Unplugged Village® Playbook

Welcome to Unplug Collaborative -- Home of Global Day of Unplugging

You are now a part of a world-wide community filled with people from all walks of life who want to have a healthier relationship with technology. Once you get the bug to unplug, we know you will want more. This toolkit is a place for you to start. It is a living document that will be updated with new ideas for activities and events.

Who we are

Global Day of Unplugging (previously referred to as National Day of Unplugging) is an awareness campaign that has been around for over a decade and is now a project of Unplug Collaborative, a non-profit, membership organization formed in February 2020. Learn more about the awareness campaign and Unplug Collaborative on our website HERE.

Why should I unplug, anyway?

We increasingly miss out on the important moments of our lives as we pass the hours with our noses buried in our devices. We may get caught up watching YouTube videos, TikTok challenges or comparing ourselves to others on Instagram. Every move is chronicled on social media and earphones help people create a bubble of silence.

Taking a break from technology can help us maintain the balance necessary to be productive and successful in our daily lives. Unplugging together with others can make a powerful impact as we are surrounded by friends and feel each others support. Communal unplugging encourages good old fashion conversations, eye contact, mindfulness and true community connection.

Some research and trends

Some Screen Time Stats

***Did You Know?***

***The U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, declared loneliness a public health epidemic in America in May 2023. He released an*** ***Advisory Report*** ***which discusses the importance of building meaningful social connections. Here is a*** ***link for toolkits*** ***to help build connections and decrease loneliness.***
***Please check out our list of 200+ ideas/templates from letter writing to rock painting or community service projects to help build up community connection in your group!*** .

U.S. Adolescent and Adult Suicide Rates (Ages 10-59), 1981-2021. (Source: CDC WISQARS Fatal Injury Report, and data from 1981-2000). (spreadsheet with graphs and data points).

Common Sense Media 2022 - Infographic

Teens Social Media and Technology 2023 - Pew Research Center

Have you checked your screen time?

Most devices now have a feature that tracks how much time we spend per day overall and on specific applications. Thanks to countless studies, we now know that increased screen time directly affects levels of anxiety and cortisol in the body, quality of relationships and sleep, and overall productivity, creativity, and mood and can lead to behavioral issues, musculoskeletal and vision problems. Luckily, there are numerous ways to reverse these effects and take charge of your well-being.

What do I need for starters?

Where there’s a will there’s a way! All you need to start is somewhere to put your device. Our signature Smartphone Nap-Sack is a great resource but until you can get your hands on one of them an empty box or basket is a great place to start. Perhaps your first unplugged activity is making your own cell phone sleeping bag!

Personal habits

“I want to develop a practice of unplugging. Where do I start?”

Lucky for you, this isn’t our first rodeo with helping people liberate themselves from their devices. Below are some resources to get you started. Once you start, it’s hard to stop.

At Home

**Not every dish needs a portrait**

Meal times are a great opportunity to check in with yourself, practice mindfulness, or engage with food in a new way. Give tech free meals a shot and watch how your taste buds thank you!

**Routine, routine, routine!**

A great way to develop a healthy habit is to incorporate it into an existing routine. Unplugging for 30 minutes a day, every other day, or even once a week can shine light on meaningful moments otherwise missed.

In Bed

**Snooze better when you snooze your phone!**

Reducing the amount of tech in your sleep space greatly improves your quality of sleep. Use an “old school” alarm clock to help you wake up in the morning. If you aren’t ready to do that, try putting your phone in Do Not Disturb mode so you won’t get notifications.

**Why so blue?**

Blue light from our phones, computers, and tablets disrupts our circadian rhythms and leads to less restful sleep. Try charging your phones outside of the bedroom and limiting your screen time one hour before bedtime and see how it improves your zzzs!

At Work

**Crunch that hunch!**

Whether craning your neck to look down at your phone or slouching over your computer, your body takes the brunt of the burden. A typical texting tilt can put up to 60 lbs of pressure on the spine. While stretches to relieve “tech neck” are extremely helpful, try to be mindful of your posture in the presence of technology.

**One by one, not two by two.**

Multitasking has major appeal in our go go go world despite it often leading to subpar work. Being in the present moment and not overburdened by multiple screens can greatly improve your quality of work. Instead of reaching for your phone to scroll through social media while on another call, for example, challenge yourself to take it one step at a time.

Unplug for your Relationship

**Phones down, faces up!**

Cell phones and other devices grab our attention so significantly. Research has shown that even having a screen face down when you are with someone else reduces the quality of the interaction. Challenge your friends and family to a tech free interaction by putting devices in another room, for example!

**Shared experiences despite distance.**

Technology is a great resource for connecting with friends and family that we do not reside in close proximity to. Organize an activity that both parties will do on their own (e.g. walking, hiking, reading, doing a crossword puzzle, coloring) on a specific day and time. Come back together via video call, for example, and share your experience. Even better, write them a letter about it!

Breaking Ground In Your Community

Having an event at the local Farmers Market

*A young shopper searches for Rodney Rooster and buys produce with “Rodney Bucks”.*

There are many options to make your unplugged gatherings and events a success. Whether you are looking to make this a one-time event or to turn your community into an Unplugged Village®, we hope this list will get the wheels turning in terms of planning and options to consider. Each community will have different offerings but below you will find a list of resources and tips to help you unplug as a community. If you have questions or want to bounce around ideas, feel free to reach out to us info@unplugcollaborative.org.

Finding Support

You may already have a group pulled together but if you are looking for new members you might reach out on social media, at your child’s school, at your gym, or a coffee shop you frequent. If you want to go big….you can approach your local City Council to garner community support. Ask them to do a Proclamation for the Global Day of Unplugging (always the first weekend in March- sundown on Fri to sundown on Saturday) or for turning your community into an Unplugged Village®. City Counsels are often eager to be helpful in their community! You may want to explore service organizations like the Lions Club, Rotary, Kiwanis, or Soroptimists to see if they might want to join forces. Check out faith based organizations where they have youth groups or outreach to youth or the community. Consider partnering with neighborhood groups, playgroups/mommy and me or nature groups. When you get your group together, if you plan an event, ask people to download and take a photo with the “I UNPLUG/WE UNPLUG” signs. They are available in several languages and businesses can add their logo and post it to social media or use it for emails/newsletters. Please share any photos (event or pre-event) with us HERE.

Determine Your Target Audience

Before you begin, you need to determine the target audience you want to reach - youth, young adults, older adults, families etc. Once that’s done, you can choose an activity that will be most appropriate.

Ways To Enhance Your Event

Will this be a one time event or ongoing? Whatever you decide to do, If you want to track your time spent offline as a group and take a pledge to put tech aside for a certain period of time, consider having an Unplug-A-Thon using the Lilspace App. We also have a pledge and paper tracker template if you prefer to go the old-school, unplugged route.

Decide if you will be designating an area as a “Tech Free Zone”. Here are some unplugged inspiration Signs and Games that can be downloaded and printed out. Other sizes/types can be found on your dash board.

Consider finding partners who have a shared goal. You may want to ask them for a partnership to make a greater impact in your community, to see if they have venue space available or perhaps just to get a donation or items for a raffle or incentive. For instance, outdoor recreation businesses are perfectly in-line with the unplugging concept and may offer a discount voucher or free class for people to attend one of their classes. Restaurants may offer incentives or a discount to people who come in and dine without their devices. Check out Unplugged Dining for ideas.