Holistic Approach to Keeping Tech in Check
Keeping Tech in Check is the ongoing process of improving well-being through the responsible and intentional use of technology, at appropriate ages. It addresses how to enhance wellness in online and offline settings in order to achieve agency and flourish in today’s digital age.
Digital Media and Mental Health: A Dual Lens
It is well-documented that social media negatively impacts mental health; therefore, Turning Life On supports widespread legislation that prohibits the use of social media for children under 16. The below suggestions are intended for those 16 and over.
| Dangers & Concerns |
Healthy Strategies for Keeping Tech in Check |
|---|---|
| Increase in mental health disorders since the rise of smartphones and social media. | Prioritize self-worth through offline experiences and self-reflection to reduce reliance on digital validation. |
| Fear, anxiety, and depression are triggered by online comparisons, cyberbullying, or doomscrolling. | Build resilience by recognizing social media’s curated nature and learning to respond—not react—to digital stressors. |
| Lack of emotional-regulation skills, especially in youth heavily immersed in digital environments. | Commit to positivity by consuming uplifting content, setting boundaries, and practicing gratitude—even in digital spaces. |
| Overstimulation and reduced attention span, driven by constant notifications and digital multitasking. | Practice digital balance through tech-free routines, focused screen time, and intentional media use. |
| Sleep disruptions and weakened real-life connections due to overuse and digital dependence. | Foster offline connection and protect your peace with “no-phone” zones, digital detox moments, and healthy limits. |
The Takeaway
Digital media isn’t inherently bad—but how we use it shapes its impact. Without awareness and boundaries, it can fuel stress and disconnection. With intention and balance, we can support personal growth, meaningful connection, and enhanced well-being.
Digital Media and Physical Health: A Dual Lens
The impacts of digital media on physical health are extensive. From posture and sleep to eye health and brain function, tech use affects the body in powerful ways. The key? Awareness, boundaries, and balance.
| Dangers & Concerns |
Healthy Strategies for Keeping Tech in Check |
|---|---|
| Eye strain and blue light exposure from screens can lead to myopia and disrupt sleep cycles. | Protect your eyes and rest: Use blue light filters, dim screens in the evening, and avoid devices at least an hour before bed. |
| Sleep disruption from late-night scrolling, screen proximity and middle of the night notifications leads to fatigue and poor recovery. | Prioritize quality sleep: Create screen-free wind-down routines, maintain consistent sleep schedules and charge your phone outside of your bedroom. |
| Reduced physical activity as screens displace movement—linked to obesity, heart disease, and cancer. | Promote physical health: Take regular screen breaks, integrate active hobbies, and aim for daily movement. |
| Cognitive overload from nonstop information weakens memory and processing. | Build cognitive strength: Focus on one task at a time, engage in offline learning, and take “brain breaks.” |
| Fragmented attention and dopamine spikes from constant digital stimulation impair focus. | Avoid digital distraction: Limit screen time, turn off nonessential notifications, and schedule intentional tech use. |
The Takeaway
Digital media is a tool—not a lifestyle. Used without boundaries, it can overtax the body and mind. Used with intention, it can support rest, clarity, movement, and longevity.
Digital Media and Spiritual Health: A Dual Lens
In an always-on, always-connected world, many of us struggle to find purpose, peace, and meaning. Digital media can interfere with our ability to be alone—an essential condition for self-reflection, deeper thinking, and inner clarity. By using technology with intention, we can reconnect with what matters most.
| Dangers & Concerns |
Healthy Strategies for Keeping Tech in Check |
|---|---|
| Constant digital noise crowds out quiet moments for reflection, prayer, or presence. | Practice mindful use: Create regular tech-free times for solitude, silence, and stillness. |
| Loss of self-direction due to information overload and reactive engagement. | Align engagement with values: Follow content that reflects your beliefs and unfollow what distracts from them. |
| Increased stress and confusion from comparison, conflict, or disconnection online. | Cultivate peace and purpose: Use tech for inspiration, learning, and spiritual growth—not distraction. |
| Disconnection from nature, community, and self as online life displaces real-world experiences. | Commit to digital citizenship: Use technology to support meaningful causes and foster connection—not consumption. |
| Reactive tech use weakens self-control and undermines intentional living. | Build self-awareness and agency: Set digital intentions, pause before opening apps, and use tech to enrich—not replace—life. |
The Takeaway
Spiritual health is about connecting—with self, others, nature, and a deeper purpose. When digital media dominates, that connection is weakened. When we use technology with intention, we support clarity, calm, gratitude, and meaning—core elements of spiritual well-being.
