It is hard to stay unplugged in the world we live in today. Every day it seems to get more difficult, between apps, streaming shows, video games, music, social media, and the list goes on. There are more and more ways that our devices keep dragging us in and keeping us occupied. We feel unattached and lost if we put our phone down for just a minute (ok maybe I am exaggerating, it’s more like 10 minutes).
Summer is a great time to start the unplugging process. If we continue to work at it over the summer, it creates a lifestyle and makes the transition to remaining unplugged during the school year. There are so many things to do and places to check out to keep everyone occupied that the withdrawal symptoms will be slightly minimized. Learn how to unplug and relax and teach your children to do the same. I am not saying to cut technology out of your lives, just set aside time during the day where you are completely unplugged from everything, put limits on screen time. It may be hard at first, but in time you will relish getting the little things back in life.
I was talking to a friend the other day and she mentioned that she noticed that she was on her laptop more and more. Sitting on the couch with the TV on, her hubby next to her on his phone while the kids are in the other room. One on his Xbox and the other streaming Netflix on computer. It dawned on her that they don’t talk to each other as much as they used to, that technology is taking over their lives. She decided that it was time to sit down with her family and do something to change the behaviors.
My own daughter mentioned to me that she is taking a step away from her social media accounts because she is feeling too much pressure to always be on and be available to her friends and the pressure is getting to be too much.
There must be a separation; a time to unwind and put the stresses from the day away. Maybe it’s time to set some rules and limits with the family.
- Limit times that devices can be used
- Have a “parking spot” for devices, such as a basket on a table, a drawer, etc.
- Establish screen-free zones in your household. This could be the bedroom, the car, the dining room, etc.
- Make a contest to see who can last the longest screen-free. You can create a prize for the winner. Let the winner decide on a dinner or a family outing.
Remember: “Disconnect to Reconnect!”
