RED THREAD J r I V L Addicted To Tech from page 47 A new winner every month! visit redthreadmagazine.com for details August Giveaway l'BISTR082' OP $50 Gift Card an innovative French bistro 401 S. Lafayette Ave. Royal Oak, MI 48067 248.542.0082 ast month's winne African SW MI Di 1FF PAW Elaine of Southfield won 6 Person V.I.P. Pass Go Wild! Prizes may vary and prize must be claimed within 30 days of winning or they are voided. our giveaways Are donated by local advertisers; to be considered for a spot in our giveaway page, please contact us at (248) 351-5107. how to win Enter to win at: www.thejewishnews.com/red thread give away/ - - - This contest opens at noon on the first Thursday of the month and closes at 3 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month. Winners will be chosen and notified by the end of each month. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. One entry per person per month. Please note: Winner's name will be printed in the following issue of Red Thread. 48 September 20151 RED THREAD The Lovy family: Jen, Noah, Jessica, Evan and Jon Lovy. managed by building with Legos, reading and working on some crafts projects. "One important lesson my kids learned is that they did not die of boredom," Lovy said. "And we actually got outside to enjoy the snow." The unplugged week showed the Lovys just how much they normally used their screens. After the week, the kids went back to plugging in, although Lovy said she tries her best to limit non- homework screen time to an hour. Miriam Svidler, LLMSW of Southfield, who works as a coun- selor at the Cruz Clinic in Livonia, said it is no wonder that kids have a hard time being pried away from their games. According to Svidler, games are designed to make the brain feel good, and this is why chil- dren and teens "Au display great Miriam Svidler irritability when they are asked to stop playing. Noting the extremely addicting nature of computer games and the constant updates on one's social media newsfeed, Svidler advises no more than two hours a day of screen time if that screen is used for things other than homework. "Game programmers know exactly how to design a game to make our brains feel good when we use them and bad when we are abruptly torn away from them," Svidler said. "You need to tell the child that restricting screen time is not a punishment but a motiva- tion to find other pursuits or to spend time with other people face to face:' Svidler advises that sometimes getting that last text from a friend can be reassuring before bedtime. But teens should not rely on texting as a main form of commu- nication with friends. "It is always best for a teen to have open communication with their parents," Svidler said. "But if that one text from a good friend can help them get through the night before bedtime, that is OK, too." WEEKLY BREAK Like many Jews who have become observant, Svidler knows that Shabbat, a 25-hour rest, can be the best weekly break from tech- nology. "For 25 hours, I am able to be present and in the moment, which I have learned is hardest thing for teenagers to do," said Svidler, who gradually became Shabbat- observant through her adulthood. "Before Shabbat, if I want to be with my friends, we make a plan, pick a place, and they just have to trust that I am going to be there." When it comes to teaching and learning prayer, Melissa Ser, direc- tor of education at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills, said there are a multitude of apps and technology to help students young and old. But trying to find that meaningful moment during religious services, she added, be- comes increasingly more challeng- ing. Too much screen time is only partly the reason. "We do not know how to slow down," said Ser, who takes full ad- vantage of the time Shabbat gives her and husband, Sam, to enjoy a day of unplugged time with their three children. "The world has picked up pace so much in the last few decades, and one no longer has to search and research to find answers. The art of prayer asks a person to dig down into various layers of thinking, and this is something we are not accustomed to doing anymore." RT See story on page 53 about sleep risks associ- ated with excessive screen exposure.