Close Menu
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
  • News
  • Phones
  • Laptops
  • Gadgets
  • Gaming
  • AI
  • Tips
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Global
    • Press Release

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

What's On

Samsung Smart Monitor M9 With QD-OLED Display, AI Features Launched Alongside Updated M8 and M7 Models

26 June 2025

Motorola Teases Upcoming Smartphone Launch in India, Could Be the Moto G96 5G

26 June 2025

Google Pixel 10 Tipped to Pack Larger Battery Than Pixel 9; May Offer Faster Charging

26 June 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Just In
  • Samsung Smart Monitor M9 With QD-OLED Display, AI Features Launched Alongside Updated M8 and M7 Models
  • Motorola Teases Upcoming Smartphone Launch in India, Could Be the Moto G96 5G
  • Google Pixel 10 Tipped to Pack Larger Battery Than Pixel 9; May Offer Faster Charging
  • SonicWall Says Malicious NetExtender Client Used to Steal VPN Credentials
  • Nothing Phone 3 With Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC Surfaces on Geekbench Ahead of Launch
  • Little Nightmares III Arrives In October And Has 10 Minutes Of New Gameplay Footage
  • Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition Announced
  • A Little Nightmares VR Game Is In Development
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest Vimeo
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
  • News
  • Phones
  • Laptops
  • Gadgets
  • Gaming
  • AI
  • Tips
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Global
    • Press Release
Subscribe
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
Home » Why Even a Partial Digital Detox Is a Good Idea This Christmas
News

Why Even a Partial Digital Detox Is a Good Idea This Christmas

News RoomBy News Room13 December 20233 Mins Read
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Reddit Telegram Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

This Christmas I will leave the frigid state of Iowa to spend the holidays with my daughter, Kristil, in Paris. Despite my excitement at reuniting with her after a year apart, I’m also grappling with the unintended strain digital tools have put on our relationship during past visits.

Before the plane even touches down at Charles de Gaulle, I’ll likely be taking pictures and posting to social media. As a freelance writer who lives in the digital world, I’m driven to document. As a mother to my only child, who has been living abroad for nearly six years, I am eager to seize every moment of our visits. My daughter is a digital minimalist and prefers to use technology with purpose. This contrast in our perspectives has become a source of conflict.

Growing up in a single-parent household, Kristil was determined to forge her own path early on. It didn’t surprise me when my 12-year-old daughter, having read about the harmful effects of having technology in her bedroom, approached me with a determined look in her eyes. She requested my help moving her television and computer to another room in our apartment. She was already aware of the negative impact of being too connected.

As a teen, dreaming of attending a top university, Kristil read Cal Newport’s How to Become a Straight-A Student. Later, having earned a scholarship to Columbia University, she aligned herself with another of Newport’s insights—Digital Minimalism. Advocating for a more deliberate engagement with technology, she spoke about eliminating digital clutter.

A year later, the difference in our digital engagement patterns became even clearer. As an empty nester with extra time on my hands and a budding freelance writing career, I explored the virtual landscape. But as I was setting up new accounts on Instagram and Twitter, Kristill was eschewing hers.

I was sitting at my desk one afternoon when a message popped up from Kristil, who was living in Sweden while studying for her master’s degree. “Mom, I think I’m going to deactivate my Facebook,” she texted. “But I’ll still have Messenger, so don’t worry.”

I panicked. With an ocean separating us, social media helped me feel more connected to Kristil. Her likes and comments on my Facebook posts meant far more than she realized. Though I tried to remain calm, three messages later, I lost my composure. “Why are you isolating me?” I asked. “We have so few ways to connect as it is,” I said, my response a mix of confusion and hurt. It took a phone call for me to realize the truth—that I was projecting my fears and insecurities onto Kristil. She wasn’t distancing herself from me, she was setting boundaries around her social media use, a concept I had yet to grasp.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleEnchantment, Esteem, And Eulogies
Next Article How to change modes on the Nest Thermostat

Related Articles

News

The Best Fourth of July Mattress Deals (2025)

26 June 2025
News

A European Startup’s Spacecraft Made It to Orbit. Now It’s Lost at Sea

26 June 2025
News

‘They’re Not Breathing’: Inside the Chaos of ICE Detention Center 911 Calls

26 June 2025
News

Meta Wins Blockbuster AI Copyright Case—but There’s a Catch

26 June 2025
News

The 31 Best Early Amazon Prime Day Deals

25 June 2025
News

Venice Braces for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s Wedding

25 June 2025
Demo
Top Articles

ChatGPT o1 vs. o1-mini vs. 4o: Which should you use?

15 December 202499 Views

Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.

28 October 202495 Views

Oppo Reno 14, Reno 14 Pro India Launch Timeline and Colourways Leaked

27 May 202576 Views

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

Latest News
Gaming

Little Nightmares III Arrives In October And Has 10 Minutes Of New Gameplay Footage

News Room26 June 2025
Gaming

Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition Announced

News Room26 June 2025
Gaming

A Little Nightmares VR Game Is In Development

News Room26 June 2025
Most Popular

The Spectacular Burnout of a Solar Panel Salesman

13 January 2025124 Views

ChatGPT o1 vs. o1-mini vs. 4o: Which should you use?

15 December 202499 Views

Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.

28 October 202495 Views
Our Picks

SonicWall Says Malicious NetExtender Client Used to Steal VPN Credentials

26 June 2025

Nothing Phone 3 With Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC Surfaces on Geekbench Ahead of Launch

26 June 2025

Little Nightmares III Arrives In October And Has 10 Minutes Of New Gameplay Footage

26 June 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
© 2025 Best in Technology. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.