Don't forget to unplug...
With 12 Tech Rules of Christmas
"Making time and being present is the greatest gift you can give this Christmas."
My top tips and Tech Rules to take back control over your devices during the holidays!
Be Present During Presents
Are you the person who takes pictures of EVERY present being opened? Are you guilty of sharing pictures of your Christmas Table online? I'm not against taking a festive photo or two, but does every moment, every present really need a picture? Instead of taking pictures, try being present. Focus on the Christmas Day in your own house before digitally snooping on everyone else's.
No Tech at the Table
Find an empty box (you’ll have plenty after the present opening) and ask everyone to put their phones and tech devices into the box before sitting at the table. Now move it out of sight (and out of reach), and wrap it up in used Christmas paper if you have to. Agree a time at the end of the day to unwrap the phone box and hand out the gadgets inside.
Don't Punish the Presents
If you are giving a gift of technology, you need to also give the gift of education around setting boundaries and expectations around its healthy use. Remind the older generations how they would have felt if someone told them they couldn't play with their favourite Christmas toy. Christmas presents shouldn't be a form of punishment, especially on Christmas Day, and so if you are giving a screen gift, make sure to set the usage expectations and boundaries beforehand.
Cold Turkey on Boxing Day
Just like the leftover sandwiches, try a screen free boxing day, all of you, not just the kids. Even for just an hour or so… go for a family walk, no screens allowed.
Five Gold Rings
Make a list of 5 people you care about but haven't seen in a while. Give them a call and if you can, arrange to meet up in person in the New Year.
Make a Phone Box
That box you used for 'No Tech at the Table'? Re-use it and put it by the front door and put your phones in it whenever you enter the house (at the same time as taking your shoes off).
Top tip: Make it a charging box and leave all phones charging downstairs overnight. It's Christmas, you don't need your alarm on anyway! Take your partner to bed, not your phone.Merry Christmas You Filthy Animal
Don't take your phone to the toilet, it's gross, really gross, seriously, you are wiping those germs all over your screen you filthy animal! Don’t swipe and wipe. Read a book instead (if you have to).
Driving Home for Christmas
Leave your phone at home when you go on your travels. You don't need it, use your partners for emergencies. If you need it for navigation, OK, but leave the phone locked away in the car when visiting friends and family.
Top tip: Give your phone to a passenger and ask them to keep a hold of it so you can focus on driving and singing Christmas songs.Make Board Games Less Boring
Let’s face it - kids today think board games are boring, so try introducing tech into the mix but in a way everyone can enjoy. Free screen based quiz games like Kahoot! (kahoot.com - free for up to 10 players) enable multiple screens to be used as a digital answer board, but keep the screens out in the open, the temptation to Google an answer or dive into DM’s should have washing up duty as punishment.
Santa's Scroll
If you catch yourself doom scrolling newsfeeds, stop, take a breath, count to 5 (keep scrolling during those 5 seconds) and then close the app. Logout for extra brownie points.
Top Tip: Set a ridiculously long screen unlock password, it will drive you Christmas Crackers but will also stop you from scrolling through the holidays.A Christmas Carol: The 3 Spirits of Screentime
Let's dive into your screentime settings. You'll find these on your phone:
iPhone users head to "Settings > Screentime"
Android users head to "Settings > Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls"
Have a good look at the data. This is your Ghost of Christmas Past.
Now calculate your screentime for next year by taking your average daily screentime (found in the settings data) and multiply that by 365. This is your Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.
Ask yourself, are you happy with that much screentime? What else could you do with some of that time if you made a few changes?
Now for the third spirit.
The Ghost of Christmas Present.
Get everyone in your household together and repeat this exercise. Now make a pact between you all to agree a healthy daily screentime limit. Make sure you all sign this Christmas Screentime Pact and help to keep each other accountable over the holidays.Santa's Workshop
For those who really do have to work in front of a screen over Christmas, please, please, please use focusmate.com it is my number 1 top tip for helping people get work done. I've used it for over 4,000 distraction free hours. Get the work done, focused and fast, and then get back to Christmas!
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