How to connect with family but at the same time not use your cell phone.
It’s hard to be present when you are constantly checking your phone or tablet. You would be surprised how much more engaged you are when your eyes are not glued to a screen. Family activities like playing a board game, playing cards, or just talking about your day do not require a cell phone in order to be effective. Sometimes we need to unplug and reconnect!
“Unplug and Reconnect” is a revolutionary new way to connect with your family, loved ones, and friends. Its simple really, all you have to do is turn off your cell phone.
We live in a digital world. With the rapid advancement of technology, our society is constantly plugged in. From the moment we wake up in the morning until we go to bed at night, we are using some form of technology. Whether it be our computers at work, watching television at home, or getting updates from social media on our smartphones, we are never truly present in the moment.
Our society has become dependent on these devices for entertainment and information. But what happens when you turn them off? It is important to “unplug” and reconnect with those around you by being present at that moment. This means taking a break from social media and not responding to your emails while you are eating dinner with your family or having discussions with colleagues at work or catching up with friends over coffee. Be here now!
The next time you see someone pulling out their cell phone while they are talking to you ask them if they would like to unplug and reconnect? The results may surprise you!
Imagine a world where children play outside until dark and then come inside to eat family meals and do homework. Imagine a world where the whole family sits down together to enjoy a meal and then goes off to play games, read, or talk.
Our family has always made an effort to limit the amount of television that our children watch. We feel strongly about this for several reasons. The television is just not an educational tool for young children and it does not stimulate their imaginations like playing outdoors does. We have also found that when we allow our children to have unlimited access to TV, they do not want to go outside or engage in any other activities…they just want to sit in front of the television for hours on end.
We have found that unplugging from technology is one of the best ways for our family to reconnect with each other on a daily basis. Our oldest child has recently gotten interested in reading and she has gone through several books in just a few weeks. Our twins are enjoying some quality time together playing outdoors and they are coming up with fun imaginary games on their own without needing any fancy toys. And my husband and I are actually having conversations again…face-to-face!
I can honestly say that now that we have cut back on
If you are like most people, your cell phone is a constant companion. You use it for many things: keeping appointments, texting friends, checking email and accessing the internet. But even though smartphones connect us to everyone and everything else in the world, they can disconnect us from those who are closest to us. You may find yourself sitting down to dinner with your family, but instead of engaging in conversation and enjoying each other’s company, you’re all on your phones or tablets. Rather than connecting with others, we often find ourselves consumed by our phones, lost in a world of virtual reality.
Put your phone away!
You may find that when you go out to dinner with friends or family members, everyone pulls out their phones. If they don’t have them out already, they will turn them on as soon as they finish eating. But why not make a decision to put your phone away when you sit down at the table? Don’t just turn it off–put it completely out of sight and reach. It’s difficult to resist the urge to check your phone if it is right next to you or if you can see it vibrating across the table. Encourage others at the table to do the same thing. If everyone puts their phones away (and turns them
The other day, I was talking to my friend about the phenomenon of children spending more and more time on their cell phones. We were discussing how cell phones are changing children’s lives for the worse, and how we would like to prevent our future children from being so attached to their cell phones.
As we were speaking, my friend received a phone call. After she hung up, she turned back to me and said “You know what? I have an idea! Let’s have a no-phone party!” After thinking about her idea for a moment, I said, “Sure! Good idea!”
A no-phone party is exactly as it sounds: you and your friends get together and disconnect from your phones for a night. During this night you can talk about more important things than gossiping about people on Instagram or watching funny videos on YouTube.
As teenagers, we spend way too much time on our cell phones. Although mobile phones provide us with a lot of entertainment through social media and instant messaging, they also draw us away from the real world. It is easy to get lost in the virtual world of technology rather than living in the real one.
We should take advantage of our youth now by connecting with others without distractions such as mobile devices. A
If you don’t use your mobile phone while you’re on vacation, it won’t be there when you get back.
It sounds like a paradoxical statement, but we all know the feeling of returning from a trip only to find that the mobile phone bill is way higher than usual. Even if there are no roaming charges, it can be hard to keep track of the time spent using WhatsApp and Facebook.
To avoid this, I have set up a few simple rules for myself:
1) Do not use your phone while waiting to board a flight or go through customs. This is one of my favorite moments during a trip because I can relax with my family and talk about what we did during our trip.
2) Turn off notifications on apps like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – that way you won’t be bothered by messages and updates that are not essential. Remember that these apps were created so that we could connect with others, not disconnect from our own lives!
3) Take advantage of airline apps – some airlines offer an app where you can download entertainment content for free to watch offline for up to 30 days after flying. I always travel with this option activated so that my kids can watch movies or play
It is imperative to maintain a healthy balance between the time we spend with our devices and the time we spend with our loved ones.
To begin, it is important to be mindful of your habits. Try to notice when you reach for your phone mindlessly: when you are walking down the street, or when you are waiting in line. When you do this, stop and think about what else you could do instead. Acknowledge the people around you, look at what is around you, or simply sit down and relax. It is a good way to practice mindfulness and awareness.
Along with this, take time away from your phone each day. This can be challenging at first, but as it becomes part of your routine it will become easier. Your evenings are a good place to start; try to put your phone away during dinner and after dinner until bedtime (and if possible, leave it outside of the bedroom). As you get used to this, try turning off notifications on your phone so that they don’t distract you during work or while you’re spending quality time with family.
As part of this process, remember to treat yourself well – take breaks! If working without breaks makes you more inefficient and stressed out, then they aren’t worth it. Taking an