Sign up for the battlefordsNOW newsletter

Screen users challenged to ditch their electronic fix next week

Apr 28, 2016 | 5:17 PM

Everyone’s heard of the ice bucket or no makeup challenges shared online, but how about a challenge to stay away from social media and screens altogether?

From May 2 to 8, Saskatchewan in Motion is challenging every screen user to take part in screen free week.

Kendall Longtin, community relations co-ordinator, said screen free week is a worldwide event that’s about getting off screens and rediscovering the joys of life beyond the screen.

“(It’s) really just disconnecting and unplugging from digital entertainment and spending your free time doing other things whether that be playing with your kids or hanging out with family, reading or spending time outside,” Longtin said. “Anything that is interesting and exciting for you beyond the screen.”

The program’s main demographic is young children who spend on average seven-and-a-half hours a day on a screen, but Longtin added the week is for everyone, not just youth.

“We all have screens a part of our everyday life so it’s nice to look at some different ways to reduce that time and look at different activities,” she said. “It’s a really good opportunity to challenge yourself and people in your circle to be more aware of the time we spend on our screens and how we can get outside or do activities with those we love and cherish beyond screens.”

Different activities to make screen week fun can be setting phones in a pile and the first one to pick up their phone has to do something for the group. Another option is re-branding the swear jar to have someone put money in it for using electronic devices.

While no schools have anything planned activity-wise for screen free week, the Northwest School Division encourages all of its students to participate in the challenge.

cswiderski@jpbg.ca

On twitter: @coltonswiderski