Tech-free time: A parent's guide to digital detox

Picture this: You've made your family’s favorite dinner, complete with dessert. Your partner and teen sit down with you to enjoy it. Laughter and conversation about the day's events ensue. Then: DING! ⏰ Your teen’s attention snaps to their phone to see who texted them. Not 15 seconds later, your phone vibrates with a news notification. The conversation turns to silence.

As a parent, you're probably much too familiar with smartphone distractions that get in the way of family bonding. While you can't prevent incoming texts and phone calls, you can take control of the situation with a digital detox. 

A digital detox is an opportunity to put aside all digital devices for a set time, such as a few hours or a weekend. The goal is to reclaim face-to-face time with family and friends and prevent overreliance on smartphones, tablets, and other devices. Regular digital detoxes can improve concentration, reduce stress, strengthen relationships 💪, and boost productivity for the entire family. Pretty useful, right? 

When to start a digital detox

A Pew Research study found that 71% of parents worry about their children's screen time. Here are a few signs it may be time to try a digital detox at home. 📴

• Disagreeing about the use of digital devices 

• Losing interest in hobbies, such as sports or music

• Using digital devices during family or school activities

• Always having a digital device on hand

• Seeming distracted or unfocused

Too much screen time can affect your kid's mental health, ramping up depression or anxiety. It can also interfere with physical activity and with academic performance. 

As a parent, you want the best for your kids. If you notice signs they're spending too much time on their devices, a phone detox may be in order.

How to start a digital detox

Limiting social media, video games, and texts from friends is likely a sensitive subject with your kids, especially if they use their devices regularly. If you explain your concerns, they're more likely to understand you have their wellbeing in mind. Talk to them about specific examples you've seen — avoid broad generalities and statements like "Kids these days" or "When I was a kid." For example, you might pull up their iPhone screen time activity and show it to them. Clear evidence of their habits can go a long way to getting them on board with a digital detox.

Once they see how much they use their phones (and how they could use that time in other ways), getting them to participate in a full-fledged technology detox is more manageable. Here's how to do a digital detox successfully.

1. Setting boundaries: The key to success

Where do you draw the line in the sand with digital devices? Are there specific times when your kids should be completely free of them? While every family is different, a few times you might want your kids to put devices away include:

• During family dinners 🍲

• When doing schoolwork

• Before bedtime 💤

• When getting ready for school

• On special days, like holidays or family reunions 🎉

Once you decide when phones, TVs, tablets, and other devices should be turned off in the house, stick to the rules — and hold yourself and your partner to them, too. Setting a positive example at the adult level shows your commitment to the screen time detox and that you take the issue seriously. 

Some families go so far as to designate a place to hold all digital devices during the chosen times. You could use a kitchen drawer or even put them in a lockbox. Try a few options and see what works best for your family.

2. Fun alternatives to screen time

Beyond TV, laptop, and smartphone screens, a whole wide world is waiting to be experienced. Show your kids what they're missing, and find a few activities that don't involve screens to rope them into. 

Think about what your kids enjoy doing most on their devices. Look for real-life equivalents. For instance, if they like video games, take them shopping for a family-oriented board game you could all play together. Or consider signing them up for a local escape room challenge or scavenger hunt with friends. 

If your kids are athletically inclined, encourage them to try out for a sport they enjoy, like softball or basketball. 🏀 

If creative pursuits are more their thing, find ways to cultivate those skills, like taking an art class or writing a short story. 🎨

3. Involving your kids in the detox process

It can be all too easy to seize the reins as a parent, but leave some room for your kid's input, too. Ask them how they feel about a screen detox and if they believe they spend too much time with their devices. Dig in and get specific with their answers — are they distracted by their phone in class or with friends? Do they feel stressed when scrolling through social media? Is anyone bullying them online?

Seek their advice about activities they enjoy outside of technology and how you can support their interests. The more they feel a part of the detox process, the more willing they'll be to participate. 

Using technology wisely

Tech companies are wising up to screen time's impact on everyone, from adults to young kids. Many tech companies now offer parental controls to help manage screen time usage, including Xbox, Windows, and Apple. Using the controls, you can limit device usage to specific periods and lock access afterward. You can also disallow access to certain apps or internet content you don't want them to see.

Of course, technology isn't inherently bad — and some tools can promote learning and family safety. Greenlight Infinity includes family location sharing, crash detection, and SOS alerts that protect your kids when they're not with you while giving them the independence they want. Through Greenlight Infinity, they can alert emergency services with a quick swipe. Plus, you'll have access to cell phone protection coverage if your child's device is damaged or stolen. 

A technology detox can inspire healthy tech habits

Following a digital detox, sit back and reflect. Talk to your family and discuss their feelings and anything they picked up on during the process. Did they find they slept better at night or enjoyed activities they usually don't participate in? Do they think a regular tech or TV detox will help strengthen connections with friends or relatives? What do they imagine people did before cell phones? 

The more kids see how device usage affects them, the more likely they are to do something about it if they notice negative impacts. They'll carry those lessons into adulthood — something you can be proud of. A win-win. 

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