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Saint on the Street:
How Do you Alleviate Digital Distractions?
Kaely Holt, Reporter/Managing Editor (Liberty Ward)
Aaron Blanch (Liberty Ward)
One way that has helped me is to place a boundary on playing games on my phone and using it as a tool to unwind. I find it helpful for short amounts of time to alleviate stress but have also find that using technology to learn (ie a new language on Duo lingo) can be just as rewarding as playing games for pure entertainment. My kids also get excited and involved as we study a new language together. Setting a boundary of times and places to put away our technology is something we are working on as a family so we can turn on our family as our prophet has counseled.
Claudia Boress (Liberty Ward)
Smartphones are everywhere, and teens especially are suffering from anxiety and depression in record numbers.
Our family has tried to push back against this trend by refusing to provide our kids with smartphones of their own.
We have “no device days” and encourage our kids to read or play.
On Sundays we especially try to keep off of devices, except for when reading scriptures, conference talks, and church magazines.
Louisa Malan Shoal Creek Valley Ward
I am a rare teen who does not own a phone. Crazy, right? My parents have chosen to not allow us to not have our own until just before college. Although sometimes I wish I had one, and may not understand all the reasons why, I trust my parents and know I’ve been blessed to not have the weight of distraction, possible addictions, constant peer pressure, as well as other things. I am on the computer for school for several hours a day, but there is no social media accounts to disrupt my focus on my studies. Regarding social media, I’m realizing that sometimes it’s easiest to make the one-time choice of just choosing not to participate in the first place or to take regular technology fasts as suggested by President Nelson. I use my parents’ phones when I need to and we have a family phone as well when I babysit or go somewhere. I’m glad the Lord has blessed us with technology that moves His work forward and it’s fun to use it for those purposes and in other uplifting, creative, and wholesome ways!
Mike Thorne Doniphan Ward
Like many of you, I love the digital age. And… I hate the digital age. Almost all of us have lives enmeshed with modern technology. Even if we wanted to, there is no going back to a pre-digital age, at least not for the majority of us who depend on using technology for a living. And… the distractions from our phones and other technology have greatly influenced our daily patterns over the last 20 years, whether it be in our private time as individuals, as siblings, as parents, as spouses, or as grandparents. Some pattern changes have been awesome! Some NOT awesome. While we acknowledge the great benefits and blessings of technology, there are small and simple ways to take back control from algorithms and distractions… …If we want to! The SIMPLEST but not the smallest solution to dramatically detox from being digitally dominated and distracted is to DISCONNECT from devices during much of the day. Um… Mike… What?! Hey, I said SIMPLE… not EASY. And I’m an alliteration aficionado, an admirer even 🙂 Anyway, disconnecting for long periods may not be practical. Or maybe it is for you. If so, great. If not, keep reading 🙂 If we can’t or don’t want to dramatically detach and detox, we could simply hide away the devices in the morning and the evening hours, and anytime we don’t absolutely need them. I might ask myself, “But even if I wanted to do that, is it really that simple?” Well, when we start to weigh the details of everyday life…ya probably not, at least not every single day. However, for some, their ideal even goes so far as living the ‘flip-phone life,’ and that’s their chosen flex in today’s world. And that’s amazing. Hey, you do what works for you… Here are a few other powerful techniques to maintain your personal control over your real life. These small details might have a large impact and are simply food for thought: Turn off all notifications from all apps. Whoa! But what if we need to be reached urgently via one reliable method? Maybe turn off all notifications except that essential one. Or those two. Choosing LESS distractions is a simple step, but a powerful one. Designate tech-free zones around the house. Maybe the bedrooms. Maybe also the living room. Maybe also the kitchen. Maybe the breakfast and dinner table. Maybe the bathroom. Hey, maybe the entire house 😉 Ha… My kids would abandon ship! Ok, a couple/few more… Use apps to block apps 🙂 Make technology bow to you instead of bowing down to its every demand for attention. During work sessions or study sessions, make agreements with yourself and others about how you will and will not use your phones. There are other details and observations in a short article by Harvard Health that may convince you to make a change or two. The article title is Staying Focused in the Era of Digital Distractions and can be found by a simple Google search. Cheers! Live long and prosper.
Next Month's Question:
What’s a fun activity you do with your family to help you grow closer together?
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