Stacey Solomon is about to embark on a family road trip – which will very much not be shared on Instagram.
The mum-of-three shared a post on her account explaining that she’s instilled a “no-devices rule” for everyone – “including mummy” – to have some quality family time.
“So I’m coming off of social media and putting my phone in the cupboard to have a healthy detox for a few days!” she wrote. “I can’t wait to spend quality time with Joe and the boys. It’s Rex’s first trip away from home so it’s going to be so special I don’t want to miss a second.”
Rex was born in May, and is Swash and Solomon’s first child together. Solomon is also mum to seven-year-old Leighton and 11-year-old Zachary who are on the family trip.
[Read More: Stacey Solomon Has ‘Gut-Wrenching’ Mum Guilt And I Know Exactly Where She’s Coming From]
Solomon added that time away from devices for the whole family is good for mental health, too – “to just completely switch off from the world of technology and enjoy the moment, for a few days”.
And it got us thinking – could you handle a week with no devices at all? Even those of us without Solomon’s 1.9 million Instagram followers might struggle.
Whether broadcasting your adventures to the world, keeping on top of constantly-moving news, staying up-to-date with celebrity comings and goings or just feeling connected to friends and family – we’re incredibly reliant on our pocket-sized supercomputers.
For a lot of families, the idea of a long drive with an 11-year-old and seven-year-old and no iPad would seem unthinkable. You’d have to play ‘I Spy’ for hours like in the old days, or listen to the radio – everyone listening to the same thing, together. Plus, no Google Maps! And how are you going to get where you’re going – using an actual, folding, paper map? Ridiculous!
We don’t do that anymore, but maybe we should. After all, if you’re bringing your whole life online with you, are you even really on holiday?