‘Our digital detox was tough but it’s changed our lives!’
Closer challenged the tech-mad Stowell family, from Portsmouth, to switch off their devices for a week – with surprising results!
Sue Stowell, 48, a teacher, is mum to 15-year-old tech-obsessed twins Tom and Amy. Her husband Perry, 49, works for the government and admits to being glued to his phone, too. So Closer challenged the family to put away their tablets, Playstation and TVS and delete all apps from their phones, which could only be used in emergencies. They were only allowed to use laptops for work or school work.
Sue says: “We each have an iphone 6s, an ipod, an ipad, a laptop and Tom has a Playstation. We’ve also got four TVS.
“I spend about 30 minutes texting each day and most of the evening on my laptop for work, while Perry spends five hours in the mornings and evenings checking his phone for the news. Amy spends three hours a day on Instagram and Snapchat before and after school, while Tom is on the computer and Skypes friends for five hours every evening.
“I do worry we spend too much time using technology, but most of the kids’ friends seem to be the same. I’ll often ask Tom and Amy to put down their phones, which they do when I nag them – thankfully it doesn’t seem to affect their homework.
NOT TALKING
“Perry and I felt the detox would be good for us because we’d often be in the same room without talking to each other. He’s usually online right up until we go to sleep but, to be honest, it’s probably stemmed from the fact I work so much in the evenings and he needs something to do. Although I did manage to cut down on work.
“We’re busy working parents so we don’t get much time on our own and it’d be nice to have less distractions when we’re together.
“I was often moaning at Tom to get off his computer so it was definitely causing tension. We don’t often have big rows as we’re lucky the kids will usually do what they’re told, and I don’t think they ever feel ignored.
“The children were nervous about a detox but agreed it would be interesting to see how it affected us. It certainly wasn’t easy in the beginning and it took three days before the kids stopped complaining of boredom and found other things to do, like walking our dog. I often have to force Tom out of his room to get some fresh air, so it was great that he did that on his own.
HAVING QUALITY TIME
“Tom and Amy were worried about the impact it would have on their social lives but it didn’t seem to make any difference.
“Amy rediscovered her love of baking and we all spent more time together too at the weekend, which was lovely. On Saturday night we had a games night, which we’d normally
only do on holiday. The detox has made me realise just how much time we spend on our own devices and not together. I’ve always worried that Perry and I don’t set the best example as we’re always plugged in. Amy wants to carry it on, so we’re talking about doing a couple of digital-free evenings a week from now on. It’s changed our lives for the better.”