When a device is on and is showing you something entertaining, we cannot help ourselves but glance at it.

It’s pulling us in with all the bright colours and feeding our fear of missing out if we ignore the latest news.

Because the power of a screen is so great and we are instantly tempted to have a look, it becomes a battle of wills to keep our hands off our devices.

I think it’s a good idea to switch the phone or tablet off altogether for an extended amount of time, whether that’s for an hour, a day or a weekend.

Try a digital detox and see how this affects you and your family’s moods, time, concentration, etc.

I believe that the quality of conversations and relationships in general are being degraded by the distraction of those devices.

If we want to have a meaningful conversation with a loved one, we would fare better if we put away our phones so that we can focus on each other. This is especially true for when we talk to children. They notice when we, the adults, are not paying attention to them, which after many occasions, might impact their self-esteem and how they value themselves.

Then they might start copying us and do the same when they are on their phones/tablets. They need to learn to engage in conversation but only us, the adults, can teach them how by example.

Let’s all put our phones down and listen to our loved ones.