Back in 2013 I blogged about "My Adventure into Digital Detoxification." It was on a whim and it turned out that it wasn't too bad being away from my phone for an extended period of time. I managed to continue my mini Digital Detox routine the next couple of summers right at the end of each school year, but then eventually quit doing them.
Looking at a phone/screen has become second nature to us What's going on on Twitter? Let's see what so and so posted on Instagram. While I'm at it I may as well check my school email to see if I have any messages. Oh, and I had better go and see if there is anything funny on TikTok. All while gobbling up that precious time.
Stop! Enough already. I was wasting my time on the screen in my hands.
Let's be honest. We've all had too much screen time over the last 14 months. It started with leading classes remotely during the pandemic and snowballed. Too much screen time. It makes you feel like crap.
This year in my Digital Innovations class I wanted to focus on the topic of screen time and I had my eighth grade students watch the Netflix documentary-drama "The Social Dilemma." If you haven't watched it, I would highly encourage it. Each day after viewing, we had some really powerful conversations about what we watched and we all agreed that we are spending more and more time on our screens.
One particular quote from the documentary that really made me think...
"If you are not paying for the product, you are the product."
Think about that for a second. Let it sink in.
Don't get me wrong. I love being connected. Especially as an educator. I've learned so much from educators all over the world the last 12 years on Twitter. I loved sharing photos of my family and my cooking and gardening adventures on Instagram. It's fun, but it's also time consuming.
I'm going to take my advice from my 2013 blog post.
It's time to take another adventure into Digital Detoxification and to focus on the things that bring me JOY.
I took all social media off of my phone last week and it has been amazing! It wasn't easy right away, but after a couple of days you realize how great it is.
I plan on blogging (again) to fill the time. I haven't blogged in a year and a half and composing this feels great. It's seems to give my brain a purpose. I love the creative energy that it gives me.
I've replaced my habit of picking up my phone and replaced it with picking up a book. Easily knocking out Kristin Hannah's latest gem "The Four Winds" the last couple of days.
I've focused on being PRESENT. Enjoying the moment.
Time to focus on what life was like BSM (before social media) and realizing it's okay to be bored. I don't think we allow ourselves to be bored anymore. Our phones have become digital pacifiers. Bored? Take out phone, scroll through social media, check your messages, look at your inbox, put it away. Do it again a couple minutes later.
I'm sure I'll miss out on a great tweet or two. I won't be sharing any Cooking with Craig on my Instagram. But I will be creating more creative content on my cooking newsletter and this blog.
Writing and reading makes me feel good, so that's where I'm going to focus my time until school starts.
Oh yea, I'll be out in my flower garden a lot more too, you just won't see any stories about it. :-)
Enjoy the rest of your summer and take a little time to unplug and recharge with a digital detox of your own.
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