A year ago, I wrote
about my friend Tiffany Shlain and her genius idea of a Tech Shabbat:
every week, from Friday night to Saturday night, her family turns off
all screens—cellphones, TVs, computers.
As Tiffany recounts in her new book, 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week,
the idea for riffing on the tradition of the sabbath came during a time
of grief. Her father was dying, and it struck Tiffany as obvious that
you don't check your texts when you're spending precious moments with a
loved one.
It has been nearly a decade since Tiffany, her husband, and their two
girls (now ages 16 and 10) have been observing Tech Shabbats. Last
weekend, my friend Michelle and I decided to give it a try.
Michelle planned ahead. On Friday afternoon, she sent preemptive
emails warning coworkers that she'd be unplugged for 24 hours. “If you
need me, call my landline,” she instructed her closest friends. She
printed out directions to a restaurant where she and her husband Jon had
reservations that night.
Tomorrow’s Headline Makers, Today
