Holy iPhone, Batman. I’m doing it.
Or at least I’m going to try.
At midnight tonight I’m joining one of my favorite organizations, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, and unplugging for Screen-Free Week.
Screen-Free Week is April 30 – May 6, 2012. It’s an annual event in which parents, children, teachers, and others across the country turn off screen media (TV, video games, computers, cell phones, texting, email, blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and celebrate the magic of being unplugged.
This is my f-f-final post before I time-travel back to the frigging 1950′s to a time before they had computers, iPhones, texting, email, apps to distract rowdy children in checkout lines. A time before my holy trinity: Facebook-Twitter-Blog.
I’m. Scared.
I posted this on Facebook last night:
Total hypocrisy!
Sure, we dramatically killed our TV last year but the TV is just one of many screens. My kids will do fine – I’ve had them make lists of things they want to do instead of winding down with a Netflix video of Woody Woodpecker (don’t judge me – I already judge myself on that one. If Woody Woodpecker were a food with the equivalent nutritional content as the intellectual stimulation it provides, it would be Lucky Charms. Definitely.)
For the long-assed 35 minute car-ride to school I’m just going to replace DVDs of The Princess Bride and Puss In Boots with children’s audio stories – or, God forbid – talking!
They’ll be fine. I’m more worried about me. Since starting this blog a year ago something kind of bad has happened: I’ve become totally plugged in – a cyborg. Thanks to my iPhone I’m on all of the social media practically all the time – and I’ve become hooked. As the deadline to go screen-free came closer, I broke into a cold sweat. I decided that since I am a mommy-blogger and I need social media and I can’t possibly function without the Internet or Twitter, that it would be okay to just pretend to join my kids. I would pretend go screen-free and then just plug-in at night after they go to sleep.
I tried really hard to make that one okay but it just didn’t sit right with me. If I expect my children to do it, I’ve got to man up and do it, too. Shit. That’s the hardest thing about having kids – for me. They make you want to be a better person.
I’m not a crunchy Earth mother type, by any stretch of the imagination, so this will NOT be easy for me. It will not come naturally to me and I am probably going to go into withdrawals. I’m already freaking out about missing my beloved Yeah Write linkup which happens every Tuesday. What will I do without my weekly writer’s community? Will they forget about me?
WILL THE INTERNET STILL BE HERE WHEN I GET BACK?
How do I feel about this? The only way I can put it into words is that I’m pretty sure I can understand how Keith Richards feels the day before he knows he’s going into a detox unit.
It was the realization of how much I was balking at the idea of unplugging, how much it unnerved me, that made me see I really need to do this. So, I’m doing it. Or at least, I’m going to try to do it.
One day at a time, right Keith, old buddy?
And although I love Mommy Padawan, who has chosen this week’s Listicles topic (10 things you are good at) – I’m going to instead list 10 reasons why I’m scared to go screen-free. So – see you next week, that is, if the Internet doesn’t collapse without me. (-:
Why I’m Afraid
1. What if I have to wait in line at the DMV with my kids? Without an iPhone? That’s…that’s insanity.
2. How will I have a relationship with my husband? Seriously – he’s out of town for 10 days, we mostly communicate through email and texting. Will he forget about us?
3. If I can’t let the kids watch Woody Woodpecker on my iPhone to distract them while I’m blow-drying their hair, how will I blow-dry their precious locks? (Answer: this week they’re going to go au naturel.)
4. Will my Facebook peeps miss my obsessive posting of Ella’s daily quotes, or will they be relieved?
5. What if something big happens – what if Lindsay Lohan goes back to blonde or something? – and I miss it because I didn’t see the Yahoo News Headlines?
6. If I unplug Facebook, Twitter, and my Blog…will I matter? Will anything matter? What’s it all about, Alfie????
7. I’m not going to be able to hide behind my computer when my kids want to run and play tag. I’m going to have to play tag. I’m going to have to run.
8. What if my Klout score that I tell everybody I don’t care about drops? I’ve worked so hard to jerk it up two points to a pathetic 46!
