Community News

As the holidays approach, this 1 Big Idea is about something we all need but rarely give ourselves permission to do: unplug.

We’ve heard the warnings: the blue light, the doomscrolling, the "phantom vibrations" of a phone that’s actually sitting silent across the room. But what if we went beyond hearing them and actually did something about it this holiday season? What if we reclaimed the break as a time to reconnect, not to Wi-Fi but to family, friends, and the parts of life that don’t require a password?

Here’s the idea: Let’s all make this holiday break a time to press pause on the tech. Forget checking notifications every five minutes, scrolling Instagram under the dinner table, or reloading email when you’re supposed to be watching Elf. Let’s declare these next few weeks a no-scroll zone or at least set some limits so we can focus on what really matters. Even short breaks from social media can boost mental health. Have you heard of phubbing and how it hurts our relationships?

This doesn’t mean we need to throw our phones into the nearest fake snowbank at the mall or delete our social media apps, but it does mean being intentional. Try these ideas:

• Establish "phone-free zones" during meals or family gatherings.

• Trade TikTok for a board game or a walk around the neighborhood to look at holiday lights.

• Use the downtime to write an actual handwritten card to someone you care about.

• If you really want to challenge yourself, you can even break up with your phone.

This isn’t just about us, either. As parents, let’s consider how this intentional tech break can positively impact our families.

The holidays are short, and the tech can wait. This is our chance to unplug from the noise and plug into what makes life meaningful: relationships, memories, and those random moments of joy that don’t come with a push notification.

The bottom line: Let’s prioritize presence over pixels this holiday season.

See you next year,

Scott