Digital Media and Social Health: A Dual Lens
The quality of our relationships with others begins with the quality of our relationship with ourselves. Yet constant digital distraction makes it harder to reflect, listen inward, and form a strong sense of identity. Only by knowing ourselves can we form genuine, empathetic connections with others—and thrive socially.
| Dangers & Concerns |
Healthy Strategies for Keeping Tech in Check |
|---|---|
| Disconnection from self due to lack of solitude and reflection. | Strengthen self-connection: Spend time offline to develop your identity, values, and confidence. |
| Reduced conversation quality from the mere presence of smartphones. | Engage in meaningful connection: Remove phones during meals, conversations, and gatherings to foster deeper interaction. |
| Loss of empathy and emotional awareness as screen-based communication replaces in-person exchanges. | Practice face-to-face connection: Prioritize real-life conversations that require listening, vulnerability, and emotional presence. |
| Stunted identity development in youth who lack stillness and real-world feedback. | Encourage inner growth: Support tech-free downtime and reflection, especially for children and teens. |
| Performative or shallow interactions on social media can replace authentic sharing. | Share authentically: Use digital platforms to reflect who you truly are—not just a curated version. |
The Takeaway
We are social beings, wired for connection—not just connectivity. When tech dominates, we may feel surrounded yet alone. When we are tech-intentional, we nurture our inner world, build stronger relationships, and engage more deeply with others.
Digital Media and Intellectual Health: A Dual Lens
Technology has transformed learning, offering unprecedented access to knowledge, global voices, and dynamic educational content. Yet, when misused or overused, digital media can interfere with deep learning, focus, and memory formation. Striking a balance helps learners of all ages thrive.
| Dangers & Concerns |
Healthy Strategies for Keeping Tech in Check |
|---|---|
| Digital distraction from phones and devices—even when unused—reduces test scores and academic performance. | Pursue focused work: Minimize device use during study and keep phones out of sight to enhance attention. |
| Typing over handwriting limits memory formation, creativity, and cognitive development. | Shape creativity and understanding: Incorporate handwriting for note-taking, brainstorming, and learning. |
| Screen-based reading decreases comprehension, memory retention, and reader satisfaction. | Prioritize paper: Read printed materials when possible to improve focus and absorption of information. |
| Overreliance on passive, personalized online learning lacks support in improving academic outcomes. | Expand knowledge actively: Use digital content to spark curiosity, then engage in real-world discussion and application. |
| Reduced critical thinking from fast-paced, algorithm-driven content consumption. | Build critical thinking: Slow down, question sources, and engage with long-form content and diverse perspectives. |
The Takeaway
Digital tools can enrich the learning experience—but they should not replace the proven practices that support cognitive growth. By balancing screen use with intentional, offline engagement, we strengthen memory, focus, creativity, and intellectual development.
Digital Media and Privacy & Safety: A Dual Lens
Digital media opens doors—but it also opens risks. The data we share, knowingly or unknowingly, can have long-term consequences. For children and teens exploring identity and connection online, the stakes are even higher. Digital awareness and intentional habits are essential to staying safe.
| Dangers & Concerns |
Healthy Strategies for Keeping Tech in Check |
|---|---|
| Personal data collection can follow children into adulthood, impacting education, employment, health, and financial access. | Protect personal data: Share minimal personal information online; regularly update privacy settings and passwords. |
| Exploring identity online can expose adolescents to surveillance, judgment, or misuse of sensitive content. | Create safe spaces: Encourage identity exploration offline or in trusted, secure digital environments. |
| Oversharing online increases risks of gossip, harassment, doxing, hacking, phishing, and data mining. | Think before you share: Pause before posting, and assume anything online can become public—even with privacy settings. |
| False sense of privacy due to misleading platform settings and data persistence. | Minimize digital footprint: Avoid posting sensitive content and regularly audit old posts, apps, and data trails. |
| Lack of digital literacy increases vulnerability to scams, misinformation, and manipulation. | Stay digitally aware: Teach and practice critical thinking, cybersecurity basics, and safe browsing habits. |
The Takeaway
Privacy isn’t just a setting—it’s a practice. Digital safety requires us to stay informed, cautious, and in control. By sharing less and thinking more, we protect ourselves and others from long-term digital harm.
