91: Why COVID-19 Is Making Us Break Up With Our Phones

March 16, 2020

With the Coronavirus pandemic, we all seem to be glued to our news media channels or social media to see what our friends and family are posting. We, too, feel like we want to stay up-to-date with everything that is going on. But, is there a point where it becomes an unhealthy obsession? If the gain of more knowledge is driving you to become anxious, fearful, and losing sleep, perhaps this can be a gentle encouragement to take a little breather.

In this episode, we talk about how COVID-19 is causing us to want to break up with our phones. We also discuss why our phones are so addicting and how we can break off this unhealthy relationship.

Grab Your FREE Printable to Create a Guiding Statement For Your Family:

This printable will help you create a guiding statement for your family.

In This Episode, You Will Hear About:

Why we want to break up with our phones
Discuss the connection between brain science, slot machines, and phone apps (it’s both fascinating and frightening)
How the 3 W’s can change your relationship with your phone
Hear all about joining our 5-day social media detox

Resources Mentioned During the Episode:

Watch the clip about Social Media Dangers Exposed By Mom Posing as 11-Year Old
Want to find out what your child’s love language is? Listen to Episode 53 and Episode 54 about Discovering Your Child’s Love Language.
Hear more about creative ways to connect with your child/teenager on our interview with Melanie Shankle, Debunking The Myths of Motherhood.
What does it look like to have technology in its proper place in your family? Check out Parenting In Our Digital Age to find more more.
Have you ever thought about the need to teach your kids online manners? We talk about Netiquette: Teaching Our Kids Online Manners on this episode.
Do you need some ideas about what to replace your screen time with? Tune into Episode 87: How to Find Your Family’s Purpose.
Are you wanting to hear more about how to break up with your phone? Read Catherine Price’s book, How To Break Up With Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan To Take Back Your Life

Quotes and Tweets:

We aren’t saying to throw out your phone, shut down your social media profiles, or ban your family from screen time. When used properly, they can be tools to bring you closer together as a family. @imbetweenshow
Any time you notice that you are about to reach for your phone, take a second to ask yourself: What For? Why now? What else? @Catherine_Price
If you wanted to invent a device that could rewire our minds, if you wanted to create a society of people who were perpetually distracted, isolated, and overtired, if you wanted to weaken our memories and damage our capacity for focus and deep thought, if you wanted to reduce empathy, encourage self-absorption, and redraw the lines of social etiquette, you’d likely end up with a smartphone. @Catherine_Price
our attention is the most valuable thing we have. We experience only what we pay attention to. We remember only what we pay attention to. When we decide what to pay attention to in the moment, we are making a broader decision about how we want to spend our lives. @Catherine_Price
Technology is in its proper place when it starts great conversations. It’s out of its proper place when it prevents us from talking with and listening to one another. @ahc
Technology is in its proper place when it helps us take care of the fragile bodies we inhabit. It’s out of its proper place when it promises to help us escape the limits and vulnerabilities of those bodies altogether. @ahc
Technology is in its proper place when it helps us cultivate awe for the created world we are part of and responsible for stewarding. It’s out of its proper place when it keeps us from engaging the wild and wonderful natural world with all our senses. @ahc
When we let technology replace the development of skill with passive consumption, something has gone wrong. @ahc