Screen Time Reduction Skills

A vacation from notifications: Try turning off notifications on a summer trip

Delaney Ruston, MD
June 26, 2016

TECH TALK TUESDAY #25
IF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY DON'T WANT TO UNPLUG FOR YOUR VACATION, HOW
ABOUT JUST TURNING OFF NOTIFICATIONS INSTEAD

group of girls talking

According to a Gallup Poll, 70% of teens check their phone
several times an hour. We know that is true for many adults too. Constant notifications from social sites, texts and more play a big part in this compulsion.

Snapchat is one of the most popular social media apps for kids and
according to Business Insider:

"A Snapchat insider tells us that the most active Snapchat users get
'hundreds' of Snaps per day. When asked for a more refined number, the
insider suggested that '150 might be a good approximation.' The
average active Snapchat user, meanwhile, the insider estimates, gets
20-50 Snaps per day. The average active user (teenagers), the insider
says, now gets more "Snaps" than texts."

So, if your child gets the average number of Snaps per day, that's a
lot of interruptions and distractions. My husband and 17-year-old son went on a 5 day trip together in April and my husband asked our son to remove notifications on his phone for the trip.  Then, just yesterday my son and I were talking about notifications and it turns out he never turned them back on since that trip in April. He
said it has made a difference in how often he checks his phone.

For today's Tech Talk Tuesday we talk about notifications and how it
would feel to take them off your phone for vacation.

  • What apps do you get notifications from? Email, Instagram, Snapchat,Pokemon Go, Linked In? What others?
  • Do you feel like you have to check them as soon as they come in?
  • Is there a difference for you between silent notifications and those that vibrate or make a sound?
  • How would you feel about responding after vacation, not right away?
  • What do you fear you will be missing by not checking your notifications right away?
  • Would you like to take notifications off your phone for just one week?

July 26, 2016


As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel

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Learn More
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Our New Movie - Learn more about the third movie in the Screenagers Trilogy

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The Screenagers YouTube Channel - Subscribe for new videos and content from our team weekly!

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Community Screenings - Learn more about hosting your own Screenagers community screening event!

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Screen Time Reduction Skills

A vacation from notifications: Try turning off notifications on a summer trip

Delaney Ruston, MD
June 26, 2016

TECH TALK TUESDAY #25
IF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY DON'T WANT TO UNPLUG FOR YOUR VACATION, HOW
ABOUT JUST TURNING OFF NOTIFICATIONS INSTEAD

group of girls talking

According to a Gallup Poll, 70% of teens check their phone
several times an hour. We know that is true for many adults too. Constant notifications from social sites, texts and more play a big part in this compulsion.

Snapchat is one of the most popular social media apps for kids and
according to Business Insider:

"A Snapchat insider tells us that the most active Snapchat users get
'hundreds' of Snaps per day. When asked for a more refined number, the
insider suggested that '150 might be a good approximation.' The
average active Snapchat user, meanwhile, the insider estimates, gets
20-50 Snaps per day. The average active user (teenagers), the insider
says, now gets more "Snaps" than texts."

So, if your child gets the average number of Snaps per day, that's a
lot of interruptions and distractions. My husband and 17-year-old son went on a 5 day trip together in April and my husband asked our son to remove notifications on his phone for the trip.  Then, just yesterday my son and I were talking about notifications and it turns out he never turned them back on since that trip in April. He
said it has made a difference in how often he checks his phone.

For today's Tech Talk Tuesday we talk about notifications and how it
would feel to take them off your phone for vacation.

  • What apps do you get notifications from? Email, Instagram, Snapchat,Pokemon Go, Linked In? What others?
  • Do you feel like you have to check them as soon as they come in?
  • Is there a difference for you between silent notifications and those that vibrate or make a sound?
  • How would you feel about responding after vacation, not right away?
  • What do you fear you will be missing by not checking your notifications right away?
  • Would you like to take notifications off your phone for just one week?

July 26, 2016


As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel

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for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.  

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