9. I’m going to have to stop distracting myself with my blog from writing my novel and just write it. Gulp.
10. What if I am able to get through a whole week without any of it?
Wouldn’t that be something.
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Why I’m scared to death of Screen-Free week next week! http://t.co/Au25Q4ue
Godspeed, Ado. I think #10 is what I would be most afraid of.
Looking forward to hearing how it goes…if you live to tell the tale.
Twitter: dudeofthehouse
I did live to tell the tale, thanks Jay. (-:
I know that I will definitely fail at this – which is scary. I always have a screen of sorts in my face – unless I’m sleeping, taking a shower or cooking. Even while playing with the toddler, the TV is on whether anyone is watching it or not.
Good luck. We’ll miss you, but the Interwebz will still be here, waiting with bated breath for your report on one week of being completely unplugged.
Twitter: AlisonSWLee
Oh my gosh, I so understand your fear and actually, I’ve been thinking about you all weekend. We just cancelled cable t.v. which I was all in favor of. We do have Netflix and 4 or 5 local channels that tune in and everyone else has been fine all weekend – except me! I realize I am totally having withdrawal from cable and have been wanting to ask how you did it?!?!
Anyway, best of luck with this week, I know you can do it and you are an awesome mom! I will miss you and will be thinking of you but it will be great when you’re back and I can read more great posts from you and chat on twitter!
Twitter: mommy_padawan
Hi Anna and thanks for your sweet tweet while I was gone. (-:
It took me about a year to let go of TV cable – the hardest part was the ‘before’ – afterwards, we all got used to it super quick. It is an adjustment – and I still miss American Idol – but I really feel like our family’s time is so much improved without that box in our house, spewing commercials at us. It got really bad when my oldest became a tween and I saw how the TV pushes all kinds of shit into their young minds about how their bodies should look, and also encouraging them to grow up way before their time etc. – so in the end it was a really good decision. GOOD FOR YOU ANNA!
You are fab for doing this AND you will survive! We’ll be hear waitin until you get back!
Twitter: beeswithhoney
Thanks Bruna! (-:
Moving to this damn desert city has pretty much axed my TV habit, but luckily, the internet sprang up to take its place. (Blog post coming on that). I tell myself I can’t go screen free b/c it’s how I communicate with my students…so it’s WORK. Yeah. Work. And the thought of trying to pry my kids’ fingers away from their screens … I’m too weak. I admit it. Plus my husband would think it’s ridiculous (we have just a teensy-weensy difference of opinion about screen usage). But a week of forced interaction with a novel? It’s like Stephen King said in his book on writing: you gotta get your butt in the seat and do it. Easy for HIM to say. Good luck. We’ll miss you.
Twitter: mannahattamamma
Same as you we don’t have TV so when I first read screen free I was like ‘NO Biggy”. But nothing, cold turkey?! I don’t think I could live without Instagram. And I really don’t know what I would have in my hand all the time. Maybe a book? Or chocolate. WIll it be like when people quit smoking? I would just binge eat all day? Well I do that anyway. And if my kid asks me something. WE DON’T OWN an encyclopedia! Oh holly google.
Good luck girl! You can do it! I know you can. Just write it all down so you can tell us what we missed.
Twitter: NorthWestMommy
I turned to both books and chocolate!
10 Reasons I’m Scared to Death of Screen-Free Week http://t.co/VHrKjodw via @adothemomalog #MondayListicles
[...] Ado, from The Momalog, is currently on a screen-free week, which makes her not only a better mom than I am, but a better person too. Of course, I sort of knew that already but now she’s proved it. Something about a screen-free week campaign and an organization called Commercial-free childhood . AS IF. Okay, true, my kids basically watch no commercial TV but that’s because A) we’ve always just watched taped programs or videos, so we either skip the commercials or it’s “just” a video w/no ads. And now we don’t really have “tv” here in Abu Dhabi other than a variety of streaming soccer channels. Plus, B) my kids would rather play computer games, which is why achieving screen-free space is something I’m just too weak to attempt. More on that later. For the shower, Ado asks for our favorite baby photo and quote about parenting, so I give you my sweet Caleb, about a week old: [...]
