This Woman Unplugs Every Saturday (and Will Convince You to Do the Same)

''It’s a common occurrence: You’re having dinner with family or friends when someone starts talking about a movie they just saw or a book they just read. But what was the name of that actor or author again? You whip out your phone, do a quick Google search, and get your answer. However if it’s Friday night and you’re having dinner with Tiffany Shlain, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, you’ll sit at the table in ignorant bliss.

For the past six years, Shlain and her family have observed Technology Shabbat, a modernized version of the Jewish day of rest. They turn off every screen in sight—phones, laptops, TVs, and yes, even Apple watches—before dinner on Friday night and take 24 hours to reconnect.

But Shlain is hardly a Luddite. In fact, she founded The Webby Awards and now runs The Moxie Institute Film Studio and Lab. “I’ve always loved tech and the way it can connect and empower us,” she says. “But I got to a point where I felt overwhelmed and distracted by it.”...''

by JEFF CATTEL