Council proclaims Nov. 15 as 'Look Up Marion — Put Down the Phone Day'

Mayor Marciano presented a proclamation recognizing Nov. 15 as "Look Up Marion — Put Down the Phone Day," honoring a community campaign led by the Marion County Children’s Alliance to encourage families to limit screen time and promote in-person interaction and safety for children.

Beth McCall, executive director of the Marion County Children’s Alliance, accepted the proclamation. Representatives from partner organizations — including the Kimberly Center for Child Protection, Creative Springs, Marion County’s local technology planning team, the Pearl Project, Harlow’s Helping Hands, and Marion County Public Schools — described the campaign and said the initiative will provide resources and programming across parks, schools and community events. Staff and councilmembers highlighted concerns about excessive screen time and online safety risks for children and praised the coalition’s planned citywide activities.

The proclamation cites research and local partnership efforts and encourages residents to participate on Nov. 15 by reducing device use and engaging in outdoor and community activities.