Oklahoma author ties childhood screen time debate to new kids' book

Broken Bow author Kasey Mansfield is using the renewed conversation around screens and childhood play to promote her children’s book The Day the Devices Disappeared. The book aims to help families talk about balance, imagination and real-world connection without shaming technology use. Why it matters: - Families are still trying to find a workable middle ground between digital life and unplugged play. - Mansfield’s book is aimed at parents, teachers and librarians who want a non-shaming way to talk with children about screen time. - The message lands as entertainment and parenting culture keep revisiting childhood imagination, boredom and outdoor play. What happened: - Oklahoma author and mother of three Kasey Mansfield is promoting her rhyming children’s book, The Day the Devices Disappeared . - The book imagines a world where children’s devices suddenly vanish, pushing kids back outside to play, move, imagine and connect. - Mansfield said parents are “craving balance more than perfection.” - The book is written for children ages 4-9. - The relaunch campaign is being supported by Communication Queens, a visibility and thought leadership agency owned by Kimberly Spencer. - The Day the Devices Disappeared is available on Amazon. The details: - Mansfield says the book was inspired by her experience raising three children while building an online audience through her personal health journey. - Mansfield documented losing more than 110 pounds through sustainable lifestyle changes and online community support. - Mansfield also filmed her children working out with her during that period. - Mansfield said online fitness and accountability helped change her life, but constant screen stimulation affected attention spans, creativity and connection at home. - The book uses classic rhythmic storytelling to introduce themes of boredom, imagination and family connection. - Mansfield said the goal is to help families reconnect with play and presence many millennial and GenX parents remember from childhood. - Communication Queens says it helps authors and creators amplify culturally relevant conversations through media, podcasting and strategic storytelling. - Kimberly Spencer, CEO of Communication Queens and a mother of three, said the conversation is about helping families feel connected again, not eliminating technology. Between the lines: - Mansfield is framing the book as a response to a cultural tension many parents feel: technology can be useful, but constant screen use can crowd out creativity and real-world connection. - The project avoids scare tactics and instead leans on nostalgia, which may make the topic easier for adults to discuss with children. - The timing also gives the book a built-in news hook, with early talk around Toy Story 5 helping revive broader debate over screens, toys and childhood. What’s next: - Mansfield is continuing the book’s relaunch with support from Communication Queens. - Mansfield also has a forthcoming memoir, Mind Over Fatter , about mindset shifts behind lasting transformation and sustainable health. - The screen-time conversation around the book is likely to keep growing as parents, schools and media continue debating how children should use technology. The bottom line: - Mansfield is pitching The Day the Devices Disappeared as a simple, story-driven reminder that kids need imagination, movement and connection as much as they need devices.