In an age where digital dependency is second nature and schools prepare to open for the 2025-26 school year, one Birmingham-based leader is encouraging families, students, and educators to pause, reflect, and reset.
Courtney Woods, founder of PC Empowerment and PC Media Techs, has launched Back to School Digital Detox Week, a mental health wellness initiative designed to help communities adjust to the demands of Alabama’s new FOCUS Act, which restricts phone use in classrooms.
“After being in business as a web designer for about 10 years [with PC Empowerment and PC Media Techs] I just over time realized how overwhelmed and exhausted I would feel mentally at times,” Woods said. “I ended up researching and realizing that a lot of those triggers were due to something that we call information overload… it didn’t sound safe. It sounded dangerous. This is my mind that we’re talking about. I need my mind.”
The detox week includes themed days where participants remove unused apps and silence excessive notifications. “These things can invoke anxiety,” said Woods. “We want to help people have a clearer relationship with technology.”
