Challenges Are you game?

Here are some challenge ideas to help you set your screens aside more often. The goal is to maintain control over the Internet and to savour the joys of unplugging.

Which challenges will you choose?

CHALLENGE 01

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Recharge your batteries

Turn off all your screens one hour before bed. Side effects include a good night’s sleep.

CHALLENGE 02

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Throwback Thursday

Spend a Thursday screen-free like back in the day! #tbt #pauseyourscreen

CHALLENGE 03

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Ultimate battle

Tomorrow, only check your phone once an hour and battle the urge to respond immediately. Game on.

CHALLENGE 04

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Unplug

Charge your cell somewhere other than your room. We dare you to buy yourself an alarm clock. Yup, you read that right, an alarm clock.

CHALLENGE 05

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Justify it

Try this for a week: every time you pick up your phone while someone is talking to you, justify it by giving the real reason. Ouch.

CHALLENGE 06

Set it aside

Next time you’re out with your friends, put your cells away. The first one who takes theirs out pays the bill.

CHALLENGE 07

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Clean it up

Turn off all non-essential visual and audio notifications.

CHALLENGE 08

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Moment of truth

Download an app that calculates the time you spend on your phone every day.

CHALLENGE 09

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Morning break

For a week, wait until after breakfast to look at a screen.

CHALLENGE 10

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Wait it out

For a week, every time you’re waiting in a line, resist the temptation to check your phone and just… wait.

CHALLENGE 11

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Put it away

Leave your cell in a room or a bag and don’t bring it everywhere with you!

CHALLENGE 12

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Take a break

Turn on airplane mode and set an alarm for the duration of the break you want to take (15 min, 30 min, 45 min, etc.).

CHALLENGE 13

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Dare to switch off

Are you having a conversation, sitting in class, or attending a meeting? Turn off your screens for a few minutes, hours, or, if you’re really brave, a whole day and be fully present.

CHALLENGE 14

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Avoid bingeing

Adjust the settings of some social media so they stop after a predetermined amount of viewing time (e.g., YouTube after 15 minutes of viewing).

CHALLENGE 15

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More cleaning

Delete non-essential apps from your home screen. Place them in folders so they’re “hidden.”

CHALLENGE 16

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Check in with yourself

After staring at a screen for a few hours, how do you feel? Satisfied, relaxed, anxious, kind of depressed? Try to opt for connections that make you feel good.

CHALLENGE 17

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Truth time #2

Ask your family and friends what they think of your Internet use. Do they feel that you’re present when you’re with them?

CHALLENGE 18

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Step out

Shop in stores instead of online, a great way to encourage the local economy, meet people and… spend less time sitting!