10 Ways to Create Screen-Free Time at Home
Need to unplug that device and unglue yourself from a screen? These tips can reap some old fashioned face-to-face time
Julia Fairley
30 August 2019
Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture that is thoughtful, sophisticated and champions an element of the unexpected. Before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts at UNSW and becoming a journalist, I studied interior architecture. For over a decade I have interviewed inspiring creative minds from around the world to write about design in its many different forms. Recently, I have also become an accidental gardener, to everyone's surprise.
Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture... More
Let us be the first to acknowledge the biting irony of exploring avenues to attain screen-free time at home in a story published online. Unless someone is reading this to you aloud, you are one of millions of Australians who are currently staring into the glassy depths of a screen, either in the palm of your hand, mounted on your desk, or somewhere in between.
From the electronic billboards that grab your attention as you’re driving, to the interactive information screens at large shopping centres, screens are ever-present in western societies. And the truth is, most of us are hooked. But while we can’t limit screens’ ubiquity outside the home, we can reduce their use within it and, according to experts, it’s about time we did.
From the electronic billboards that grab your attention as you’re driving, to the interactive information screens at large shopping centres, screens are ever-present in western societies. And the truth is, most of us are hooked. But while we can’t limit screens’ ubiquity outside the home, we can reduce their use within it and, according to experts, it’s about time we did.
Tony Fadell, a former Apple executive who helped create the iPod and iPhone, acknowledged in a 2018 article published in The New York Times that “these things can be incredibly addictive”.
Sean Parker, an early investor in Facebook, admitted in a 2017 interview with Axios that the social media network “literally changes your relationship with society, with each other… It probably interferes with productivity in weird ways. God only knows what it’s doing to our children’s brains”.
And the BlackBerry, an early smartphone, has been nicknamed ‘CrackBerry’ since its inception for its deliberately addictive qualities, sparking many a cry for a digital detox.
Find an interior designer or decorator on Houzz near you to help hide your TV
Sean Parker, an early investor in Facebook, admitted in a 2017 interview with Axios that the social media network “literally changes your relationship with society, with each other… It probably interferes with productivity in weird ways. God only knows what it’s doing to our children’s brains”.
And the BlackBerry, an early smartphone, has been nicknamed ‘CrackBerry’ since its inception for its deliberately addictive qualities, sparking many a cry for a digital detox.
Find an interior designer or decorator on Houzz near you to help hide your TV
By their very nature, devices such as smartphones exercise a stronger tug at our compulsion to use them – much more than other screens with limited capabilities, such as home control centres or the screen at the train station telling you when your train will arrive.
In a 2016 survey by Common Sense Media, 50 percent of teens and 27 percent of parents said they felt addicted to their mobile devices. The same study reported that 78 percent of teens and 69 percent of parents check their devices at least hourly.
Give Yourself More Free Time With the Help of Habits
In a 2016 survey by Common Sense Media, 50 percent of teens and 27 percent of parents said they felt addicted to their mobile devices. The same study reported that 78 percent of teens and 69 percent of parents check their devices at least hourly.
Give Yourself More Free Time With the Help of Habits
According to the 2011 Longitudinal Study of Australian Children run by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, even back then children aged four and five spent around 2.2 hours each weekday glued to a screen, while 12- and 13-year olds clocked up 3.3 hours of screen-time per weekday. These figures climbed on weekends and often ate into time spent reading, exercising and conversing with family members in general. In the years since, experts estimate that our screen-time per day has increased.
So, if you fancy regaining some of these hours lost in virtual worlds and re-entering real time (or RL, as it’s commonly now known), these 10 tips can help.
So, if you fancy regaining some of these hours lost in virtual worlds and re-entering real time (or RL, as it’s commonly now known), these 10 tips can help.
1. Limit the number of screens and TVs at home
I enjoy indulging in a Netflix binge on the sofa as much as the average person, though if we’re serious about cutting down on screen time, it helps to first cut down on the number of screens at home or introduce the concept of tech-free rooms at home.
Research from The Australian Institute of Family Studies revealed that houses with more TVs logged longer watching hours than those with fewer; so it might be time to rethink that second TV or question if you really need a device in the kitchen. At the very least, hiding your TV may help – what’s out of sight is a little more likely to be out of mind.
