No Technology for 3 Days – Could You Take a Tech Timeout?
We've become accustomed to the conveniences of technology. A quick text to ask if your partner can pick up milk on the way home. An internet search to see if green poop is normal. A video call to the kids when you're away for the evening, to say good night. It can feel reassuring to have this ability to connect.
At the same time, there is the other side of the coin. The family sitting at a restaurant together, silent, as each person stares at their smartphone. The conversation that needs to happen face-to-face, but ends up falling apart in a series of angry texts. The endless blogs about parents who are missing out on their children's lives because they are more concerned with getting the perfect photo for social media, rather than paying attention to the life happening in front of them.
Is there a way to strike a balance between the convenience and connectivity we value and the simultaneous disconnect that is so easy to fall into, which we want to avoid? Marty Riemer, founder of Twisted Scholar, along with author and filmmaker Michael Stusser are looking for that balance. They're encouraging families – teens, especially – not to ditch the technology, but to take a Tech Timeout to be reminded of what life can be without smartphones and video games.
The statistics are clear:
77% of US parents believe their family would benefit from taking a one hour break every day from technology, according to a recent Tech Timeout survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive and sponsored by Foresters. The same survey found that on average, a US resident admits to spending 6.5 hours per day on electronic devices outside of work.
Riemer and Stusser are here, today, talking with EverydayFamily's Shiloh Johnson, about The Tech Timeout Academic Challenge. It's not an attempt to rid teens of technology, but to give them a break that allows them to evaluate how tech influences their lives and their decisions. When you hear how many text messages they are sending in a day, it's a good reminder why this kind of thing is worth exploring. But teens aren't the only ones with tech addictions. This challenge is an extension of Tech Timeout, presented by Foresters, an international life insurance provider, in collaboration with Twisted Scholar, an innovative educational production company. Tech Timeout encourages families to take a one-hour break from technology each day, to reconnect and recharge themselves and their relationships with one another.
So what do you think? Could you take a three-day break from technology, or does the mere thought of it set you on edge? What about an hour a day? Check out the video and let us know your thoughts!