In honor of the National Day of Unplugging, we invite you to turn off your devices. Go ahead, we'll wait. Still...waiting. It's not that easy to shake off the yoke of digital addiction, especially here in the Bay Area, the epicenter of the wired world. That's precisely why this day of detox was born.
Dubbed the "Most Important Holiday You Are Too Busy Texting to Notice," the annual 24-hour period of technology abstinence will take place from sundown, Friday, March 9 through sundown, Saturday, March 10. I know that sounds way too long to go without the heady rush of dopamine-inducing ping. But think about it. There's a growing body of evidence that technology may be having a negative impact on our brains, especially if they are still growing.
Founded by the national non-profit group Reboot, this is a day dedicated to loosening the electronic leash just a little bit. To help you along, they will send you a cute little cell phone sleeping bag you take their pledge. One caveat. They have already sent 35,000 bags this year and they are currently out of stock.
"We increasingly miss out on the important moments of our lives as we pass the hours with our noses buried in our devices," as their website states.
Having to be always on, always reachable, always reactive can takes a toll on your peace of mind. Some of us first realized we were addicted to the pinging when our four-year-old dunked our iPhone into a cup of coffee. And giggled like a maniac. That sent a message that technology can interfere with parenting.
So why not try? Go offline. Maybe even go outside. Talk to actual people. We dare you.
