As a family, we agreed to take a 48-hour hiatus from technology, no phones, anywhere. 48 hours, really? “How hard could it be?” you might ask.
Well it was hard enough to lay bare the depths of our entire family’s digital addiction. The siren’s call of email, text and social media luring us to distraction. But in the face of our shared addiction, we discovered a surefire antidote to all things digital.
We discovered that cell phones just don’t seem as compelling in the midst of a hotly contested basketball game, and they seem oddly out of place on a quiet walk in the woods. And when the digital cacophony subsides? Oh, just be prepared for the conversations that will come.
There’s a long summer ahead and we adults need to stick together.
Tell us your digital detox tips.
Missy Park
Founder
Dear Missy (Park):
There are quite a few “older” tennis players from Far Northern California who love Title Nine clothes. Many of us buy the skorts for tennis. They also can relate to the name of your company (Title Nine) because we are the first wave of women who benefited from Title Nine laws. Thought you would like to see some photos of the Mt. Shasta, California, area where my friends, Rosie, Leah, and Nancy, and I digitally detoxed recently by staying at a cabin right on the Sacramento River (in Sweetbriar where there is not good phone reception or WI-Fi) and taking day hikes to all the falls and trails so abundant in the area. We also all played tennis that weekend at a tournament held at the Mt. Shasta Resort.
We invite you and Title Nine staff to visit our area. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to feature some healthy, athletic women in your catalog who are in their 50s and 60s? Rosie Gilbert-Ahrens, 58, dressed in the red shirt, is not only a tennis player but a marathon runner and just completed the Boston Marathon. She recently retired as a college counselor from Shasta Community College. Leah Gott, 53, in the gray shirt, is an amazing tennis player, and among the many jobs she does, is a bus driver for high school kids. Nancy Walker, 55, in the pink shirt, also plays great tennis, and has been a life-long physical education teacher in Red Bluff, California. She, of all of us, understands the value and importance of Title Nine laws.
Please let me know an email for sending the photos as attachments. I sent the photos and email directly to timeoutwithtitlenine.com but it got kicked back…
Best regards,
Margie Stockwell
Hi Margie, you all sound fantastic. We love hearing the examples of how Title IX has impacted women. Please do send us photos. If you’re in Title Nine clothing in the photos we may be able to share them as part of our #MyT9 campaign on social media. Send any images to socialmedia@titlenine.com.
Ha, I wrote an entire blog post about this a while back. I am becoming more and more unplugged when I can. Recently I was at a meeting where we have a “no phones” rule. It was 3 hours long and when I finished I had a bunch of text messages from people: “Hey, mind if I borrow, XXX?” “Hey R U there?” “HELLLOOO!?” and the finale… “Fine. Forget it!” I was so blown away. I texted back. “Of course you are welcome to borrow XXX anytime. Anything for you and your family. However, please don’t assume I always have my phone with me. That’s not how I roll.”…so I leave my phone in the car. When I’m driving I out my bag and phone in the trunk. Might be extreme, but it’s taken me a rather scary amount of time to not jones for the dang thing!!! Oh, here’s the post: http://insidebydesign.com/hi-im-lisa-and-im-a-cell-phone-addict/
What a great blog post Lisa. it is truly scary how reliant we are on our phones. Love the idea of putting it in the trunk when driving. It IS just too tempting otherwise.
Thanks, Jess. I like to challenge anything I’m doing regularly that doesn’t “feel” quite right. And this excessive attachment to my cel phone thing isn’t sitting right with me or with my family.
Because of my type of internet based work I am told “I must be on social media”. I’m questioning/challenging that too. I am 52 and posting on social media feels somewhat foreign to me as a basically introverted person. I’ll see how that plays out too.
Thanks for the great post and inspiration to unplug and stay present!
We have a no electronics rule when we sit down to eat a meal together as a family. I love the idea of trying it for 48 hours! Can I do it? I’m up for the challenge!… now to get my family on board…
I feel so sorry for your generation and your obsessiveness with electronic devices and social media. I don’t have to unplug because I’m almost never plugged in. Can’t stand cell phones or Facebook. Not too fond of cable TV either. I get out every day and walk in the mountains, take a swim, or just sit quietly and stare out my window. And, no, I’m not some granny either. I’m only in my 50s, but since my generation grew up without all this stuff, there’s nothing to miss.
Congratulations on your condescending flawlessness, but please tone down your ego enough to either encourage those of us who are trying to grow and flow with the times, or simply stay silent. My grandmother always told me, “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”. 🙂
Great idea: Heading to Acadia next week, and that will be a perfect time to try this.
That’s great Deb. Let us know how it goes!