We have most assuredly entered a digital age. An era where we'll be late to work, an appointment or a meeting if we forget our phone at home. An age where we worry that our kids won't know how to actually speak to a human being and we might be losing touch with the real world. In our home, we have a "no phone zone" during dinner. I also put blocks on the phone internet use during the night and I get alerts on who the kids contact, how often and when. Still, it seems we are all being sucked into a virtual world. Getting rid of technology is an option - although not completely realistic in my opinion. Reducing tech time is certainly a good option - and one I already utilize. Shifting gears is also an option.
Words with Friends is a game my family and I have played virtually. Scrabble for the phone, it's a way we stay connected to each other through our virtual world. My kids play Minecraft and talk to each other while they build (or destroy) each others worlds, but they are definitely interacting. I follow all of my kids Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook pages. We interact but I also see the image they're projecting to the world and their peers. Since I don't want to unplug from the benefits of technology anymore than they do, I connect with them through it.
Balance and minimalism is important with technology just like everything else in life. We try to get outside as much as possible, do things as a family, plan adventures. There are apps to see your kids text messages and it's easy to monitor when they're able to use the phone and internet. At first I dug my feet in and tried to rebel against so much technology with my kids. Now, I've taken more of an "embrace it and work with it" stance and it's actually helped bring us closer. Our kids play games against (and with) each other almost daily and their interaction is positive and fun. Balance life, certainly. Ban technology when it's appropriate (dinner with the family, trips to the beach, etc...), monitor it appropriately, but otherwise, find ways to have fun with it!