"On Thanksgiving Day, an hour or two before 22 guests began arriving at our house, I sent out an unplanned but urgent text message: " Take a deep breath...we are planning to collect all phones at the door tomorrow for the duration of our gathering. This is to allow us to drop in more fully to our special time together. It will be amazing!" Even as I sent the message, I worried about the pushback, the irritated remarks, the potential litany of excuses."
"It turns out that I needn't have worried at all. As the basket was filled with grubby-screened hunks of metal, I heard audible sighs of relief and even a grateful comment or two. "I'm so glad that you are doing this," my brother-in-law told me. "This is wonderful" was the general vibe, even though I had to help detach a few relatives from their phones."
Collecting phones at a family gathering created relief and deeper in-person engagement among guests. Audible sighs and grateful remarks followed as people handed over devices. Many people report various forms of screen addiction across generations, including distracted parents, resistant children, and teens preoccupied with texts during homework. Technological gadgets have become omnipresent, reducing slow mornings, spontaneous sibling play, and awareness during neighborhood walks. Adults who remain present, attuned, and model balanced technology use foster healthier behaviors in children. Implementing deliberate screen-free times at home and establishing phone-free policies at gatherings can strengthen attention, relationships, and mental well-being.
Read at Psychology Today
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