Is it still possible to have fun without digital screens??
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It seems like our first instinct when we’re bored or our kids are bored is to go to our electronic devices and games. From gaming systems to phone games to streaming services, unlimited entertainment is always at our fingertips. At times and in moderation this can be great, but too much of anything is not a good thing.
Time for a screen break
A recent study of teens found that those who used social media more than 3 hours per day were twice as likely to have mental health issues like anxiety and depression. There is a plethora of evidence – and I’m sure that your own personal experience will attest to this as well – that excessive time on internet-connected apps, like video games and social media, is really bad for us. We need a break – time to let our mind reset from the limitless, dopamine-inducing world of technology that has the power to addict us and keep us from living well.
An article by Stanford describes the myriad of issues that excessive screen time can have for people of all ages on top of the mental health issues we already discussed.
- Eye strain
- Chronic pain from sitting too much
- Social isolation
- Impaired decision-making and problem-solving
- Increased risk for brain-related diseases (inc. dementia and Parkinson’s)
If any other activity we did for hours a day had these risks, we would be well aware and likely be doing more to limit our time doing it. But because tech use has become so commonplace and an intrinsic part of our lives, we’ve become numb to the dangers and challenges it causes.
What now?
It can feel extremely challenging to step away from the routine of excessive tech usage. But you can do it, and it can become a huge blessing for you and your family. Here are some ideas for moving toward less tech time.
Observe
Before diving into potentially difficult lifestyle changes, just take note of your current tech usage.
- What do you like about it? What are the ways you and your family use tech that really benefits you?
- What do you not like about it? Do you notice negative consequences (from anxiety to physical pain to less happiness) when you consume certain forms of digital content (the news, social media, video games, etc.) too much?
- How might things look different if you had the proper relationship with technology that you want?
There’s no point in making a bunch of changes that may not be necessary or actually make things worse for you, so take some time to think through those areas of your technology usage that really could use improvement before trying to take action.
Act
Once you have an idea of where you might need to pull back on device usage, it’s time to put things in place to make that possible for you to do. Most apps and games are built to addict you, and combining that with years of routine makes a very potent habit that can be hard to break. You’ll need to do more than just telling yourself that you’ll stop opening that app or watching that show when you get home from a long day of work.
There are a lot of different things you can do, but a successful change will look different for everyone and be based on your own unique circumstances and personality. Here are some ideas for simple steps that may help you.
- Get rid of it. That addictive game or app that you’ve told yourself or your family members to get rid of for years? You might just need to make a clean cut and get rid of it for good. Throw that game away. Delete your social media profile. Delete that app and block redownload attempts. Whatever it takes to prevent you and yours from falling back into unhealthy habits is always worth it.
- Do it together. “Everything’s better together”, including making healthy lifestyle changes. If you make your kids stop using technology at a certain time of day, join in with them! Put your phone away and have some tech-free time together to support one another.
Fill in the free time. If you cut down your tech time by multiple hours per week but don’t have a plan what to do in place of that time, your natural instinct will be to go right back to doing the thing you were hoping to stop. There are a million different tech-free things you could do, so go find something that will bring you joy! Learn a new instrument. Go for walks or play outdoor games with your family. Read a physical book. Use this newfound free time for your and your family’s good!
I hope this has sparked some introspection into your tech time. I encourage you to continue thinking about it and seeing if there are ways you can have more tech-free time.
For more information and ideas on how to protect your family, reach out to me for individual consulting via my Contact page.
Until next time!
Casey
