Episode 15: Unplug from Electronics

The Power of Unplugging: Why Taking a Break from Electronics Matters

Why in today’s digital world do phones, tablets, TVs, and computers consume much of our time? Is there anything we can do about this? While technology offers many benefits, taking a break from it can be just as important. Unplugging, even for a short time, can improve focus, strengthen relationships, and bring a sense of calm in a digital world.

Why Unplugging is Important

In this episode of Message for My Kids, the host talks to his children about the benefits of stepping away from electronics. While technology is a part of everyday life, constant connection can sometimes lead to distraction and missed opportunities for real-world experiences. Sometimes people should put aside their social media, phones, and smart devices.

How to Unplug in a Digital World

• Set designated unplugging times. While it’s not always possible to unplug, choose moments when you’re not needed for urgent matters.

• Replace electronics with outdoor activities, reading, board games, or whatever brings you peace.

• Contact loved ones to let them know you are unplugging, just in case they try getting ahold of you.

A Lesson for Everyone

The message of unplugging isn’t just for kids, it’s a valuable habit for adults as well. Whether it’s turning off your phone or taking a tech-free day, stepping away from screens and electronics can help create a healthier balance in life.

Listen to the Full Episode

Want to hear more about the benefits of unplugging? Click the player at the top of the screen and tune in to this episode of Message for My Kids to explore why disconnecting from electronics, even briefly, can bring unexpected rewards. Don’t forget to subscribe for more insights on parenting, motivation, and personal growth!

Or..Read the Transcript Below!

Hey guys, welcome back to another episode Message for My Kids. Today I want to talk about unplugging. Unplugging almost everything what you have including the Wi -Fi router, the Wi -Fi modem, including your phone. How long? Probably about five hours, I would say minimum five hours. And why? Why unplug?

It was pretty crazy because couple days ago something happened with the power. There was snow here and it wasn't really a bad snowstorm, but it was really windy and cold and the power went out. Went out probably about 45 minutes to an hour until they fixed it. But within those 45 minutes, I literally felt like I did not need to do anything. But even just sitting there or whatever I was doing, cleaning or something, it felt like there was nothing that I needed to do “need” to do, and it felt weird.

It felt more freedom. It felt more like I was getting more accomplished. It's weird. It's almost as if when you know you don't have the internet working, everything drops. Then what I did during that time was I just, I literally turned off my phone. And during the phone, like the phone process being shut off, it even felt, I felt better.

Because, since you guys were at school, I knew you guys were going to get off the bus eventually. Yes, something could happen, but if something for that dramatic event to happen, something big, I would assume that I'd be getting a knock on the door so it just, it felt so relieved and actually I should say, I felt relieved. And it was, it was, very very good to feel that. I have not felt that way since I was, I want to say since I was in middle school, maybe high school.

It just there was no worries, there was no news, I didn't even turn on the TV. Do we have TV, yes, but there's no way I could watch TV because the electricity is out.

Could I connect the backup generators and the solar panels and all that good stuff, yes, one flip of switch we have electricity. But I left it, I left it off. And as I left it off, I just felt like I was at home. It felt really amazing. It felt good.

So my message for you would be once in a while, unplug. Unplug everything. Maybe the minimum I would say for five hours. Five hours, unplug and just get that feeling. I promise it is a different feeling. Turn off your phone, turn off the electricity if you can. If you can go unplug everything, if there's a switch in the basement without harming anything of a house that you guys may own in the future and if you have an apartment, definitely don't don't do that, just unplug by the outlet. But if there's a one main switch that you're not gonna damage anything and you know for sure, just flip the switch five hours, but if there's gonna be damage or you don't for sure know, then don't do that, just unplug by the outlet.

Start with your Wi-Fi and modem at first and turn off your phones. That's including anything that's on LTE, that's including anything that's on 5g. Probably at the time when you guys hear this will be at 6g, 7g, XG, unlimited Wi -Fi. I don't know whatever it is.

But the day that may come is where there would be no way to shut off the Wi -Fi. Permanent Wi -Fi, LTE, constant and that you have to be careful of. Yes, I'm sure there's gonna be a lot of perks, and it's gonna feel like there's more to do. But you're gonna want some kind of sense of control when you can and cannot turn it off. For instance, while carrying these phones, which I don't mind, but you have a tracker on you. I don't mind it.

But if you leave the phone at home and you drive to the store, you drive to another city, or another town, another state, and you leave your phone at home. It's just a complete different feeling. Complete different.

Because you know, you're not being tracked. You know, you don't have a communication. I mean nowadays it probably wouldn't even matter if you left it at home because the safety would still be high. I mean you put the hazards on or you flag somebody down, they'll look at you drive by and then they'll more likely call the authorities.

Authorities will show up because they find it weird. But even then somebody might slow down and ask if you need help. “Do you need help?” they’ll say. And you’ll be like “yes, if you can call the authorities for me real quick so I can get some help, or a tow truck and then go from there.”

But even that what I'm saying is, if you're thinking why should I have my phone now? Why leave it at home? Why turn it off? I think now, the year right now is 2025. Safety is so high that you can literally own no phone, make a loud ruckus, make a loud noise, run to your neighbor, bang on the door, and more than likely they'll call the authorities, if something were to happen.

But the main point is unplug, unplug and don't fool yourself to think that you need a phone, you need something for safety. No, no you don't. You need it because you want to feel like you're involved, you want to feel like you know. It's more of knowing.

Literally I would say why do people carry phones? Why do we carry phones? What's the point of it? We probably Google more, or we go on social media more than we do communicating.

What do we do? Send four texts throughout the whole day and then we see each other? So it's not even for safety purposes, really. Because if it was really literally safety purposes, maybe they just kept with the beepers or a home phone or even a track phone.

My point is this, don't fool yourself into knowing that you need something constant. Unplug. Unplug from the network. Disconnect the Wi -Fi, disconnect the modem. If you have a smart fridge, unplug it. Cover it, put tape over the monitor. I don't know, just unplug it. Unplug it for five hours. Nothing's gonna spoil. Which I don't think anything in the fridge. I think it's like eight hours. Eight hours of your fridge been running for a while and you unplug it you can open and close it for like 12 hours, but just five hours, eight hours something like that. I forgot what it was.

I remember we had that that possible tornado a couple years back and the whole town lost electricity. I remember Appleton. It was like over 250,000 people or something like that. They had no electricity and we had to learn about that fridge of opening and closing and then the watts, and then the generators. Because I know there's like startup watts, and then regular watts so you times the regular watts to keep the fridge running and stuff like that.

But my point is this, unplug five hours. If anything drastically happens, I don't think you're gonna need to know to make that right decision. And besides, you can even let everybody know that you're gonna unplug for five hours. I mean, shoot, send a text to your siblings and be like, "Hey, I'm gonna unplug for five hours just in case you guys are trying to get a hold of me," and I guarantee it will be a different feeling.

It feels more transparent. That's the best way I can put it. It feels more transparent. Rather than feeling sheltered like you're wearing a 60-pound jacket that you can't feel.

Alright guys, you're at school. You're gonna be home in a bit. I love you. I hope you guys are more in control of your Wi-Fi LTE cause constant tracking, it doesn't give you the freedom that the traditional people like me had and have.

Alright, I love you. Keep your head up. I miss you already. There's another message for my kids.