February is here! February is reduced technology month at the DiDonato household. Last year this was a successful experiment, so we’re trying it again.
The rules last time were as follows:
Cell phones:
Cell phones can be used as communication tools: phone calls, FaceTimes, texts, or emails.
Apps can be used only if the supplement some other activity. For example: logging our exercise or looking up a recipeTelevision:
Our TV will be unplugged for all of FebruaryLaptops:
All the same rules as cell phones
Laptops can be used for work
Laptops can further be used for errands like paying bills or ordering a water filter off Amazon
This year we’re adding three modifiers:
1. Online stuff is okay if we’re researching stuff for Baby D.
2. Exceptions are allowed if we are alone
3. Using technology as part of a social event is okay
Explanations:
#1 Baby comes first.
#2 is in response to February being a month that has school vacation for Jen. The goal with no-technology February is to make sure that technology doesn’t get between us. No time where we are both sitting around together, but completely engrossed in our own tiny world of cell phone usage. That’s dumb. We don’t want that. But, if Jen’s flying solo at home while I’m fully preoccupied at work, that has nothing to do with our goal of spending time together instead of with our devices.
#3 We will absolutely be using our television for the super bowl. This is a social event meant to bring people together, not to pull them apart.
And that’s it!
I’ll try to prep a few website posts so that this doesn’t turn into more of a barren landscape of disinterest.
Have you heard of the Forest app? You pick an amount of time and then if you don’t use your phone you get a tree planted in a virtual forest. It’s simple but I find it extremely satisfying to plant trees instead of using my phone. It’s really helped me kick the habit of checking for msgs every 15 minutes and constantly checking the weather and stupid things like that.
Jen just told me about this app! It worked for you? When I first read your comment I thought maybe somewhere they were planting REAL trees – that would be insane.
Maybe I’ll give this a shot!