What’s your media diet like? Do you have a healthy balance? Too much? Too little? This month, the FitTips focus is how much media we all use with the goal to find a healthy middle ground so we can be plugged in when we need to be but unplugged to enjoy the greater world for more of our time.
Let’s face it, we’re all a bit too plugged in – adults and kids! If we can unplug just a bit more, our stress levels will come down and our qualities of experiences will go up! On average, we all spend a bit too much time plugged in and viewing screens, adults and kids. By paying more attention to how we spend our time with technology, we can maximize how we use it, become more efficient, and enjoy our off line lives a lot more!
Week 1: Do we really need cell phones to buy coffee?
How often have you had the experience of walking into your local coffee shop, restaurant or store only to have someone at the next table or aisle having a full blown conversation on their cell phone? I personally find that one of the more stressful situations to be in. And, if we are with our kids, good chance they will over hear some tidbit of adult life we don’t want them to be exposed to just yet. Somewhere along the line, a true lack of boundaries with cell phones has emerged that isn’t appropriate. It’s time we stop invading each other’s privacy and personal space and show a bit more respect for the public spaces we are occupying when using our cell phones.
Where do we start? We start with our own cell phone behavior and teaching our kids proper cell phone behavior. If we all do a bit better about not chatting in coffee lines, grocery stores and restuarants, a domino effect will start and soon enough we’ll be more cell free in public spaces.
Week 2: Do you know what your kids are connected to?
This is an issue that we all have to start and continue all year long. We not only need to pay attention to what our kids are using for technology but learn to chat with our kids about their technology use.
This week, start by making a list of what your kids are using from big to small. Ask them about privacy settings and let them know that from this week forward you will be active participants in their online lives.
How do you start the conversation? Here are some conversation starters:
“Let’s check out your Facebook page. I haven’t seen it in a while.”
“Just a heads up…I’m going to check your computer in an hour and look at your Facebook page, IM log and a few other social media spaces.”
“Whose on your Facebook ‘friends’ list?”
“I’ve noticed a lot of text minutes. Who do you usually text? Can I see your phone…I want to be sure you haven’t received any sext messages.”
The goal is for your tweens and teens to know you are in the moment and aware of what they are doing. As you build trust with your kids in conversations about their online use, the goal is to be sure they know to come to you if anything seems off – if someone they don’t know tries to friend them; if they receive a message that makes them uncomfortable; if they ever receive an inappropriate email or text, such as ‘sexting’.
Week 3: Screen Turn Off Week
Formerly “TV turn off week”, now we have “turn off week” to get off all screens for a week and live life. Just give it a try. It may seem jarring to your kids to have zero screens on for a week so keep everyone moving! This is a great time to bond as a family with board games, walks in the park, outings to museums and places you haven’t visited in a while. You can listen to music and just talk about “stuff”.
This month’s column has a lot of ideas for you.
Week 4: Media tune-up
This week ask your self “what do I need less of?”, “is there a technology preventing me from being productive?” This is the week to look at how your family members use technology and make sure everyone’s “media diet” is healthy and helpful, and not hurtful, for their goals of the day. Where to start? Have everyone create a diary for a day of what they use that requires a plug, batteries or ear phones; what they do with those technologies and for how long. Then, gather around the table and share your diaries together. You may be surprised by what you learn about each other and can then chat about ways you can tweak what you use and when.
Perhaps you need to help each other have a schedule for checking email and using Facebook. Perhaps people need designated “no media” times so you all can interact more as a family. The tweaks will be different for everyone but the end result is the same: to use technology more mindfully and consciously so you can have more unplugged time in the real world…and actually enjoy it!
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