Happy New Year! Taking a little time to reflect on the past year can catalyze positive change as we move into 2025. I can say that I definitely had enough device time, too much if I am brutally honest. Did device time help me foster a deeper connection with anyone? Absolutely not. Was it fulfilling? Nope. Did it eliminate loneliness? I think it made it worse in the long run. I could have spent the time with friends in person.
“Today, nearly half of all adults in the United States report feeling lonely, and more than twenty percent of millennials say they have ‘no friends at all’. All around us, the fabric of community is unraveling.”
-The Lonely Century by Noreena Hertz
Screen time has increased dramatically in the last several years. Technology doesn’t lead to deep friendships the way face-to-face interaction does. You can’t read the subtle, wondrous ways that we communicate using body language while we are in person. It is so important for younger generations to gain these social skills. It is easy to misinterpret online communication, but when you are with another, you can read their body language if you have doubts about their words. Are they willing to look you in the eyes? What are their eyebrows doing right now (Yes, you heard me- eyebrows speak the truth too!)
What does this have to do with Connect and Color®? It is the culmination of my life’s work and my most important job as a mom played a significant role. Devices were becoming popular at one of the most critical times of development for my kids. Leslie Weirich, a mental health speaker, stated “Checking social media repeatedly among young teens ages 12-13 years old may be associated with how their brains develop over a three-year period.” The more you pause to read the statistics, the more alarming it is. According to humanality.org, “Research by Jonathan Haidt shows a sharp increase in anxiety, depression, and self-harm among adolescents since 2012, coinciding with the widespread adoption of smartphones and social media. Heavy use is strongly linked to poorer mental health outcomes." Hence, the fire under me that propels me forward with Connect and Color® is to foster an increased sense of community, without devices as much as possible.
When you feel like you are bigger than something other than yourself you have a deeper sense of belonging, thereby reducing loneliness. I believe it’s something you can’t replicate with screen time. “Can you please help me color my page?” “What two colors do you think go well together?” These are just a couple of the comments I have witnessed as participants engaged with each other during recent events. When I told participants that the final Connect and Color® was going to be displayed somewhere post-event, to inspire others, everyone became extra excited. Coincidence? I think not.
With the new year, I began to think more about how I am using my devices and I decided I am going to be more purposeful. Do I need my phone with me to walk my dog Bear? Not really, unless I want to take a photo when she does something cute. When will I put my device away each night and how can I adjust my bedtime routines to promote a healthier relationship with technology? So, in 2025, it’s 9:00 p.m. “lights out” for my device each night. Guess what is taking the place of my endless scrolling in the evening? A Connect and Color® mini-coloring kit, crocheting, and reading! These are not only stress-free activities, but also prepare my body for sleep, AND release those beneficial neuro-chemicals I have discussed previously. Check out: "It's so much more than just coloring" for more information.
I have no fear of missing out on social media posts or the latest trends. They are fleeting and really don’t bring me much satisfaction. I greatly fear missing precious time with my kids or the rest of my family and friends. Nothing is more important. When I have that quiet time in the evening while I do a hands-on project, I am thinking about them and dreaming of ways I can connect with them in person. My mind now has time to wander and my creativity is rekindled. My sleep is restored.
Whether you set goals for 2025 or not, perhaps think about how you have used technology in the past year. Is it serving you well? Is there some small way you can adjust your habits to have a little more device-free time daily? How could that extra time benefit others and create a greater sense of community for you and your loved ones? And what fun project could you work on with your surplus of time? Working together in community, we can all THRIVE 2025.
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