Underwear or iPhone?

I was struck by a realization last night. Perhaps, if one spends more time with their iPhone than they do wearing underwear in a day, then perhaps they need to unplug.

Don't get me wrong, I am a geek through and through .... and through. But I also appreciate the opportunity to unplug. It's surprisingly refreshing to leave my phone behind and be completely unavailable. Teaching elementary kids, we have conversations about unplugging all of the time. I tell the kids, "go home and go play outside." Their response: "Naw ... we're going to stay inside." 

As I write this, I realize the irony that the idea of spending more time with your iPhone than your underthings might very well become the norm someday, rendering my analogy archaic. Amazing, right?

So, how do you teach kids how to unplug? Make friends with your physical education teacher, to start. Physical Education remains an all-time favorite at school ... and kids don't even realize they're unplugged!

Of course, a good conversation doesn't hurt, either. Might I suggest throwing in a little all-star influence, too?

Phineas and Ferb's Cyberspace Rules of the Road (This is available on Disney, too, but who wants to fight with pop up advertisements?)

"Franklin and the Computer"