Devices to Help you Unplug
The Global Day of Unplugging is a year-round program operated by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, helping people and communities to unplug with intention and gather with purpose. Each year, on the first weekend in March, people celebrate the mission of this group through the Annual Global Day of Unplugging. It is a worldwide 24-hour digital pause where people power down devices and power up real-life connection. To learn more about this annual event, click HERE to visit the website and read about the mission behind the event.
This year's event will be held MARCH 6-7, 2026.
You can unplug for one hour or the full 24, alone or together, quietly or out loud... There is no perfect way to unplug. Just your way!
New Canaan Unplugged is celebrating the week leading up to the Global Day of Unplugging by sending a series of emails with inspiration and suggestions around improving your relationship with technology. Today's email focuses on physical blockers, apps to help you focus and other devices to enable you and your family to cut back on screen time. Look for a new email from us every day this week as we gear up for the big event on Friday!
Physical Devices to Manage Screen Time
External Devices
Brick and Unpluq are two brands of physical devices that temporarily remove distracting apps and their notifications from your phone. Both work by creating a physical obstacle to getting at your apps: To unlock your phone, you have to be near a Brick or Unpluq device for select apps to work. The goal is to help people regulate the time they spend on their phone without having to give up their phone.
Wirecutter recently featured a lengthy review of the Brick device. It takes you through how to set up the device, the pros and cons of using it and the ultimate effect it had on the person who wrote the review. Click HERE to read on Wirecutter.
Family Charging Station
An even easier way to create a physical barrier to accessing your devices is to create a "Family Charging Station". Designate a box or a shelf as the place where your family can put all devices to charge and be placed when not in use. As a group, you can agree on times when devices should be put away, like during dinner or overnight. And if the Family Charging station is in a highly visible space, it will be easy to see if all devices are away when they should be.
Apps to Manage Device Time
FOCUS APPS
Opal, ScreenZen, Freedom, Jomo and the One-Sec App are all popular apps that help you to focus by giving you variety of ways to silence notifications and distractions on your phone. These screen management apps allow you to block individual apps, mute notifications or schedule specific periods of quiet that work within your schedule. Many offer both free and paid plans with increasing sophistication and control options.
- Click HERE to learn more about the Opal App
- Click HERE to learn more about Screenzen
- Click HERE to learn more about Freedom
- Click HERE to learn more about JOMO (which stands for "Joy of Missing Out")
- Click HERE to learn more about the One-Sec app
Minimalist Devices
Bark Phone, Watch & App
Built for parents looking to get more visibility into and control over their kids screen time, the BARK family of products has expanded to include a phone, watch and app. With an extensive range of controls, parents can choose to block whole categories or specific websites and apps, monitor texts & searches, and receive parental monitoring alerts for issues like cyberbullying and online predators.
Click HERE to visit the Bark website and explore their products and features.
The Light Phone
The Light Phone is a minimalist e-ink phone for those people looking for a phone that provides basic communication without additional distractions. You can customize the menu of tools on your phone through a dashboard website, allowing you to be very intentional with how your phone operations. You can make calls, listen to podcasts, use simple navigation tools, send text/emails and more while avoiding the app store. Over 10 years, more than 100,000 people have gone light.
Click HERE to visit the Light Phone website to learn more.
Dumb Wireless
Created in 2022 as the world's first and only modern shop for non-smartphones, DumbWireless.com offers a wide variety of minimalist phone options in one convenient website. From Flip-Phones to the Light phone, they offer a curated selection of "dumb" phones presented with clear specs and information about compatible networks. DumbWireless is an independent retailer, not affiliated with any carrier or e-commerce company, and is an excellent resource for anyone looking to reset their devices.
Click HERE to visit DumbWireless.com
And last but not least - GO GREY!
Turning off the colors on your phone is a quick and easy way to make it less addictive. Once the colors are off, you'll find it's much easier to put down the phone down and leave it down. A recent guest opinion piece in the New York Times provides a first hand account of one woman's experience with turning off the colors on her phone (Spoiler alert: the effect shocked her!). Click HERE to read the piece.
Give it a try yourself with the simple instructions below:
- Click HERE for a quick video on how to turn on Greyscale for Apple IOS
- Click HERE for a quick video on how to turn on Greyscale for your Android Device
We hope you enjoy these device recommendations to help reset your relationship with technology. They are great for this weekend's celebration of the Annual Global Day of Unplugging but also terrific year round. Look forward to celebrating this Friday into Saturday, March 6-7, 2026 with a 24-hour digital pause together! To learn more about this annual event, click HERE to visit the website and read about the mission behind the event.
Help New Canaan Unplug
If you are interested in creating a healthier relationship with technology for our children, please check out our survey HERE to let us know how you can help.
New Canaan Unplugged is a parent-run group completely independent from the New Canaan Public School System and the Town of New Canaan.
