By Meg Hodson
iPads, Wii, smart phones....oh my! Ahh, you've heard about them, but have you done one? Can you take a timeout from technology for one hour a day? Well, that was the challenge set forth to me from Foresters Tech Timeout.
As many households these days, we are fairly "tech heavy". In my line of work, both as a small business owner and a blogger, I obviously use my computer, my iPhone, and my iPad everyday for extended periods. It's a similar situation for my husband. My daughter loves her iTouch. My two sons love games on the iPad and the occasional Wii game.
I was drawn to this challenge for one reason: the goal seemed feasible! Even with all the technology reliance I listed above, devoting one hour a day using nothing that needed charging or to be plugged in actually seemed not only attainable, but a welcome refrain for one week. My daughter, on the other hand, died gasped when I said we were taking on this challenge. She wasn't so convinced we could do it.
During the week, the easiest time for us to do this was right after school. In the rush that is walking through the door post school, I am focused on snack time for the kids, lining up homework for the afternoon, or preparing for afternoon activities, like dance. Even with all this busyness, I could always manage to check a few tweets or respond to an email. It's usually a time my daughter will catch up on her Instagram. But during the week, we're shifting gears with our Tech Timeout challenge.
The weekday challenge has gone great! While we can't use the iPad or computer if we need to check spelling or look up a quick fact for homework, there is no worry; that one homework check can wait. While social media moves fast, there is nothing that I can't catch up on if I am away from the online world for 1 hour.
I am always very involved in my children's homework, now even more so without my phone on the table. I'm more engaged. I'm looking at my children more as I talk to them (instead of scrolling through a text message from their father!)
The weekends were actually easier. We usually have a soccer game or event to attend; although I would normally snap pictures away, during this challenge, I learned to refrain.
If you're up for the challenge, too, click here to sign the pledge. Share your victories on social media with the hashtag #techtimeout.