Living Rooms That Don’t Revolve Around the Box
I enjoy indulging in a Netflix binge on the sofa as much as the average person, though if we’re serious about cutting down on screen time, it helps to first cut down on the number of screens at home or introduce the concept of tech-free rooms at home.
Research from The Australian Institute of Family Studies revealed that houses with more TVs logged longer watching hours than those with fewer; so it might be time to rethink that second TV or question if you really need a device in the kitchen. At the very least, hiding your TV may help – what’s out of sight is a little more likely to be out of mind.
Living Rooms That Don’t Revolve Around the Box
2. Embrace smart technology
We admit it: smart speakers and new virtual home assistants are not for the internet-wary, privacy-vigilant or the technologically faint-hearted. In fact, this new breed of ‘assistants’ has caused something of a stir since they were introduced, and they have raised important questions about the privacy and ownership of our conversations, particularly about how this data is stored and used.
On the other hand, excessive screen-time has caused a similar stir. So if you find yourself forever glued to a screen selecting music to play, checking the weather or scrolling through the news headlines, a smart speaker can do those tasks for you, without a screen – all you need to do is ask it to, out loud.
We admit it: smart speakers and new virtual home assistants are not for the internet-wary, privacy-vigilant or the technologically faint-hearted. In fact, this new breed of ‘assistants’ has caused something of a stir since they were introduced, and they have raised important questions about the privacy and ownership of our conversations, particularly about how this data is stored and used.
On the other hand, excessive screen-time has caused a similar stir. So if you find yourself forever glued to a screen selecting music to play, checking the weather or scrolling through the news headlines, a smart speaker can do those tasks for you, without a screen – all you need to do is ask it to, out loud.
You could even get tech-savvy and link your digital calendar to your virtual home assistant and, with a simple verbal request, you can have events and reminders added to your schedule or to-do list, all without looking at a single screen. Of course, a ye olde pen and wall calendar can do the same job without resorting to a screen, as well. Virtual assistants won’t give you tech-free time, though they can help free you from those addictive little screens.
The Future of Tech: 7 Home Appliances That are Becoming Invisible
The Future of Tech: 7 Home Appliances That are Becoming Invisible
3. Recharge your devices and your own batteries simultaneously
We all know how infuriating it can be when the battery in your smart phone or device dies, especially when you’re in the middle of an important task. But could you use those frustrating first few minutes that it takes to recharge your phone to achieve some screen-free time instead?
We all know how infuriating it can be when the battery in your smart phone or device dies, especially when you’re in the middle of an important task. But could you use those frustrating first few minutes that it takes to recharge your phone to achieve some screen-free time instead?
Better yet, to avoid draining your phone or device’s battery in the first place, consider introducing ‘charging hour’ in the evenings, where willing family members part with their beloved devices for an allotted period of time while they recharge in another room.
Many families swear by tech-free time where all phones, tablets and computers are placed (or sometimes locked, in the case of many a recalcitrant teenager) in a drawer or cupboard. You could do this during dinner and relive the joys of some good old-fashioned conversation.
And remember, as tempting as it is to flop onto the couch and catch up on your favourite TV show while your phone recharges, you won’t actually be getting screen-free time during ‘charging hour’.
Many families swear by tech-free time where all phones, tablets and computers are placed (or sometimes locked, in the case of many a recalcitrant teenager) in a drawer or cupboard. You could do this during dinner and relive the joys of some good old-fashioned conversation.
And remember, as tempting as it is to flop onto the couch and catch up on your favourite TV show while your phone recharges, you won’t actually be getting screen-free time during ‘charging hour’.
4. Establish screen-free days
Fancy going one step further? If you’re keen to carve out more than one hour per day of screen-free time, consider establishing days or evenings where specific screens (recreational iPads, for example) are verboten at home. You might choose to go cold turkey on weekdays then loosen the reins on your weekends with some TV time, or perhaps you need to reserve 30 minutes each night to watch the news but decide to ban particular apps, screens or smartphone use afterwards.
Tip: Interested in knowing how many screen-time hours you’re currently clocking? Many smartphones and tablets show you their usage times.
Fancy going one step further? If you’re keen to carve out more than one hour per day of screen-free time, consider establishing days or evenings where specific screens (recreational iPads, for example) are verboten at home. You might choose to go cold turkey on weekdays then loosen the reins on your weekends with some TV time, or perhaps you need to reserve 30 minutes each night to watch the news but decide to ban particular apps, screens or smartphone use afterwards.
