Fed Up Woman "Unplugs" Family and Survives; There is Hope for Our Technology Addicted Society-Getting Back to Nature

The all too familiar sounds of beeping, bleeping and electronic tweeks fill most of our lives from morning until we close our eyes to sleep at night. Glowing screens from phones, TVs, laptops, and games fill our vision all day and for some, all night too. Some of us use the electronics for work, or for staying in touch with our family and friends, to unwind, de-stress, or just to keep up with the times, but most Americans are addicted to technology and electronics. We'd just die without them. Even though it seems technology has taken over most workplaces, homes and even schools these days, one single mother of three teenagers put her foot down and now stands out from the crowd; Susan Maushart, an Australian journalist reached her breaking point with her family's addiction (and her own) and unplugged the whole family for 6 months, and lived to tell the tale.

As Michael Cart so aptly said in a snippet of his review of Maushart's book,
" -she describes the "voyage" as The Caine Mutiny, with her playing Captain Queeg. As it happens, the voyage is relatively storm free, though there are some squalls at the beginning. Maushart nearly goes through withdrawal after turning off her iPhone and finds that her work takes twice as long without a computer. In a way, the kids are more adaptable (perhaps because their mother offers them various bribes). They quickly learn how to do homework without access to Wikipedia and discover such joys as playing the saxophone and having sing-alongs. Interspersed with the family's experience is a great deal of timely information about the impact of electronic technology on Generation M (8- to 18-year-olds), and not all of it is pretty. Nevertheless, the entire family is relieved when the experiment is over but delighted to discover that it has introduced them to 'life itself'".

This story has given me hope. Hope that we can "unplug" ourselves and focus on what is truly important in our lives; our families, our friends, and our relationship with nature. Even just spending a little more time outside. When I was growing up, in school we had recess two times a day, and the rest of the time we spent playing outside whenever we could. On weekends and summer days, we were running out of that house as fast as we could to get outside, gathering our neighborhood friends, and playing outdoors until we were dragged back in for meals and bedtime. Today's kids spend very little or no time at all outside. I've seen studies showing that children spend from 36 to 44 hours a week with electronics. That leaves very little time for playing or even just being outside.

We all need to get back to nature; get outside and inhale our natural surroundings, feel the breeze on our face, see and listen to some of the greatest gifts God has given us--our Earth, instead of closing ourselves up indoors, locked stationary in front of glaring screens and electronic devices. Just taking a walk outside once a day could probably prevent half of our ailments. We just don't spend enough time in nature, and it isn't natural! No wonder we are so sick as a society; we've lost our connection with the very earth that has sustained us for a millennia.

"There may be no better way to ensure the well-being of the natural world tomorrow than to introduce children to its many small wonders today. Through a series of accessible activities designed to engage young minds and all five senses, this book reminds us of-even celebrates-the magic to be found right outside our own back doors."-Todd Christopher, National Wildlife Federation's Green Hour, talking about I Love Dirt!: 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature -by Jennifer Ward.

See resources for some great books on getting you and your kids back to nature.

Resources & More Reading
The Winter of Our Disconnect: How Three Totally Wired Teenagers (and a Mother Who Slept with Her iPhone)Pulled the Plug on Their Technology and Lived to Tell the Tale - By Susan Maushart
Also see this Free .pdf from the Nature Conservatory, Back to Nature, the Backyard Guide to Nature .
Great book for parents by Jennifer Ward; Let's Go Outside!: Outdoor Activities and Projets to Get You and Your Kids Closer to Nature .
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder by- Richard Louv
I Love Dirt!: 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature -by Jennifer Ward
Getting Humans Back Into Nature - by Ashwani Vasishth
Turn It Off: How to Unplug from the Anytime-Anywhere Office Without Disconnecting Your Career- by Gil Gordon