Friday Night Dinner Conversation Starters

or a practice….We’re developing character strengths as well as practical skills.” She sees Tech Shabbat as an opportunity for self-improvement and asks, “So what do you want to work on?” (pages 54-55)

She mentions impatience as one of her struggles, but she also discusses hobbies that she doesn’t have time for the rest of the week.

If you had the time, what would you work on? Is it reading, practicing the ukulele, yoga, practicing patience or gratitude?

Shlain is a dedicated to journaling and is very concerned about the future of the Web. Some of the latter chapters are devoted to these interests, which she interweaves with her 24/6 lifestyle. She explains how silence and creativity can be central not only to one’s observance of Tech Shabbat but also to a healthy approach to life itself. Some, such as Catherine Price, call some of these ideas Screen/Life Balance. Randi Zuckerberg says that she is bemused by those who viewed her emphasis on life balance as an innovative idea. “People were like ‘Wow, new concept.’ No, Shabbat.” (JTA 4/6/16)

In one of her last arguments, Shlain talks about memory and other brain skills. She argues on pages 148-150 that “taking a day off from all screens every week actually does affect memory in many positive ways…A recent study confirmed that we remember things less well when we use screens to document them. On page 163, she states that “the skills that machines don’t have: curiosity, creativity, empathy, critical thinking, For Tech Shabbat observers, Friday night dinner is often the major event beginning the unplugging. There are different approaches to Friday night dinner conversations. Mila Kunis, the actress, proclaims, “I love the idea of — regardless of where we are in the world, adaptability. These are exactly the skills we develop by living a 24/6 life. On Saturdays, when we detach from the screens, machines, and the enormous primal-urge network, we not only strengthen skills that will become increasingly valuable in an automated age, we’re also better able to see, and feel, the personal and emotional changes that come from being online and on screens so much.” These are mental characteristics we all desire.

While it’s unknown if she observes a day to unplug, pop star and new mother, Katy Perry (born to Pentecostal pastors) told Cosmopolitan.com (cosmopolitan.com/

entertainment/celebs/a57808/katy-perry-wants-you-togive-your-phone-a-break), “Speaking from someone who has a lot of social media spotlight, I feel like social media is very narcissistic and displays a life that isn’t really real,” She went on to say “I wish there was a thing like Shabbat that wasn’t particularly religious-based, that was kind of a worldwide day where we’re not on our phones — like a movement. I just think something like this would be really great for our minds, especially because kids today — if they weren’t born in the 80s — don’t even know what a life without internet is like. And I think it’s going to be really difficult for our focus and our attention spans moving forward. So I’d love if the world implemented an actual day of real rest.”

To deem Shlain’s (and Perry’s) argument valid, you may have to try a 24/6 lifestyle for yourself. Below (in the teen and adult sections) are the observations of a few tech-savvy people who have tried it, as well as ideas on

how to get started: regardless of what we’re doing, on Friday night, we take a minute to just acknowledge one another,” she says, “to acknowledge our children, to acknowledge our family, say I love you, apologize for all the dumb shit that we did, and move on….Nobody’s gonna wanna talk. My