letting go of screen time

It's a funny thing to decide to write about on a blog - letting go of screen time. But here goes:

When I was growing up, there were strong boundaries around the television. For many years we didn't have a television. When we got a television, we weren't given many hours to watch tv. Not that I pushed much on that account, I loved playing outside and reading and so many other activities I didn't think much about the t.v. The computer was introduced into my household when I was in high school, but it was an instrument for homework. There were some games, but I never got drawn into that scene.

In College, I met e-mail. I loved it!!!! I spent hours corresponding with friends, drafting long letters outlining philosophical and theological quandaries, social happenings, stories, dreams, and the like. I was hooked. Soon on its heels, the internet with windows-based search engines. Netscape. A whole new world. But it was limited by dial-up.

In my community household in Toronto, we had dialup for a while. Five women, one phone, dialup internet. It was a tricky situation. Then approximately 5 years ago, Lisa, our resident 'field marshall' took it upon herself to get us unlimited high speed internet which would allow the telephone calls to come in at the same time. A whole new world.

Internet surfing.
Chatting.
E-mail.
Solitaire.
Internet surfing.

It started slowly. It seeped into the cracks. It became the first thing I checked in the morning, the first detail to attend to upon returning from work. The last activity of the evening before bed. An evening's activity. I can't imagine life without my computer, without high speed internet. It's a part of my life.

But - I realize that I have not developed limits for internet/computer time in the way that I have continued to maintain boundaries for the television. Why the double standard? Should Kendall and I be blessed with kids, we want to limit t.v. time, and I hear more and more about broadening the label to 'screen time'. That concept makes a whole lot of sense to me. It's the same concept as limiting television in my childhood - encouraging active and imaginative play.

I am pledging to let go of screen time. I would like to get down to 5 hours a week of screen time (non-work related). I've got a long way to go.

But I think that life will open up for me in active and imaginative ways when I do.
A few weeks ago I deliberately didn't turn on the computer when I came home from class, and committed to not turning it on until 8 p.m. I was restless for a bit, then got out a picnic blanket, a novel, and my journal and went outside. It was absolutely lovely. My friend Rachel came home from work and we spent time chatting before she went in. Her husband Sam and my husband Kendall came in from Ultimate Frisbee and joined us on the blanket. It was a glorious hour, opened up by letting go of screen time.

As I enter into a time of transition, I tend to fall back into old habits. I will need extra will-power to let go of screen time right now. But I think that the energy will be worth it. A more active and imaginative life awaits.