In today’s digital age, the intersection of neuro-education and digital well-being has emerged as a critical frontier in addressing the challenges posed by technology on human development. This industry focuses on integrating neurological principles with educational practices to optimize learning outcomes and promote holistic well-being in individuals of all ages.
Leading this transformative initiative is CEO and Founder Marlena Kruger, a visionary in the field with a background rooted in radiography and a doctoral degree in Neuro-education. Her pioneering work emphasizes holistic development through innovative neuro-integrative therapies, advocating for a balanced approach to digital engagement that prioritizes mental, cognitive, physical, and spiritual health.
Under Marlena Kruger’s leadership, MINDUNIQUE EDUCATION has established itself as a trailblazer in fostering healthy digital habits among students. Founded in 2015, the institute aims to empower parents, educators, and communities in managing technology’s impact on learning and well-being. Through initiatives like the TechnoLife Wise Foundation, Marlena Kruger continues to spearhead efforts that promote responsible digital citizenship and enhance the quality of educational experiences globally.
Pioneering Neuro-Education and Digital Well-being
Marlena originally qualified as a radiographer at the University of Pretoria. She worked for a short while in private practice before accepting a lecturer’s post to start the National Diploma in Radiography at the Tshwane University of Technology in collaboration with private practices. She furthered her studies in education and received her doctoral degree in Neuro-education from the University of Johannesburg more than 25 years ago.
Marlena loves people and is passionate about the optimal, happy, and healthy development of children (and people). She always focuses on whole-brain learning and whole-person development, emphasizing that human health and well-being include mental, cognitive, physical, and spiritual health.
Marlena strives to educate and dispel myths around limited viewpoints on the unlimited development of human brains and bodies. She prefers non-invasive and drug-free neuro-integrative moves and therapies, over-diagnosing neurological and learning disorders (“neurodiversity”), and prescribing medication.
She started MindUnique Education in 2015 after realizing that students struggle to manage technology effectively. When students receive mobile devices like tablets and smartphones intended to support their learning, they often become more distracted and interrupted, and many become easily addicted. Despite older students having more mature brains with better executive functioning, concentration, focus, and decision-making, they still need help managing these wireless mobile devices purposefully and wisely.
Recognizing the issue with students, Marlena understood it would be even worse for teenagers and younger children using screens in classrooms and at younger ages when their parents use these digital devices as babysitters. To address this, she founded the TechnoLife Wise Foundation, a ministry, in 2017. This foundation aims to reach out to schools and help educate parents, educators, and children on implementing strict boundaries when managing children’s screen time.
These boundaries are crucial for ensuring children’s happy and healthy-balanced development, enabling them to become thriving individuals who contribute to others’ lives and their communities. In 2022, the Wait Until Grade 8 and No Phones at Schools campaigns were launched, followed by the establishment of the Association of Digital Well-being and Neuro-Education (ADWAN) in February 2024.
Worldwide research publications confirm that generations are being degraded as happy, healthy, balanced humans when real-life learning and interactions with people and nature are substituted with flat-screen interactions. These interactions are linked to the underdevelopment and integration of their senses, brains, and bodies.
Marlena is excited that the 2023 Global Education Monitoring report highlighted these challenges and recommended that learners not use digital technologies in classrooms due to their negative impact on academic performance and holistic development, health, and well-being.
In November 2023, the United Nations in New York received the International Declaration for Children’s Rights in our Digital Age. It confirmed that children need to be free from:
– Addictive platforms such as video games, the internet, and social media;
– Non-native, unnatural EMF radiation from cell phones, cell phone towers, Wi-Fi routers, and other wireless devices;
– Exploitation of their private information for purposes such as human trafficking, sexual grooming, and pornography.
Marlena believes that passivity and minimal action constitute neglect and abuse of children. Without radical and drastic actions to combat screen overuse and addiction, we contribute to the exponential increase in Virtual Autism, Electronic Screen Syndrome, and the ADHD pandemic.
She is passionate about helping and empowering parents and children to navigate and make wise decisions regarding screen use and technology. This ensures children’s optimal, happy, healthy-balanced, unique development and the health and well-being of families in the digital age.
Marlena advocates for a cautious approach to embracing more technologies, given the adverse effects of problematic screen use on health and well-being. The average IQ of the human race, the strength of children’s muscles, and the healthy development of human capabilities are declining. Despite the opportunities in the digital world, significant daily challenges and responsibilities also exist.
Marlena uses assessment questionnaires, full-body quantum scanning, biofeedback tracking reports, Rife and other natural energy frequencies, ozone therapy, Life Wave technology (phototherapy), and natural therapies to enhance clients’ overall health and well-being.
Additionally, she develops and sells WoWe® EMF protective products to safeguard people against harmful, unnatural EMFs from cell phones, cell phone towers, Wi-Fi routers, and other wireless devices, including Bluetooth and Fitbit watches.
