What do I do to compete against cell phone attention in my family?

By Shiftrox_ | True Reflection | 11 Mar 2026

In a generation taken over by the use of cell phones, with our children using one from an early age, be it a gift given to them or from their parents, competing with it is becoming increasingly complicated, after all, a cell phone in a child's hand where she can watch countless videos in a row and have instant fun, it becomes a real mission to compete with this momentary pleasure that it causes.

Although I always try to convey the message that we shouldn't spend too much time on our cell phones, it's difficult to convey this to my children and I believe that many parents go through the same problem and try to somehow disconnect their children from using screens. I also use my cell phone, this is true, although I still use it less than my boys and my wife, let's say that my addiction is the computer, where I love spending hours and hours browsing or playing games.

But as I say, everything in life is a balance and we also have to learn to balance that. So whenever possible I try to carry out activities with my family and the only requirement is that they stop using their cell phones, to enjoy the moment, to enjoy what we are doing. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, I confess, but it's a good attempt to get the people I love to get off their cell phones and have a little fun, like in the old days, with human interaction.

There are three things that I usually do with my loved ones so that the cell phone stays far away from us. It's not a simple task, you need to have a lot of willpower and really want to be in the presence of your family or friends, but to interact socially and enjoy the good times. So for me, spending time with my family is paramount and above anything technological I might want.

Therefore, the actions I try to take:

My wife and I really like series and films, so whenever possible we get together to sit on the sofa and watch what's new on our streaming app. This way, even if we are still in front of some electronic device, at least we are there watching something together, whether it's just me and her or at other times we call our children and so we also watch anime, cartoons, movies or anything else they like. and I, like a watchdog, always keep an eye out so that no one touches their cell phone.
As we live in a condominium, we have a shared pool, a court and a playground for children to play. In my case, obviously I go more to the pool or the court, and so, I create an activity by calling my children on the weekends (which is when I have more time) to go and play in these places. My children look like two little fish, they love the pool so much!
The option of going out somewhere, be it a shopping mall, a restaurant, an ice cream parlor or a public square, could not be missing. When we get together to carry out this activity, the rule is clear: no cell phones! Enjoy the moment, the food, the outdoor games, no matter what it is, cell phones are kept in your bag or pocket and the fun rolls around. I really value these moments, because they are the moments when children are children, away from screens and for us adults, a moment of rest from such a complicated and busy life.

In short, this is how I like to stay away from cell phones and in my case computers too. I really like being connected here all the time, even more so with Hive and everything else, every time I invest here is something that can do me good in the future, but I can't forget that here in the real world, I have a family and commitments that have to be done. Sometimes, when I get home, I want to talk to my family about how my day was, but everyone is plugged into their cell phones, that's the bad side of technology.