Tip: Interested in knowing how many screen-time hours you’re currently clocking? Many smartphones and tablets show you their usage times.
5. Make bedrooms device-free zones
Chances are we’ve all been preached to about the evils of staring at a screen before bed. Plenty of studies categorically conclude that screen-time before bedtime disrupts sleep, and many psychologists claim that taking a device to bed can limit intimacy and compromise relationships.
So before you install a TV in the bedroom or automatically put your phone beside your bed at night, consider finding it a comfy little resting place in a different room. Some people establish screen-free zones in other rooms in the home as well. Many families make the dining room a screen-free zone. For others, it’s the living room, and plenty of purists have even gone so far as to put the TV on the side of the street.
Acknowledge All Your Senses for a Guaranteed Restful Sleep
Chances are we’ve all been preached to about the evils of staring at a screen before bed. Plenty of studies categorically conclude that screen-time before bedtime disrupts sleep, and many psychologists claim that taking a device to bed can limit intimacy and compromise relationships.
So before you install a TV in the bedroom or automatically put your phone beside your bed at night, consider finding it a comfy little resting place in a different room. Some people establish screen-free zones in other rooms in the home as well. Many families make the dining room a screen-free zone. For others, it’s the living room, and plenty of purists have even gone so far as to put the TV on the side of the street.
Acknowledge All Your Senses for a Guaranteed Restful Sleep
6. Explore internet-disabling devices
Finding the lure of that little screen just too tempting to put it down for ‘charging hour’ or screen-free nights? We hear you. When screen use crosses over into the murky area of addiction, sometimes more extreme measures are necessary.
Enter internet-disabling devices, which are software or apps that you can program to shut off your wifi or block access to certain websites or social media at specific times. It’s like initiating parental controls but for the entire household, not just the kids, and across all – or a select few – devices.
Tip: If you detest the idea of your internet connection shutting off at a certain time each night, you might need to be severed from it more than you think…
Finding the lure of that little screen just too tempting to put it down for ‘charging hour’ or screen-free nights? We hear you. When screen use crosses over into the murky area of addiction, sometimes more extreme measures are necessary.
Enter internet-disabling devices, which are software or apps that you can program to shut off your wifi or block access to certain websites or social media at specific times. It’s like initiating parental controls but for the entire household, not just the kids, and across all – or a select few – devices.
Tip: If you detest the idea of your internet connection shutting off at a certain time each night, you might need to be severed from it more than you think…
7. Go old school
Raise your hand if you get easily distracted by the plethora of options your smartphone offers and find yourself surfing a technological tangent instead of doing whatever it was you originally picked up your phone to do. If your hand is pointing sky high along with a rising sense of guilt, go easy on yourself – remember, these little screens are practically designed to be addictive.
A wave of retro consumers are opting for a return to simpler technology, so if you still haven’t used your phone to call your mother in the past week but instead have surfed dozens of websites, sent scores of messages and checked your emails several times a day, perhaps it’s time to go old school and embrace a landline at home.
Retro Home Habits Worth Keeping
Raise your hand if you get easily distracted by the plethora of options your smartphone offers and find yourself surfing a technological tangent instead of doing whatever it was you originally picked up your phone to do. If your hand is pointing sky high along with a rising sense of guilt, go easy on yourself – remember, these little screens are practically designed to be addictive.
A wave of retro consumers are opting for a return to simpler technology, so if you still haven’t used your phone to call your mother in the past week but instead have surfed dozens of websites, sent scores of messages and checked your emails several times a day, perhaps it’s time to go old school and embrace a landline at home.
Retro Home Habits Worth Keeping
8. Trade tablets for books, and screens for newspapers
Whether you like to download books on a Kindle, read the latest news on your iPad, or prefer to flip through their papery ancestors, that all comes down to personal preference. The majority of our news is consumed through digital platforms and there’s no denying that online news is more up-to-date than printed papers.
Even so, there’s something much more leisurely about reclining with a coffee and the weekend papers instead of hunching over a screen. If you’re hungry for in-depth current affairs, you can have any number of excellent weekly or monthly journals delivered to your door from around the world.
Whether you like to download books on a Kindle, read the latest news on your iPad, or prefer to flip through their papery ancestors, that all comes down to personal preference. The majority of our news is consumed through digital platforms and there’s no denying that online news is more up-to-date than printed papers.
