Time for a Technology Cleanse?

When you're out to dinner, does your BlackBerry occupy a seat at the table? Does your spouse ever check email before saying "good morning" to the kids?  Does your son sleep with his laptop?

If so, here is a story for you.  Hope your family dinners are not like Diane's.

Diane Broadnax, a 50-year-old clinical trial researcher from Mount Airy, MD., recently became fed up with the way her family dispersed to separate computers each evening. Anika, 4, would watch "Dora the Explorer" on a laptop in the kitchen, while Jasmine, 12, would play with her virtual pets online. Ms. Broadnax's husband, Lonnie Broadnax, 50, went to his home office to watch a sci-fi DVD, and she would make dinner -- while checking her email. Many nights, each person would eat in front of his or her respective screen. "Days were going by and we weren't talking," Ms. Broadnax says. 

So one evening last November, she gave her family some news. For one week, they would forgo all computerized entertainment -- personal email, texting, Facebook, DVDs and online videos (they don't have a regular TV). Computers and devices would be used only for work and homework. Horrified, her 12-year-old said it was no different than being grounded.

Ms. Broadnax persevered: The next night she made her family's favorite dinner (chicken and rice) and set the table with candles. But when everyone sat down to eat, the conversation was stilted. The girls gave one-word answers to their parents' questions. Even the adults felt ill at ease.