Marion County Declares Nov. 14 Phone-Free Day
Local officials have proclaimed Nov. 14 as 'Look Up Marion, Put Down the Phone Day' to encourage families to reduce screen time.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Pre-Teens
Live Poll
Will you and your family unplug from screens on Nov. 14?
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners and the Ocala City Council each signed a proclamation on Nov. 3, 2026, designating Nov. 14 as 'Look Up Marion, Put Down the Phone Day.' The campaign was spearheaded by the Marion County Children's Alliance.
Why it matters
The initiative responds to concerns about the mental, physical, and developmental effects of heavy screen use among young people. Local officials are encouraging residents in Ocala to disconnect from phones, tablets, televisions, and gaming screens for the day.
Children ages 8 to 18 average 7.5 hours per day on entertainment screens, and teenagers exceed 8 hours daily excluding schoolwork. Roughly 42% of parents report that screen use routinely interrupts family time, though the survey methodology behind these figures was not detailed.
The players
Marion County Children's Alliance
A local nonprofit focused on children's welfare in Marion County, which spearheaded the Look Up Marion campaign.
Ben Marciano
The mayor of Ocala who presented the city's municipal proclamation for the observance.
Beth McCall
The executive director of the Marion County Children's Alliance who received the city proclamation.
The details
Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano presented a municipal proclamation to Beth McCall, executive director of the Marion County Children's Alliance, during Tuesday's council meeting. The 'Look Up Marion' initiative, launched in November 2025, asks community members to set aside smartphones, tablets, televisions, and gaming screens for the day.
Timeline
November 2025: The Look Up Marion initiative was launched.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: County commissioners and city council signed proclamations, and the mayor presented the city proclamation.
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026: Look Up Marion, Put Down the Phone Day is observed.
Local Context
The observance extends the Marion County Children's Alliance's Look Up Marion initiative, which began in November 2025 and now moves from awareness campaign to a named community observance. It positions Ocala and Marion County among local governments formally endorsing screen-reduction efforts aimed at families.
Families in Ocala and Marion County are invited to step away from phones, tablets, and gaming screens on Nov. 14 and spend time together instead. The proclamation gives parents a shared community reason to set household screen boundaries for the day.
The takeaway
Setting a single screen-free day can be a practical starting point for families who want to reduce daily device use. Choosing a shared activity for the day helps make the change easier to sustain.
Further reading
For more on the challenges facing young people today, explore Pre-Teens coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ocala-News.
Live Poll
Will you and your family unplug from screens on Nov. 14?
