Technology: Disconnect to reconnect

Frequent media stories point to our reliance on technology which fosters a disconnect from personal contacts.

A temporary disconnect from technology (mobile phones, television, etc.) might be the way to go, according to OffLiningInc.com, headed by CEOs Eric Yaverbaum and Mark DiMassimo, self-acclaimed children of the Silicon Revolution.

We’ve devoted much of the last couple of decades to convincing you to log on, click here, call now, surf, search, pay bills in your underwear, trade from the beach, add “friends” to your digital network and, as AT&T once famously promised in their “You Will” campaign, tuck your children in from your mobile device.

Then one day we made a mistake — we looked up. We took our eyes off the screen long enough to see. We noticed we had kids and wives. We took in the way leaves open their faces to the sun. We reacquainted ourselves with the sounds birds make. And we realized these things could no longer compete.

There's a new campaign promoting Yom Kippur as a day to disconnect from technology. While observant Jews will do that anyway, the campaign is pushing for all Americans to do the same from sunset September 18 until sunset September 19.

Although we can't live without technology, Tracing the Tribe thinks a temporary disconnect will leave more time to discuss genealogy in person with your family. That's a good thing.

Explore OffLiningInc's site at the link above.