Do we need to “do something” about the effects of smartphones on teenage children? The backlash against the omnipresent devices has begun. Parents on both sides of the Atlantic are increasingly worried that smartphones pose a threat to the current generation of teenagers, who have grown up with a phone almost constantly in their hand. Smartphones make our teenagers anxious, tired narcissists who lack empathy and the ability to communicate properly in person. Or so the story goes.
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Unplugging Day #4
Funny Vid from our recent Unplugging Day
Face-a-book
Screentime & Bedtime [Infographic + research]
Is your family tired from being wired?
Is everyone, especially the children, sleeping well at night? If not, how much exposure does everyone have to tech devices and gadgets before bedtime?
Studies, like this one from Ohio State University, show a very strong correlation between electronic devices such as cellular phones, tablets, computers, and even television, and sleep deprivation. While the OSU study examined adults ages 18-39, a common result from a variety of studies indicates that the reason electronic devices cause restless sleep has to do with the frequency of the light they emit.
This is a huge factor in our ever-growing population of youth using technology. If this is bad for the adults, then it clearly can not be good for kids!
Of course, this technology also provides us with a lot of benefits – communication, entertainment, education and even family time are all facilitated by our phones, tablets, and computers. Finding the balance between these gadgets and sleep-time is tough, especially when we rely on them so much. Even some adults swear they can’t get to sleep without a television in the background, despite the mountains of evidence proving that this actually interferes with restful sleep. In fact, even using media devices as much as thirty minutes before sleeping can disrupt rest, for both children and adults! What can parents do to curb this?
The American Pediatric Association has some strategies for parents about getting kids unplugged before bedtime to ensure restful sleep. However, the most important thing is awareness of the effects of screentime before bedtime.
We rely on our technology so much that often we don’t give it a second thought, so it’s vital to be aware – both for yourself and for your little ones – what the effects of screentime actually are. Armed with this information, you can devise your own ways to ensure that your kids – and even you – have a good night’s sleep, uninterrupted by media devices:
This post was written by Amy Williams
6 TED Talks That Will Change the Way You Look at Your Phone
Great talks about various aspects of our relationship with our phones:
6 TED Talks That Will Change the Way You Look at Your Phone
Hi App Developers, How Are You Doin’?
“In the Attention Economy, technology and media are designed to maximize our screen-time. But what if they were designed to help us live by our values? www.timewellspent.io
What if news & media companies were creating content that enriched our lives, vs. catering to our most base instincts for clicks?
What if social platforms were designed to help us create our ideal social lives, instead of to maximize time-on site and “likes”?
What if dating apps measured their success in how well they helped us find what we’re looking for instead of in number of swipes?
As technology gets more and more engaging, and as AI and VR become more and more prevalent in our day-to-day lives, we need to take a look at how we’re structuring our future.”
Text by “Time Well Spent”.
It is a movement to align technology with our humanity: timewellspent.io
How I quit my smartphone addiction and really started living
“The phone rings: it’s my friend checking to see if I can pick her up on the way to a dinner party. I ask her where she is and as she explains, I reach as far as I can across the countertop for a pen. I scribble the address in my trusty notebook I keep in my back pocket. I tell her I’ll be at her place in about 20 minutes, give or take a few. Then I hang up. Literally.
I physically take the handset receiver away from my ear and hang it on the weight-triggered click switch that cuts off my landline’s dial tone.”
A great write up by Jenna Woginrich for The Guardian.
The sad truth
If you feel so cool with your smartphone always in your hands and tons of likes in your Facebook status and posts, remember:
You get the most of your likes from people sitting on the toilet.
STOP PHUBBING ME
The last smartphone-related trend is the so-called phubbing: let’s find out what it is. It is shortly described as “the act of snubbing someone in a social setting by looking at your phone instead of paying attention”.
It is really overflowing! You can see it everywhere. Sometimes it’s surprising, some other times it’s strange, sad, frustrating or even non-sense, but it is there. You can see it.
Let’s play a game. After reading this post, spend a whole day paying attention to this phenomenon: wherever you go, in the pub, in the underground, during a meeting, in the restaurant, at the disco. Count how many times you can see phubbing event occurring around you. Then, do you a favour: question people’s behaviour and ask yourself why they are doing that. Yes, you got it. That’s what we stand for.
Please raise the awareness and help your neighbor.
Here you can find a well-buildt website that talks about phubbing. Enjoy it!
BEFORE | AFTER
BEFORE | AFTER
There is a before/after in our life; and with “our” I mean we people born before the digital natives generation. I am talking about the moment when the smartphones decided to walk in our lives and take possess of them.
It was not that long ago, actually. Up until only 10 years ago we were able to handle our life (with all its cheerful time and struggles) without smartphone at all. Now most of us can’t imagine a day – and a life* – without it. It didn’t take them that long and, in a blink of an eye, basically everyone started walking down the streets with the face stuck to the smartphone screen.
* usually a feeling reserved to the soulmate.
Do we really need it? Do we remember how it was before?
Here are some pictures that ironically show you the difference.
Raise your hand if it never happened to you.
What do you tell me about the WhatsApp flags?!
“I won’t steal it. I promise!”
“What was your number again?”
. . .
“Did anyone say something??”
What if now I tell you to change our point of view? Let’s read the pictures from right to left. Do you still think a change is impossible?
UNPLUG EVERY DAY
Did you ever find yourself in front of the mirror
“Okay! From now on I promise I will change. I will change my habits and the way I use my phone. I will reduce and unplug. I promise.”
speaking to the reflected-you like this?
Let me ask you another question. How many times did it happen?
If your answer is more than once, it means that your good intention and that resolute and determined version of you failed somehow. Well, we can tell you that you’re not the only one around here. Despite all the effort, it always seems we are going nowhere or we are stuck.
But someone decided to write a book about it and now we are glad to tell you that you can make it!
Here you are: 365 Ways to Log Off and Live Better – that’s what the title says. This little book offers 365 achievable ways to take small breaks from technology during your everyday life; its suggestions may encourage you to unplug from electronics and appreciate your surroundings. With an inspiring sentence for every day of your year, you will be able to live better, notice it and reflect on the power of unplugging.
Enjoy the reading!
A book for kids who are addicted to screens
A book for kids who are addicted to screens
Our book is finally ready.
Head to the Kindle store to check it out (printed version will be ready in two weeks time).
Young leaders disconnected
Our Lior is talking about UNDIGITIZE in front of young leaders in Brussels. For 90 mins their smartphones were in the middle of the room (and of course we had one ringing in the middle 
😉
Not Available On The App Store
One of our volunteers sent us this amazing picture
The Day of Unplugging #1 Tel-Aviv
We’re on TV
Activities on the Unplugging Day
New Design. New Shirts. Get Real
Party without Phone – come dance with us
UNDIGITIZE.ME 