Even so, there’s something much more leisurely about reclining with a coffee and the weekend papers instead of hunching over a screen. If you’re hungry for in-depth current affairs, you can have any number of excellent weekly or monthly journals delivered to your door from around the world.
Many of us while away the hours reading novels on a screen to save money or precious bookshelf space, forgetting that you can pick up second-hand books for as little as a few dollars or borrow them for free at the library. And if you’ve resorted to reading books on a tablet to prevent cluttering your shelves, keep in mind you can give away those treasured tomes after you’ve read them – print media doesn’t have to create clutter or consume space.
Best of the Week: 30 Book Storage Spots From Around the World
Best of the Week: 30 Book Storage Spots From Around the World
9. Wind back the clock
It helps to bear in mind that the virtual world is a representation of the real world and that many apps on smartphones or other devices were inspired by earlier technology. An alarm clock can wake you up just as well as the alarm on your iPhone, that old stereo can still play you music, and hand-writing a letter is (almost) as easy as composing an email but now, due to the scarcity of penned missives, they carry much more meaning.
Our electronic devices are accomplished little creatures and can perform a multitude of tasks, but they’re not the only objects that can achieve certain outcomes.
It helps to bear in mind that the virtual world is a representation of the real world and that many apps on smartphones or other devices were inspired by earlier technology. An alarm clock can wake you up just as well as the alarm on your iPhone, that old stereo can still play you music, and hand-writing a letter is (almost) as easy as composing an email but now, due to the scarcity of penned missives, they carry much more meaning.
Our electronic devices are accomplished little creatures and can perform a multitude of tasks, but they’re not the only objects that can achieve certain outcomes.
10. Get hooked on something else – anything else
Ask people who have successfully quit an addiction how they did it and many will joke that they simply replaced one addiction with another. The same goes if you’re keen to kick the habit of mindlessly gravitating towards screens at home.
Whenever you find your hand automatically reaching for your smartphone or device, try to find something else that intrigues you and holds your attention that you can reach for instead.
Ask people who have successfully quit an addiction how they did it and many will joke that they simply replaced one addiction with another. The same goes if you’re keen to kick the habit of mindlessly gravitating towards screens at home.
Whenever you find your hand automatically reaching for your smartphone or device, try to find something else that intrigues you and holds your attention that you can reach for instead.
It could be an old SLR camera if you’re interested in photography, a treasured photo album placed conveniently near the sofa where your iPhone usually sits, you might want to make yourself a cup of tea, water the garden, pull out some board games, bake, or just reach for a humble book.
Regardless of what you use to distract yourself and even if you only last 10 minutes before resorting to old habits, give yourself a pat on the back because 10 minutes spent screenless deserves recognition in today’s digitally plugged-in society.
Your turn
Do you struggle with screen-time or have you found ways to curb it at home? Tell us how in the Comments below, like or bookmark this story and share it with someone who’s finding the lure of their screen too tempting to resist.
More
Is Busy the New Black? In Praise of the Forgotten Art of Leisure
Regardless of what you use to distract yourself and even if you only last 10 minutes before resorting to old habits, give yourself a pat on the back because 10 minutes spent screenless deserves recognition in today’s digitally plugged-in society.
Your turn
Do you struggle with screen-time or have you found ways to curb it at home? Tell us how in the Comments below, like or bookmark this story and share it with someone who’s finding the lure of their screen too tempting to resist.
More
Is Busy the New Black? In Praise of the Forgotten Art of Leisure
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Currently struggling with this with my youngest. She is addicted to the ipad and I have to be onto her all the time, which is exhausting for me and annoying for both of us. I can't block the wifi because the others need it for school/uni work. I will investigate one of the apps to restrict the time it is used, which will impact us parents as well when we want to use it so we will have to be organised!
Regarding the use of tech in the bedroom, it is hard to enforce when children have their schoolwork on laptops. There are 6 of us in the house and the bedrooms are the best place for study and homework time in order to concentrate. A few years ago, they would all sit around the table and work but with HSC, uni etc they need a quieter place then there.
We do have a quiet hour in the afternoons, when there is no television or music playing and everyone can do some work, read, whatever as long as it is quiet. It is a very peaceful time and we all feel calm afterwards. Hard to be consistent with after school work and extra curriculars but we do our best to prioritise it.
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