Unplug to Reconnect : A Digital Detox Guide

In this era of the digital world, everyone is glued to a screen all day. Not only teenagers, but even adults. Instead of exploring new hobbies, spending time with your loved ones or exercising, all anyone and everyone does is sit with a screen, be it a phone or a TV. As a mother and a wife, sometimes it feels like it’s your responsibility to bring human interaction and warmth back into your home, doesn’t it? This blog post will help you do just that. 

Often when people attempt a family digital detox, they take it to an extreme by cutting off the Wi-Fi or hiding all the electronic devices, but there’s a better way to go about a digital detox. The only way the digital detox will be a true detoxification is if the family is eased into it, in a way that makes them feel like they don’t want to sit inside all day staring at a screen.

The easiest way to begin is by encouraging family activity and togetherness. It could be gathering everyone to help cook dinner in the kitchen, or attempting a hobby together, but something that requires the use of both hands, so they have to keep away from the phone. Doing this once or twice a week will automatically increase the warmth in the home. 

No devices at the dinner table is also a great way to begin a digital detox. With no entertainment, the family has no choice but to interact with each other and engage in conversation, often ending in laughter.

Once the family is used to doing an activity together away from their devices and having meals without screens, we can begin a concept of Screen-Free Sunday where all the work on the screen has to be finished by Saturday evening, after which all devices must be put away. It can be turned into a contest, where whoever lasts the entire Sunday without a device in their hand wins. On Screen-Free Sunday, you can engage the family in board games, a sport, cooking or another hobby. 

Follow the above three things for a few months, and you will see a change in everyone’s behavior. Now is the time to encourage them to step out of the house or have 3 hours everyday without devices. Naturally, over a period of time, the family will themselves detach from the digital world and warmth will be back in your home!

by Aadya Mittal

Grade 9Intern JBCN International School