Dr Joanne Orlando is a leading international researcher, social commentator, and futurist, who is changing our relationship with technology, for the better.

Through her highly engaging keynotes and workshops, she informs and challenges her audiences to understand our digital behaviours, the digital world that we live in, and simple and practical changes to boost our productivity, mental health, wellbeing, and safety. With a science-backed approach, her keynotes always provide simple, practical tools that can be immediately implemented in any context.

Jo is a SXSW speaker, and audiences consistently rank Jo’s keynotes as empowering, insightful, entertaining and the highlight of their event.

Jo is a well-known TV presenter. She is the ongoing digital expert for Sunrise, the Today Show, The Morning Show and Today Extra. She focuses on the human side of technology to unpack and provide solutions to the never-ending curveballs our digital lifestyle throws our way, including topics that relate to AI, social media, gaming, online communication, tech for work and learning, family, and relationships.

She is a writer for the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and the Canberra Times. She has published a long list of cutting-edge articles, and is featured in publications worldwide including The Economist, Washington Post, Wired, The Guardian, to name a few.

Jo is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) researcher who has spent the last 15 years examining our digital lives. She argues that this is an extraordinary time to live and grow, and that AI and online spaces are powerful forces reshaping the way we live, work, learn, relax, our relationships, children, and our mental health. She is best known for her ground-breaking insights into how to enhance our digital behaviour and wellbeing so that we can flourish in the digital world we live. She is a researcher with a PhD in Digital Behaviour and brings a strong evidence-based approach to her work and speaking topics.

A sought-after voice across the futurist and tech world, Jo works globally across a wide range of projects from creating documentaries and world leading conferences and events, to advising on the use of novel approaches across social, education and social-humanitarian projects.

Joanne has studied and worked within university research centres, key multinational organisations, and governments around the world. She has worked closely with some of the world’s most prestigious organisations including Apple, Google, Norton, American Association of Paediatrics, UK Cabinet, Australian Federal Government. Joanne holds the unique distinction of being the only individual worldwide invited to offer independent recommendations for the Apple App Store, identifying the best apps that have a positive and empowering impact on us.

Knowledge is power, and Joanne’s focus is on making the complex simple and providing solutions. Her latest book Life Mode On: How to feel less stressed, more present and back in control when using technology is available globally.

For the last five years, her digital literacy program TechClever, developed from her extensive research with children, is used in schools Australia wide to improve tensions that relate to children’s technology uses. This program was awarded for its quality and impact as part of the Telstra Businesswoman of the Year.

And a final note, Jo is the person responsible for popularising phrases “sharenting” and “zombie scrolling” globally.

Speaking Topics include:

Flipping Digital Power Play

Technology companies have immense power over what we see and do online. From delivering content and notifications designed to keep us engaged, to extreme data collection practices to control our digital lives. In this talk we will uncover the intricate web of tactics utilised by the tech giants and why they work on us, the motivations behind their relentless pursuit of control, why this industry is unregulated, and whether AI will improve our autonomy and safety or make it worse. Alongside this we will explore the digital habits many of us have fallen into that exacerbate big tech’s control over us. The audience will leave this presentation with a better understanding of our digital landscape and our place within it, where changes are needed of big tech that will most effectively protect us, and practical steps to take charge of our own digital safety and digital wellbeing.

Tech for good

Technology use is causing personal and professional problems on a scale we’ve never seen before. These issues have emerged recently yet have quickly become deep problems because they are not being resolved. In this talk we will explore the time, effort, and headspace we are losing to technology and why this happens. We will explore the impact on our brain, our stress levels, our ability to focus and our professional and personal relationships. Joanne shares frank advice on where we are going wrong and busts digital lifestyle myths and ‘fad’ solutions we have been sold. Audiences will leave this presentation feeling renewed, hopeful, and with clear practical tools to be more in control of their tech at home, at work and in their personal lives.  

Flourishing in an AI world

We stand at a fascinating crossroads. We coexist with AI, forging a unique bond that has never existed before in human history. While we marvel at the wonders of tech innovation, the real intrigue lies within us, the humans, and the path we are journeying and heading towards. This talk explores how technology and AI is changing who we are as humans: the changes happening to us because of technology, those that are simply part of our human journey, and the changes we are heading towards. Audiences will leave this presentation knowing the bigger picture around us as humans living a digital life and what direction is needed if we are to genuinely flourish in an AI generated world.

Improving children’s digital lives

Technology is one of the biggest changes to childhood in history. While generational changes are expected, the pace and scale that technology has brought to the lives of children is unfathomable. Based on her research with children over many years, Joanne presents an ‘insider’ reality into how children navigate their digital worlds, from AI to social media, entertainment, and cyber security. She identifies trends in their online engagement, how this differ to that of adults, and the skills and competencies that will genuinely support young people to be future-fit and how we can apply this in education, industry, and as parents.

Master focus. How to stay focused when your surrounded by digital distraction

 In an age of digital distractions, how can we become more focused and present?

Do you struggle to answer, “What have I actually achieved today?”

Do you get side-tracked by incoming texts and emails?

Do you quickly check social media feeds (again), only to realise that you’ve spent 30 minutes zombie scrolling?

When was the last time you worked on something properly, without being distracted by your technology?

Digital distraction is the behaviour most of us want to stop. A whopping 85% of us say we feel physically and emotionally drained from so many digital disruptions, and experience more stress, higher frustration, and time pressure because we feel like we can never catch up. It takes time away from productivity, quality decisions and effective communication.

Managing your digital distractibility is a new superskill we all now need. In this talk I’ll show you how to manage digital distraction in 7 steps. It will help you finish tasks, increase the quality of your work, improve relationships and achieve the goals you set. Most of all, it will help you to feel in control.

Other Topics

Digital Addiction

AI

Technology and learning

Digital distraction

New ways of thinking about cyber safety

Social media

Online communication

Dating apps and online relationships  

Misinformation

Mental health and technology

Children and technology

Futurist