“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
— Anne Lamott
It’s Time to Unplug
Boredom sighs while setting her snare.
Scrolling; swiping; clicking; liking; trolling; typing.
Thumbprints blaze oily trails followed by
Fatigued, dry eyes losing clear focus.
Mother calls, “You need a break.”
She proclaims, “It’s time to unplug.”
The Alarming Reality
The situation in schools is dire, with alarming data pointing to significant cell phone addiction. On average, teens are using their phones for at least 1.5 hours during the school day, predominantly for social media and video. This constant digital engagement directly correlates with negative impacts on academic performance, as students check devices multiple times an hour during class and score lower on tests. For more, see reports from The 74.
Unplugging: This is How I Do It
t’s wild, isn’t it? The power of technology to connect us in ways we once couldn’t even imagine. This blog, for instance, is my own way of reaching out, connecting to a world far larger than my small circle of friends. But that same power can easily disconnect us from the more immediate, intimate world right around us.
We’ve all felt it: the quiet call of the screen when boredom hits, setting its snare. That endless cycle of rapid-fire engagement, scrolling through feeds, tapping, and typing. Before we know it, our eyes feel strained, losing clear focus from too much screen time. Sometimes, it takes a firm voice from the outside, a simple, “You need a break. It’s time to unplug.”
What we often forget is that life requires us to be bored sometimes. It’s during those quiet, unstructured moments—when the digital distractions fade—that our minds truly begin to wander, creating space for reflection, problem-solving, and genuine creativity. As writer G.K. Chesterton once put it, “There are no uninteresting things, only uninterested people.” Boredom isn’t a void to be filled, but an invitation for our minds to explore, to connect disparate ideas, and to generate something new. It’s an essential ingredient for innovation and self-discovery.
For me, one definite way I unplug a few times a week is through swimming. It’s pretty clear from my poems here that it’s my go-to exercise. That activity means my phone stays in the locker. My mind’s free to wander as I just focus on the water and the workout.
Can I do more to unplug? Would it be beneficial? Absolutely. And I’m pretty sure the answer for all of us lies in finding our own version of “the swim”—those specific things that pull us away from the screen and back into the richness of the present moment.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
What are your thoughts on finding that balance? How do you manage to unplug and step back, without completely sacrificing the valuable connections technology offers? Share your strategies and insights in the comments below!
