What The Tech: Simple tips for a phone-free Thanksgiving
BY JAMEY TUCKER, Consumer Technology Reporter
Thanksgiving is one of the few times each year when families gather around a table to talk, laugh, and enjoy a meal together.
But in almost every home, someone ends up glued to their phone. If you are trying to create a phone free Thanksgiving without being the rude host, there is a simple and polite way to encourage everyone to put the devices away.
Many people use a basket by the door as a reminder to drop phones before dinner. It is a good idea, but someone always insists on keeping their phone “just in case.”
A better approach is to give guests a reason to set it down. Place your WiFi password or a QR code to your network
right next to the basket. This lets everyone connect quickly and removes the number one excuse for keeping their phone in hand.
Creating a QR code takes only a minute. On an iPhone, open the Passwords app, select WiFi, choose your network and tap the option for a QR code. On Android, open WiFi settings, tap your network and choose the share option to display a QR code. Guests can scan your screen or a printed copy and log in instantly.
The next step is the key to a phone free holiday meal. Ask everyone to install software updates on their phones. Most devices have pending updates for the operating system or apps. Once those updates begin, the phone becomes useless for a little while. That makes the basket the perfect place to leave it during Thanksgiving dinner.
If you want something to remember the day by, designate one person as the photographer.
They can take pictures throughout the meal and share them afterward using AirDrop or another photo sharing app. This avoids everyone grabbing their phones for photos and keeps the focus on family instead of screens.
These simple tech tips can help create a distraction free Thanksgiving and make the holiday more enjoyable. And if the conversation turns to politics or the football game gets heated, the phones are always nearby if you need a quick escape.
