I love Thanksgiving!  I find it very easy to recall many wonderful memories of my childhood spent in rich and living color with my family as celebrated this holiday.  And every year is a new chance to add to those memories by SHARING the time away from work and school with each other which of course now includes my own children.

All to often today sharing is defined by my last update on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, not as being present.

Last week I read a blog by Randi Zuckerberg the former CMO of Facebook titled Stop Sharing on Thanksgiving .  Her suggestion of unplugging on Thanksgiving is very appealing and the more I thought about it the more it made sense.

I don’t want to be a father that speaks to his son through Instagram … although I have done it before when I busted him for having his iPod when he was grounded but that is a different story.  (You’re grounded why would you post updates on Instragram where I’m following you?)

This is Thanksgiving and spending time together is important … in fact spending time with those we love if probably the most important thing we do.  It shows we are thankful for the opportunity to do so.  If my time and attention is taken away by thumbing through several hundred “Happy Thanksgiving” messages from friends what am I saying to my family … It says that someone who I’m linked to on Facebook just because we happened to go the same high school 20 years ago is more deserving of my time and attention than you are.  That is something I’m not willing to say.

So I’m unplugging for Thanksgiving.  No Facebook updates, no Twitter Posts, and perhaps the most difficult … no Fantasy Football Score Updates.  I will have my phone but will be careful to only used it for pictures … pictures of the time spend being with my family.

Happy Thanksgiving to You, I hope you’ll consider sharing your time with your loved ones too.

Family Technology