Balancing Techno-Life and Real-Life Interactions
Nowadays, real lives are entangled with many more digital technologies than a decade or two ago. Previously, finding a work-life balance to prevent burnout was hard.
Marlena also experienced burnout in 2011 and was off from formal work for a year. Because so many digital technologies are integrated into real-life environments, it is essential to be critical and mindful of why, when, and how much time is spent in front of screens. This is often referred to as techno-life.
One of the enormous challenges is minimizing screen time to ensure that real-life interactions are not replaced with unnecessary screen time that steals time for social interactions and physical development outdoors and in nature. More “green” time, ideally barefoot to ground oneself in nature, is crucial and is part of healing therapies to ensure thriving in the digital age.
Due to the integration of technology into everyday lives, it is now an even bigger struggle to find the techno-life balance between living with and without digital screens and devices.
Navigating the Human-Technology Tipping Point
Marlena mainly focused on the key elements contributing to the scary concept of the human-technology tipping point, where humans risk becoming the robots of this world, replaced, managed, and manipulated by digital computers and screens in the cloud.
It has been more than five years since her TEDx presentation, and this phenomenon is already becoming evident with the expansion of software programs’ capabilities, including artificial intelligence (AI) functionalities.
Without sufficient critical thinking about the negative impact of these innovations on human learning, healthy development, and well-being, more digital technologies are being embraced, bringing more associated wireless devices and an exponential increase in electro-pollution. This contributes to the rise in conditions such as Electro-Hypersensitivity (EHS), certain types of cancers in children and others, auto-immune diseases, screen addiction, and slower development of language, social, and physical skills. These issues contribute to the increased diagnosis of Virtual Autism (VA), Electronic Screen Syndrome (ESS), ADHD, Digital Dementia, and other symptoms. Doctors and therapists can easily misdiagnose these disorders without considering the negative impact and contributions of excessive screen time.
In many cases, people degrade themselves by becoming dumb and numb, as flat as screens in their real-life interactions and relationships. In some instances, they are content to just press another button, becoming too lazy to live as human beings who enjoy, celebrate, and explore everyday mercies and wonderful real-life experiences and opportunities.
Empowering Families Through Neuro-Integrative Education
Marlena’s passion for helping others motivated her to launch the Institute. The primary objectives are to assist and empower educators, parents, and families through workshops, seminars, webinars, courses, and coaching. These interventions in learning aim to create lifelong opportunities in various formats, ensuring optimal, happy, and healthy-balanced development for babies, toddlers, and children in today’s digital-driven world.
The Institute implements several initiatives to combat screen addiction and other learning and neurological disorders, including Functional Disconnection Syndrome (FDS) resulting from problematic screen use. All courses are grounded in neuro-integrative principles and promote holistic development, happiness, and health.
Through coaching programs and HAPPY NEURO HEROES courses, the Institute helps reset and integrate children’s brains and bodies. This involves replacing screen time with real-life sensory experiences, neuro-integrative moves, natural therapies, nutrition, and mindfulness practices.
Inspiring Change in Digital Well-being
Marlena does not seek accolades or rewards, yet she received a South Africa Leader’s Award in April 2024.
Working in the challenging space of advocating for changes in digital screen behaviors and replacing them with healthier real-life activities is not always easy. Marlena appreciates it immensely when her efforts in this integrative health and digital well-being field are acknowledged by people and organizations. Such recognition motivates her to continue sowing seeds despite opposition and sometimes hostile environments.
She firmly believes that transforming many negative digital behaviors can positively impact and potentially save lives, supporting the natural learning, development, and interactions of toddlers, children, teenagers, and families. Marlena attributes her successes to the empowerment she receives from the Almighty God, who enables her to fulfill her purpose of glorifying His name and making disciples for eternity by opening doors at the right time.
Establishing Lasting Change in a Digital Age
Marlena emphasizes the challenge individuals face in implementing lasting behavioral changes. She highlights the importance of sustained effort over a period of 21 to 60 days to establish new neural pathways in the brain, which are essential for embedding positive habits.
According to Marlena, significant improvements in personal and familial well-being become noticeable only after consistently adhering to these changes for at least three to six weeks.
Marlena acknowledges the difficulties encountered when trying to maintain these changes amidst societal pressures. She notes the influence of friends and family who may not support or understand these efforts, potentially discouraging individuals from pursuing personal growth in a digitally-driven world. She criticizes the pervasive advertising strategies of telecommunications companies that promote excessive data consumption and constant internet access as essential for happiness and health despite often delivering on superficial promises.
Marlena remains committed to empowering individuals and families to navigate these challenges effectively, fostering lasting positive transformations in their lives.
