that would prohibit student cellphone use during the school day, and in April, the House approved a bill banning social media use for children younger than 14 — with parental consent required for children ages 14 and 15 — in addition to banning phone use during school.

Meanwhile, Gov. Maura Healey has proposed further restrictions and protections for minors, including an age assurance system to verify users' ages and default safety settings for minors, including disabling features such as "infinite scroll, auto-play, and algorithm-based feeds designed to keep young users watching." Healey's bill would also require that apps turn off location tracking features for minors, disable notifications and restrict platform access overnight and during school hours, as well as limit cumulative usage to two hours per day.

“I know as a parent and from talking with other parents and young people that social media platforms are having harmful impacts on our kids,” Healey said in a statement. “It’s been studied and the data is clear — but you don’t need the data to know that these platforms are causing anxiety, depression, addiction and lowering self-esteem. The fact is these social media platforms have been designed to get kids addicted."