how to make someone get off the computer

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.

Remember the days before we had the internet and smart phones and computers and social media and all of that technology, constantly buzzing in our ears?

I miss the days before technology ran our lives!

Of course there are tons of benefits and it’s very convenient now being able to get the answers to almost all the questions we’ve ever wondered in an instant, but I miss the mystery.

I miss the curly-fry-esque cord phones. You know, the ones you couldn’t take with you? The ones you had to actually stand in the kitchen, holding to the side of your head, as you tried not to tangle it up as you paced the room?

The ones you curled around your finger as you were talking to someone you hadn’t heard from in days or weeks?

I wonder how current parents in this new age are going to handle the new problems that have arisen with technology overload.

I wonder what I’ll do with my own kids.

When I used to be a nanny, it was hard enough to peel the kids away from the TV and video games for five seconds to pay attention or get their homework done.

It really took a concerted effort on my part to get them excited about going outside to ride bikes, walk the dog or play basketball.

And that was my job! I was there specifically to make sure these kids were taken care of, and I spent all my energy doing so.

So I can only imagine that if a parent is tired from work, or stress, or doesn’t have much free time as it is… how daunting this task is going to become as technology continues to take over our lives.

It blows my mind that kids now won’t ever understand having to call the home phones of their friends and crush’s house, getting nervous over whether they or their parents will answer.

It totally blows my mind! Those experiences shaped me as a person, socially. I don’t know how I would be or think or behave without them.

I read an article yesterday too about how some schools are trying to do away with books and supplies in order to switch to an all technology-based way of learning.

As in, they are swapping everything out for iPads and creating a “more interactive learning experience” for kids.

I’m not saying this is all bad. But I will be very interested to see how our eyes evolve in the next few decades, because I’m 100% positive they’re not meant to be looking at back-lit screens 24/7.

Not to mention our attention spans. And our cultural conditioning. And our fitness levels. And the amount we’re sitting, staring blankly in front of screens or typing text messages til our thumbs hurt.

Personally, I still prefer books. Real books that I can hold in my hand and smell and touch and turn the pages of. And I love the smell of libraries, and book stores.

Barnes & Nobles everywhere have been dropping off like flies. Are they really going to disappear one day?

I sure hope not…

So the question remains, how do you make someone disconnect?

I guess you can just ask.

Go outside. Go for a walk. Suggest a new activity. Set an example. Meditate. Get moving. Go out in public. Leave your phone at home. Become fully human again.

The future depends on us, remembering our roots.