Celebrate National Day of Unplugging on Friday, March 5, 2021
One adult is in the kitchen surfing for recipes for a new dish they want to try. Another is in the home office online, desperately trying to finish a work project after hours. The son is in his room playing video games with some friends, and the sisters are flopped on the couch posting TikTok videos and commenting on friends videos. Sound familiar? These scenes are becoming progressively more prevalent at home, at work, and even when people are out enjoying a meal or event together. We focus on the little devices in our hands rather than making connections in the real world with flesh-and-blood people. How about we take a break and make some “IRL” connections on National Day of Unplugging coming up on Friday, March 5th 2021.
National Day of Unplugging is a national campaign that designates a 24 hour period spanning from sundown on March 5 through sundown on March 6th. So when the sun goes down, put your phone in a box, unplug your router, and reconnect with the world and the people around you.
“Each of us is now connected to the globe, and yet we feel utterly alone.”
Dan Browne
What are the benefits of unplugging for a day?
There are a number of positive things that can happen when you disconnect. When people post to social media, it is often a sanitized or hyped up version of what is actually happening. Fasting from social media can curb those FOMO moments or the green eyed monster that can come out when viewing the Hollywood version of life that friends are posting. Unplugging for a day can help recalibrate our sense of living our own lives to the fullest. Think of unplugging as spring-cleaning but for your mind.
Life is happening around us all day, everyday whether we are paying attention to it or not. Enjoy the stream of a totally natural flow of conversation, take a walk and enjoy the sounds of the world around you, or even just play a physical board game with friends or family.
Are Electronics Really That Bad?
One company, Truce Software, did a study of over 1,500 employees to determine how our electronic devices effect our productivity and well-being. In additional to the obvious distraction of taking personal time to address alerts and notifications while on company time, the study discovered several unsafe behaviors associated with the use of electronic devices while working.
- 18% of employees admitted to tripping or having some kind of accident while walking and reading something on their mobile device.
- 24% of employees said that they regularly conceal their mobile phone during meetings in order to text with other co-workers and friends.
- 51% of employees regularly take work calls while driving to and from work.
- 57% of those surveyed said that they stayed in the bathroom or car beyond their break time in order to finish watching or reading something on their mobile device.
Mobile devices are also becoming a favorite target of hackers and online criminals. From a computer security perspective, mobile hacking among your company’s employees is continuing to be a growing concern, especial with the move to wireless networks and mobile computing.
According to computer security software company, Norton, 1 out of every 36 mobile devices contained malware. Here are some other important statistics:
- 63% of all malware infections on mobile devices occur in the United States.
- Ransomware attacks on mobile devices grew by 33% in 2018.
- In 2018, Norton Life Lock blocked 10,573 malicious applications from being downloaded on average.
What Should I Do Instead?
There are so many wonderful activities in which we can indulge on National Day of Unplugging. A few that come to mind:
- Take a bike ride – make it a family excursion and double-down on being active and doing something as a family together.
- Have a dance party – everyone is invited! Dancing releases endorphins and gets your heart rate going.
- Explore local attractions – Nearly every location has some interesting place nearby that can be explored. Without the burden of checking your phone every few minutes, you can actually read those placards on the side of the road and observe the cool things that are near where you live.
- Pop the popcorn and sit down with the household for an old fashioned movie night – There’s nothing like crying over E.T. to really bring a family together
- Get friends together and host a game night – Remember when we played cards or board games to pass the time instead of scrolling our social media feeds to Like and Comment on what our friends are doing?
The reality of our increasingly digital world is that we are going to be connected – probably a lot just to manage our jobs and lives. By periodically limiting or eliminating our use of electronics we can reap many benefits, most of which fall under the general heading of mindfulness. A state of mindfulness can help you recharge and make you a happier, more productive person both at home and at work. So let’s take the time on National Day of Unplugging to reset ourselves and rejuvenate us. Maybe it might help you remember that you do enjoy things outside of your devices, things that connect you not digitally but in reality to the people in your life and the actual physical universe around you; and ultimately unplugging will make you a better employee and a better citizen of our world.
Let MetroTech Handle Your Managed IT Services While You Unplug
The National Day of Unplugging may be a 24 hour period of no electronics. However don’t let that stop your business from relying on a secure computer network. Your Managed IT Services need to stay in tact and MetroTech is here to help you and your employees unplug safely if you choose to participate on March 5. 2021. Call us at (727) 230-0332 for a complimentary assessment of your business technology today. Whether you unplug or plug in, MetroTech has your technology needs covered.