Empowering Communities for Balanced Digital Living
Marlena advocates for raising awareness and educating communities about the challenges posed by increasing electro-pollution in everyday environments. She highlights the detrimental effects of negative digital behaviors, screen addiction, and excessive screen time on personal and child development in today’s digital world.
Through MINDUNIQUE EDUCATION’s Neuro Heroes courses, presentations, workshops, webinars, and coaching sessions, Marlena and her team empower individuals and communities to actively promote safer, happier, and healthier lifestyles amidst technological advancements.
Marlena emphasizes the importance of critically evaluating screen time by asking whether it serves essential purposes like work, meetings, or education and whether it adds value to personal relationships and community engagement.
Her mission is to ensure that individuals thrive in real-life experiences without compromising their health, happiness, and humanity due to the overuse of screens and exposure to harmful EMF radiation. Additionally, Marlena educates about strategies to mitigate EMF exposure and advocates for the effective use of WoWe® EMF radiation protective products.
Transformative Success Stories
a) A 9-year-old boy, initially struggling with video game addiction and excessive screen time since a young age, sought consultation and coaching sessions. His challenges included the inability to ride a bicycle, bullying experiences, poor posture, balance issues, and difficulty making friends at school.
Undergoing a focused six-week reset and rebalanced program during school holidays, with subsequent follow-up and feedback sessions, resulted in remarkable improvements. His academic performance, social skills, and physical abilities flourished. Five years later, he was selected as one of the Grade 7 leaders at his school.
b) A woman experiencing severe Electro-Hypersensitivity (EHS) symptoms found relief with WoWe® EMF protective products after previous products from China proved ineffective. She praised the high-quality, high-density WoWe® products for significantly reducing her exposure to EMF radiation and electromagnetic fields in both her work and living environments. Her positive feedback is documented in a Google review.
c) A woman in her late seventies underwent a health quantum and biofeedback scan to identify imbalances in her body’s organs and systems, alongside specific conditions and pathogens contributing to her health issues. Dealing with colitis and years of arthritis, she had been on various medications to manage symptoms and pain.
Following the identification of root causes, she opted to purchase a frequency therapy machine for home treatment. This approach allowed her to manage her health independently, visiting for follow-up scans only. Her condition notably improved, enabling her to reduce her reliance on prescribed medications. Her testimonial also reflects these positive outcomes on Google.
Empowering Global Digital Well-being
Marlena focuses on expanding their national and international reach with purpose. She believes that their empowering programs, such as the HAPPY NEURO HEROES courses, will continue to attract students globally.
Their neuro-integrative health and digital well-being services, delivered both face-to-face and virtually, are poised for growth as awareness grows about effective screen time management. Marlena emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy, balanced techno-life to ensure happiness and well-being for all, especially children who must thrive and develop through neuroplasticity and epigenetics.
Demand for MINDUNIQUE EDUCATION’s WoWe® EMF protective products and electrosmog measuring services has already surged. Future plans include expanding product availability in retail and online platforms to meet increasing demand. Marlena aims for their products and services to educate and empower individuals and communities effectively.
She advocates for responsible screen time limits, particularly for children, to foster natural development and real-life flourishing amidst digital advancements. Marlena envisions a more prominent role for the TechnoLife Wise Foundation, focusing on campaigns like Wait Until Grade 8 and No Phones at Schools and the Association for Digital Well-being and Neuro-education (ADWAN).
Looking ahead, MINDUNIQUE EDUCATION plans to intensify efforts in presentations, webinars, and marketing strategies to raise awareness and promote healthy-balanced development, lifelong learning, and overall well-being.
Balanced Living
a) Establishing Healthy Screen Time Boundaries
Begin by critically assessing screen usage and distinguishing essential tasks from aimless scrolling. Replace passive screen activities with engaging real-life pursuits like board games, hobbies, reading physical books, and cooking to promote well-rounded activities and reduce blue light exposure.
b) Prioritizing Real-Life Interactions Over Screens
Shift focus from digital interactions to meaningful face-to-face connections with family and friends. Emphasize eye-to-eye contact to nurture deeper, enduring relationships.
c) Embracing Outdoor Physical Activities
Incorporate regular outdoor exercises such as walking, sports, or playing with pets to stay active and enjoy nature’s benefits, like sunshine, to produce vitamin D and integrative sensory experiences.
d) Mindfulness in Real-Life Engagement
Stay present in real-life moments rather than escaping into virtual spaces. Recognize the richness of physical experiences and their positive impact on overall well-being.
e) Promoting Healthy Sleep Habits
Practice sleep hygiene by avoiding screens at least an hour or two before bedtime. Ensure uninterrupted sleep of 7-9 hours by minimizing exposure to blue light and EMF radiation, promoting optimal rest for mental and physical rejuvenation. Ban all screens from bedrooms and switch off the Wi-Fi router during nighttime and when not using. Use network cables instead of wireless connections whenever possible.
