The Disconnected Dad: Awareness and Intention

Hey, guys! I’m Seth Dahl. I am a husband, father of three young children, and pastor at a large church. If you didn’t already know, I’m on a journey to becoming “The Disconnected Dad.” I set apart 30 days where I lived without the internet in my home, logged the effects it had on my connection with my family, and now I’m sharing it with you in a podcast. The Disconnected Dad podcast is available to download on iTunes.

It’s now day 24. I’ve really been enjoying the free time and the space away from my phone. I’ve been able to follow through with more creative ideas than ever. I have decided to completely delete snapchat, so I can savor time with my family and consolidate my social media. I will, however, still be using Instagram stories.

On day 25, I left my house without my phone! I have never done this because if I ever forget my phone I go back and get it. I was surprisingly okay; I really enjoyed myself without it!

I’ve started using a new app called RescueTime—it helps me keep track of how much I use my phone. According to the app, I picked up my phone 35 times while I was at work, and used my phone for one hour and fourteen minutes. I set it up to notify me if I use my phone for more than 5 consecutive minutes. Let’s just say, it started to drive me nuts right away because I obviously use my phone more than 5 minutes at a time. Despite the fact that it drove me crazy, I’m going to keep using the app to help me minimize the time I spend on my phone at home with my wife and kids. I am making sure to focus on what I will do when I use my phone at home again, not just what I won’t do.

Hear more of my journey, behind the scenes personal insight from my wife Lauren, and more ideas for moving forward by downloading the whole Disconnected Dad podcast series. The episodes are available on iTunes. Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review!