Do You Suffer from Nomophobia?

I learned a new word this morning. I won’t be able to use it in my next game of Scrabble—too many letters. However I now have a diagnosis for a friend or two! First let me explain how I traveled down this rabbit hole. As Kim mentioned in Monday’s blog, May 1-7, 2017 is Children’s Book Week, the annual celebration of books and reading. This week is also Screen-Free Week, the annual celebration that encourages each of us to rediscover the joys of life beyond the screen. And what’s one of the best ways to go screen-free? Read, of course!

Screen-Free Week basically encourages people to unplug for the week—turn off the TV, put down the tablet, and set aside the smartphone. This is definitely more difficult for some folks than others. And this is what led me to google “what is being addicted to your phone called.” Enter my new word, Nomophobia, which means the fear of being “off grid,” whether it’s a fear of being unavailable, out of touch, or uninformed. I find this a bit scary and real at the same time.

I could definitely unplug for the week if I were vacationing on one of North Carolina’s beautiful beaches. I’m not. So I’ve promised myself I’ll unplug for one evening this week. Care to join me?

We can do it!

Diane

PS: Click this LINK for a collection of children’s book about reducing screen time. Click this LINK for a colorful pamphlet titled “Healthy Kids in a Digital World.”


3 thoughts on “Do You Suffer from Nomophobia?

  1. Screen free, we are testing SBAC on computer. I don’t think we can go screen free.

    Not read my email. I do not want to be screen free.

    Let’s encourage face to face interaction.

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