Haha! Oh, I hate to admit it, but I know exactly how you feel! It’s a big, scary world out there. Good luck!
FWIW, during Lent I limited my screen time and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Not cold turkey though.
May the force be with you Ado!
Twitter: notwifezilla
I have no doubt you will survive! You are brave :O) I don’t know that I could cut out my texting and phone. The blogging and tv…sure no problem. I’d love to pitch the tv indefinitely but no texting. I would really feel cut off. EVERYONE I communicate with on a daily basis is through that phone.
I am looking forward to hearing how the time went! LUCK!
Twitter: batcrapcrazy
you’re nuts.
at work on Thursday i got a virus on my computer and couldn’t do anything that involved the WWW and i truly learned that this is NOT an easy task. a full week? holy wow i’m already shaking just thinking about it.
Twitter: finallymom
Bravo. Can’t wait to hear all about it. Of course, you’ll be reading this after it’s all over. And I really hope that picture of Keith Richards was enhanced (to make him look worse.) Ouch.
Twitter: southmainmuse
More power to you. I really don’t know if I could do it. It’s not just the blog, social media and stuff… I talk to my sister all the way in Germany almost daily on Skype… I wish you lots of luck and will be waiting here for your return.
Twitter: bocafrau
my husband killed my computer for a week when he let a virus sneak in with something he downloaded for his Blackberry. A forced bloggy/social media break I was none to happy about since our old laptop can barely crank open spell check, let alone keep up with a Twitter party feed!
I think a judge would have totally let me off if I had killed him.
I gotta go before the flashbacks make me say something crazy
Twitter: rorybore
Holy crap! You are much more brave than I am. I don’t think I could do it. Actually, I know I couldn’t do it…my kids probably could, but me? Heck no! I’d miss all my shows!!
May the force be with you, Ado. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out
Eek! We’ll miss you!
Twitter: JenAnnHall
You can do it! I can’t wait to hear how the week went for you guys!
Can’t wait to hear about how it goes! Good luck!
I survived! (-:
Oh man! I do not envy you. And this…I’m not a crunchy Earth mother type…me too, me too.
Godspeed and good luck!
Twitter: heidicave
Thanks Heidi. But boy did the spammers jump on my blog comments while I was away! I had 40 of them just on this one post that I had to delete…
Holy moley!!! You’ve GOT to let us know if everyone survives this!! I once killed the TV–for a few years. We learned to read, all of us. I suspect one of my daughters learned to smoke pot (eek)! Ah, well, there are always unintended consequences,eh? And we all lived, TV, pot, books, food, cooking, talking (!), a whole bunch of stuff!!!
Let us know!!!
Twitter: seeuhome
Heh!
There’s no WAY I can give up my screens. No.Way.In.Hades. I don’t care about the TV so much as I do my computer. I don’t have a smart phone, either. I am like Keith Richards over the blogging thing. I can stop anytime, right? Right?
Twitter: jennwrites
There’s no WAY I can give up my screens. I don’t care about the TV so much as I do my computer. I don’t have a smart phone, either. I am like Keith Richards over the blogging thing. I can stop anytime, right? Right?
Twitter: jennwrites
I could care less about TV, and I don’t own a smart phone. I.Just.Can’t.Stop.Blogging. I’m like Keith Richards, but without the cigarette and without the heroin. Great post!
Twitter: jennwrites
Ha ha! I love Keith.
Apparently, I hit comment, like, over and over unintentionally. It told me I posted a duplicate comment, but it didn’t show up until just now…heh heh…apparently, I’m stalking you…sorry!
Twitter: jennwrites
I find the idea of an unplugged week simple genial! Unfortunately I cannot afford to stay offline for a whole week, my online business needs to be supported and updated daily. I wish I could have a week-off!
I don’t think I can leave with this.. Cellphone and internet are two important things to us all. But I’m not scared at all.. I know there’s still some ways to deal with it.
Many fear death because we do not know the unknown. Learn how you can be able to not fear death and learn to accept that it is all part of life..
I will miss you and will be thinking of you but it will be great when youre back and I can read more great post from you and chat on twitter..