Technology is ruling our lives. Take it off its throne and do these 11 fun activities instead.
Is anyone else baffled by how the technology industry went from nonexistent to a 4.8 trillion-dollar industry in a matter of a few short decades [1]?
What about how the average person spends 11 hours a day looking at a screen [2]?
If those numbers don’t alarm you, this one will: The average American will spend 44 years of their life looking at a screen [3].
Yes, you heard that right. 44 years.
So, what can you do to reduce the time you spend looking at a screen? How can you make your screen time more productive and worthwhile? What other activities can you and your family do instead?
The Low-Down on Technology
Technology has been around for a few hundred years. It started with the world’s first photograph in 1826 and the television 100 years later, and just 65 years after that—the world’s first smartphone.
Here’s a brief timeline of the technology that has changed our lives forever [4]:
- Photography: 1826.
- Telegraph: 1844.
- Telephone:1876
- Electric Light: 1879
- Radio: 1901
- Television: 1927
- Computer: 1937
- Personal Computer and the Internet: 1974
- Macintosh: 1984
- Smartphone: 1992
- iPod: 2001
- iPhone: 2007
How to Make Your Screen Time More
Productive
Your health is calling…
It wants a technology detox, stat.
In our modern-day world, it’s nearly an impossible feat to give up technology altogether.
Especially with the rise of remote work, family reunions over Zoom, and the constant influx of information and updates that came about due to COVID-19.
So, there’s one word we cling to in order to keep ourselves from becoming technology addicts: Balance.
Balance as in, put your phone away at 7:00 PM, and don’t look at it until at least 9:00 AM the next day.
Here’s why: No one needs to be “on” 24/7. 99% of the time, nothing is ever that urgent.
If you’re working from home, try this: Check your email twice a day. Not at every swoosh of an incoming mail. Not when you’re in the middle of something. And definitely not on your phone.
Instead, check it once before you log off for lunch and once more when you log off for the day around 5:00 PM. That’s it.
It may seem crazy, but you (and your productivity timesheet) will thank us later.
11 Activities that Are Healthier (and more fun) than Being on Your Phone
Let’s face it, scrolling through your phone is basically just scrolling through someone else’s life rather than your own.
Do you ever wonder, “What did they do in the olden days without technology?”
Well, here are some modern-day ideas…
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Go on a Picnic
Grab a blanket, a few of your favorite foods, and head to a park to catch the sunset.
Go Hammocking
Talk about ultimate relaxation. Head to an area with some trees and set up your hammock.
Do a “Paint By Number”
If you don’t consider yourself a painter, just wait until you do a Paint By Number.
Simply paint each number and watch as it turns into a masterpiece worthy of a museum.
Go on a Hike
Go on a hike—and don’t post about it.
Getting out to move and fill your lungs with fresh air is one of the best things you can do for your self-care.
Science says that time in nature can decrease blood pressure, stress, and depression while enhancing the immune system, focus, and overall wellness [5].
Look Up What National Observance It Is and Celebrate It
Doggy Date Night. National Homemade Soup Day. Global Running Day.
These are just three of the hundreds of national celebrations our country recognizes every year.
If you’re bored one day and want to mix things up, head here to get a month-by-month breakdown of fun celebrations.
Play Chess
If a good majority of your screen time went to watching The Queen’s Gambit, then this will be right up your alley.
Fun Fact: Chess.com memberships spiked 67% to a whopping 2.6 million members within one month of The Queen’s Gambit’s release on October 23, 2020 [6].
Join a Book Club
Hello Sunshine by Reese Witherspoon. Oprah’s Book Club by Oprah Winfrey. Our Shared Shelf by Emma Watson.
These are just a few of the best celebrity book clubs to join.
Choose your favorite book club, round up a few friends, and read along with their monthly picks!
Have a Bakeoff
Want to have your own Food Wars? Grab the grandkids, neighbors, and whoever else you can find and do a paleo bakeoff.
NativePath Tip: Incorporate collagen into your homemade paleo bread, brownies, cookies, and more for an added health benefit!
Plant a Garden
There’s something oh-so-satisfying about getting your hands dirty.
The health benefits of gardening are even backed by science. In one Australian study, gardening was found to be more effective at preventing dementia than walking, education, and even maintaining alcohol intake at moderate levels [7].
Go Eat At One of the Top 10 Restaurants Near You
Who doesn’t love eating somewhere new? The new smells, menu items, ambiance makes it more memorable than your average trip to a fast-food restaurant.
What makes the experience even better is eating at the best place in town.
Simply Google, “top 10 places to eat near me” and Google will share your city’s best-kept secrets.
Do a DIY Craft You from Your Pinterest Board
We all have a whole slew of DIY crafts we pin to our Pinterest board and have yet to try.
Give the left side of your brain a break and choose one to get those creative juices flowing!
2021’s top DIY crafts include teacup candles, painted succulent pots, and custom cards.
The Bottom Line
Technology may or may not be running your life right now—and most people don’t even realize it.
Whether you have 10 minutes of screentime each day, or 11 hours like the average American, give your brain and eyes a break with one of the 11 tech-free ideas above.
Which one are you going to try first? Leave us a comment below!
As always, be sure to consult a health care professional before adding anything new to your diet, supplement, or exercise regimen. NativePath and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any diseases. All NativePath material is presented for educational purposes only.
References
- 2021 IT (Information Technology) Industry Trends Analysis | Business of Technology
- The Nielsen Total Audience Report: Q1 2018 – Nielsen
- Custom Research & PR Surveys | OnePoll.us | New York, California, Texas
- Encyclopedia Britannica - History of Technology Timeline
- Hiking
- Incredible Second Wave of Interest in Chess
- Lifestyle factors and risk of dementia: Dubbo Study of the elderly