Tips for digital detox for the family
How much has technology changed your life? Does it affect family time and interaction?
As a mother of a grade-schooler, I find it a constant battle to get my daughter to put down her tech devices. We’re still finding the balance.
Newly released book “Stop Staring at Screens: A Digital Detox for the Whole Family” is author Tanya Goodin’s contribution to the conversation. She puts forth helpful tips on when it’s appropriate to use tech, and what happens when you become glued to the screen.
For instance, she suggests having no-phone zones in the house, or a central charging station at night that is not located in the bedroom. Following that, she also pitches the idea of no-tech times in the day.
Goodin warns folks of a few physical maladies that can crop up with too much screen time: digital eye strain, and neck and shoulder pain.
Lastly, what do you do to replace all that time you once dedicated to looking at your screen? Helpful acts like cooking a meal, cleaning, or even asking your loved one about their day are her prompts. And while it seems obvious, maybe it isn’t to a digital native who has only known a social life largely online.
Here’s to disconnecting (even a little bit) from our phones – and reconnecting with the rest of our lives!
