Disconnecting From Social Media in a Few Easy Steps

September 9, 2011 Comments off

The two most popular social networking sites Facebook (750 million  users) and Twitter (200 million users) offer you ways to deactivate, hide, or downgrade your accounts. Facebook offers a few ways to distance yourself from it, become less dependent. You can start by turning off the notifications to your email, deleting the application from your smartphone, or even go as far as deactivating your account. Deactivating your account just means that you’re “turning off” until you’re ready to use it again.

 

 

Here are five easy steps on how to deactivate your Facebook account.

  1. Click Account on the top left of your page.
  2. Go to Account Settings.
  3. Select the Security tab
  4. On the bottom of the page you’ll find the button to deactivate your account. Click it.

5.   Scroll to the bottom of the next page and click confirm.

 

Don’t be fooled! Facebook will try to lure you into staying with a notice saying “Are you sure your want to deactivate your account?,” accompanied by pictures of loved ones, to convince you to stay active on Facebook. You should probably give your loved ones a call and see them in person instead!

The process to deactivate your Twitter account is similar to Facebook’s. Start by turning off notifications and weaning yourself gradually. If that doesn’t work, deactivate your account.

 

Four Simple steps to deactivate your Twitter account.

  1. Click on your name in the top right corner
  2. Click Settings
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page where there is a “Deactivate My Account” button and select it.
  4. On the next page, confirm that you want to deactivate

Social networking is an amazing way to stay in touch with friends and family, close and long distance. The problem arises when it is used as the only means of communicating with people. Allowing social networking sites to monopolize your communication methods is a slippery slope, as it can easily become your default form of communication, to the total exclusion of face-to-face interaction. Don’t let yourself get too attached!

 

Ten Years Later

September 8, 2011 Comments off

 

Each one of us has our own memories of 9/11. On that day strangers became friends and neighbors, and in the silence and the chaos we instinctively sought contact with one another. Unable to reach our loved ones, we recognized the importance of connecting. This Sunday, ten years later, connect with your loved ones in every way you can.

Today, we looked back at the impact of those moments described in the Mind Over Body 9/11 Special Issue.

Click here to view the newsletter: Mind Over Body Newsletter: 9/11 & Children’s Health

 

 

‘Disconnect and Enjoy’ Video

September 1, 2011 1 comment

Here is a video from our partners at Day to Disconnect showing exactly why it’s important to Unplug and Reconnect! While you prepare for the Labor Day weekend (and write your Unplugging and Reconnecting essay!) we hope this motivates you to really take the time on this last great holiday weekend of the summer to turn off the tech devices and focus on yourself, your family and friends.

In partnership with Ohr Naava, a Brooklyn based women’s organization and the originator of the ‘Day To Disconnect’ campaign, we will be helping to raise 1,000,000 Unplugging hours on Sunday, October 2, 2011. Look forward to details after the Labor Day contest.

Forty-two percent of Americans use their cellphones to combat boredom.  Fifty-three percent of our population owns a smart phone. It seems with each additional innovation, we are  increasingly stripped of our ability to simply live our lives. When social interaction becomes awkward, we pull out our cell phones and pretend to text so as to avoid human contact.  Our loved ones are ignored as we attend whatever urgent business technology presents. E-mails continue to flood our inboxes.  In the United States, we may be advancing technologically, but we are losing sight of how to grow as beings among other beings.

Enjoy your holiday weekend and we hope you’ll spend it with those you love!

Tell Us How You Unplugged and Win!

August 30, 2011 4 comments

We’d like to invite you to take one last look back at the summer and take part in the Unplug and Reconnect (U&R) Labor Day Essay Contest! Write a brief essay telling us how you Unplugged and Reconnected during the summer or over the Labor Day weekend.  Feel free to include a pic!

U&R ESSAY CONTEST (no more than 1 page)

The top two essays will be selected by our U&R “LoTech™ Survivalists” and featured on our blog in September. Winners will be awarded their choice of one of our Friends and Family LoTech Survival Kits. All other entries received by Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011, will be entered into a raffle for a Survival Kit! **Bonus** ‘Like’ us on Facebook (at Unplugging and Reconnecting: U&R) or Tweet this link using the hastag #Unplugandreconnect and get an extra chance to win a Survival Kit.

Prize Options include the choice of one of the following Friends and Family LoTech™ Survival Kits:

1) LoTech Camping Survival Kit: (Tent,  two sleeping bags, lantern and cooler)

2) LoTech Luxury Survival Kit: (A sumptuous dinner for two with wine; luxury bath kit including terry robes and candles)

3) LoTech Family Night Survival Kit: (Family dinner for four delivered to your home, plus “make your own dessert” ingredients and a selection of four board games)

4) LoTech Getaway Survival Kit: ($200 Jet Blue Certificate and one carry on luggage bag)

Submit your short essay to [email protected] by September 5 to take part!

We hope you’ll enjoy your break. We’re currently working on raising 1,000,000 Unplugging hours on October 2nd. Look forward to details after the contest. Happy Unplugged Labor Day from all of us at U&R!

 

Take the Unplug and Reconnect Labor Day 2011 Challenge

August 30, 2011 1 comment

For most of us, Labor Day means a long weekend to relax and spend time with our families. But the holiday also signifies the end of summer, the end of vacations, and time to get back to “business,” whether that means re-establishing a frantic work pace or returning to school after a long, restive break.

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