Take the \”Plug Back Into Life Challenge!\”

The Plug Back into Life ^sm Challenge!

How to Go Low-Tech Some of the Time

 Try any of these ideas to reduce your digital tech use just a small amount and see how it feels!

 By Dr. David Greenfield

1. Leave your Smartphone in the car when you go into a restaurant to eat.
2. Turn your cell/Smartphone OFF (not vibrate) for at least 1-hour a day—yes…1 whole hour of being disconnected!
3. Try setting a 1-hour limit whenever you go into your Computer, Laptop or Tablet and then TURN IT OFF (assuming you are not using for work/school.
4. Try to have one real-time^sm face to face conversation with someone without cell, text, email, or social media, e.g. meet for coffee, a walk, or a meal—do some real-time^sm activity when you have the urge to go online or play with your Smartphone.
5. Create a rule where your Cell/Smartphone cannot be at the dinner table in your home; get the phone off the table!
6. When in a checkout line, waiting room, or waiting somewhere try to have real a conversation with a person, read a book, of just sit and experience “no activity or distraction”–don’t just mindlessly play with your Smartphone all the time.
7. Limit yourself to checking texts, tweets, emails, Facebook to a certain number of times a day—like a digital diet with limited digital calories to consume—once you’ve used them up you are done for the day.
8. Limit you total Internet and digital media use time for all activities to a certain number of hours per day and keep track of when you go on and off; the internet makes you lose track of time and space so if you don’t keep track you’ll be using it more than you think!
9. Go 1 night a week without your cell/Smartphone next your pillow or bed.
10. Take a no-tech^sm vacation completely without technology for a weekend or even a week!
11. Ask yourself if you really need to use your Smartphone or other digital/Internet device and for what reason? Are you just bored, or using it to numb a bad mood, or avoid doing something else?
12. Be honest with yourself about how much time you spend with your devices. Track how many hours you are on and off a day.  By using them less than what you do now, you can just take a bit more control of your use or overuse of the technology.

For more information about how to \”Plug Back Into Life\”,  check out Dr. Dave\’s latest DVD for parents helping to manage their children\’s devices  – RAISING GENERATION D!