Disconnect to reconnect! That's the message from CyberSafe Kids as they are calling on families to take part in the CyberBreak 24-hour family digital detox from 5pm Friday 21st October 2022.
On Friday 21st October, CyberSafeKids is launching its third annual CyberBreak campaign, which encourages families and school communities across Ireland to put away their smart devices (phone, iPad, laptop, computer, gaming console) for 24 hours in order to promote the importance of having a healthy online - offline balance.
Here, Alex Cooney, Co-founder & CEO of CyberSafeKids, tells us more about the importance of the day and gives us some top tips
The idea of CyberBreak is to get people, families and kids thinking about their time online. We want them to look at how much time they spend online, what they are doing online and questioning if it is time well spent.
We know that websites, apps and games are designed to hold our attention for as long as possible (it's how the big tech organisations make their money!) and that it can be really difficult to switch off. Here are some activity ideas you can do with your kids in the classroom for CyberBreak. Let them think about what life was like in the olden days before phones and other smart devices even existed!
A lot of going online is habit. Continuously picking up your phone to check your texts or emails is a habit. Scrolling mindlessly on Instagram at the end of the day is a habit. Picking up your games console when you’re bored is a habit. Our 24 hour CyberBreak is an attempt to break this habit. It might even encourage you to create your own "cyber breaks" - maybe no devices on a Sunday evening will become part of your healthy lifestyle habits.
6 top tips to help you balance your online/ offline lives:
- Try to make sure that your phone is not the first thing that you look at in the morning. Make it an active choice to do something else - stretching, meditating, eating breakfast.
- Avoid using your phone as an alarm clock (there are plenty of alternatives) and try to keep phones, iPads, laptops etc. out of the bedroom so your device use doesn’t interfere with your sleep.
- Try and make mealtimes, especially if it's with children, a device-free time.
- Actively decide what you consider to be 'time well spent’ online. If it’s not endlessly scrolling through social media then make a deliberate effort to to limit it.
- Switch on the "do not disturb mode", on your phone so you won't receive notifications, messages or calls for periods of time when you need to focus or switch off.
- Create a family agreement that everybody signs-up to, which has identified device free times - i.e. family movie/pizza nights on a Friday.
Please visit www.cybersafekids.ie/cyberbreak to sign up for CyberBreak and you’ll also find classroom activities to challenge your pupils to think about life offline, a family fun guide with device free ideas, and some top online safety tips for parents.
