Most people use some form of hand-held electronics in their everyday lives. Whether it be using a smart phone to check the status of something or a tablet to watch a movie, our eyes are constantly on our screens.
So, sometimes it’s nice to turn those devices off.
This is where Unplug and Play Week comes in.
Unplug and Play is an initiative started by the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL) to coincide with Family Literacy Week.
“The purpose of it is to increase kids’ awareness of how much time they’re actually spending on their screens, and encourage them to get off their devices and get them playing or reading… anything other than screen time,” said Lisa Bjarnason, a member of CBAL. “The first year we did it the parents loved it, the teachers liked it, so we made it an annual event.”
From the very beginning, Unplug and Play Week has had an impact on turning off devices.
Bjarnason recalled being approached by a parent during the first year of Unplug and Play, who asked if this could be turned into something that takes place once a month.
The event is run in partnership with different groups in the community, with different groups getting involved for each of the last three years.
This year, some of those groups involved include both Nakusp Elementary and Nakusp Secondary Schools (NES and NSS respectively), the Nakusp Public Library, and the Nakusp and Area Youth Society (NAYS).
Everyone who took part thought the initiative was a smart idea.
“With the youth I didn’t put a ton of emphasis on the point of Unplug and Play Week,” said Rachel Adair, the youth coordinator for NAYS. “I didn’t want to scare them away, because I think for youth it’s an extension of themselves. I told them it was Unplug and Play Week and set up activities where they didn’t need their devices and they naturally did disconnect and played.”
Events throughout the week at NAYS included creating vision boards, drop-in yoga, a games night, nerd night, and a dance party.
Something that surprised Adair was how willing some of the youth were to put away their devices.
“I didn’t know 13 and 14-year-olds would want to play with cards, but they did and we were just laughing and laughing,” she said. “It wasn’t even like the power was out and they had to play cards, they just wanted to.”
Adair said she plans on continuing some form of Unplug and Play after the week is finished.
“That’s something I’m taking away from it: Unplug and Play Week doesn’t have to be just one week of the year,” she said. “I’m going to be setting up opportunities throughout the year that give them the chance to not need their devices.”
It wasn’t just residents who enjoyed Unplug and Play Week.
Amy Ness and her family are from Nanaimo and are living in Nakusp for six weeks while her husband is here for work.
Ness learned about Unplug and Play Week after taking her two daughters to Strong Start, and the three have taken part in various activities associated with the initiative.
She thinks having an event like this is important for a community.
“It brings families together out of their houses and kids can come and play and be imaginative, and I think that’s great for kids,” she said.
For Bjarnason, the idea of unplugging any unnecessary electronic devices over the span of a week sends a message that taking our eyes off a digital screen is very important.
“I think it’s a message that can’t be put out there enough, especially in this day and age, even for me,” she concluded. “I think it’s good to do this.”
