241. Give Your Family What Technology Can’t | Erin Loechner, Author of The Opt-Out Family

06/11/24 • 50 min

In our highly-connected digital world, many voices have come along to warn of the dangers of overindulgence in technology. While many encourage boundaries and moderation, Erin argues that opting out completely is a better way. Have you felt the pull to change your family’s relationship with technology? Before you think, “I could never do that,” give this episode a listen! Erin gently challenges us to craft the kind of family culture where technology cannot compare to the joy of real life.

In this episode, we cover:

The decision-making process that led Erin to her current philosophy on screen usage
Digging into some of the practicals of living a less connected life
The surprising way your relationships may be impacted by leaving social media
Taking an honest look at the moderation mindset around the online world
Giving your family something to reach for, not just something to run away from
Navigating a screen-free life with your kids
How the cultural landscape is changing in regards to technology
Will restricting your kids’ screen usage cause them to overindulge in the future?
How parents’ desire to keep tabs on their kids may not be healthy

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

Toups and Co Organics | Use code FOB15 at ToupsandCo.com

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

ABOUT ERIN

Founder of global tech-free movement The Opt-Out Family, Erin Loechner is a former social media influencer who walked away from a million fans to live a low-tech lifestyle—and is now teaching others how to do the same. Her cutting-edge work has been praised in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and the Huffington Post, as well as on the Today Show. When she’s not scrawling on her trusty steno pad, Erin, her husband, and their three kids spend their days chasing alpenglow, reading Kipling, and biking to town for more tortillas.

RESOURCES

Video tutorial on how to turn your smart phone into a dumb phone

The Opt-Out Family by Erin Loechner

More free resources for the opt-out family

CONNECT

Erin Loechner | Website

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.

In this episode, we cover:

The decision-making process that led Erin to her current philosophy on screen usage
Digging into some of the practicals of living a less connected life
The surprising way your relationships may be impacted by leaving social media
Taking an honest look at the moderation mindset around the online world
Giving your family something to reach for, not just something to run away from
Navigating a screen-free life with your kids
How the cultural landscape is changing in regards to technology
Will restricting your kids’ screen usage cause them to overindulge in the future?
How parents’ desire to keep tabs on their kids may not be healthy

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

Toups and Co Organics | Use code FOB15 at ToupsandCo.com

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

ABOUT ERIN

RESOURCES

Video tutorial on how to turn your smart phone into a dumb phone

The Opt-Out Family by Erin Loechner

More free resources for the opt-out family

CONNECT

Erin Loechner | Website

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.

Previous Episode

240. Being Crunchy Without Going Crazy | Emily of Really Very Crunchy

For those in the crunchy community, there is more noise than ever about the dangers around us and the way things should be done. While navigating her own journey of health and wellness, Emily began to see the humor in this lifestyle. In this conversation, we chat about how Emily got started sharing comedy on the internet to bring levity to what can be stressful. We also dive into what it looks like to maintain balance in this journey– balance in our minds, in our children, in our family relationships, in our social interactions, and more. This episode is a must-listen!

In this episode, we cover:

How Emily’s crunchy lifestyle choices became viral content
Finding balance in living a healthy lifestyle without going crazy
Deciding what your 20% compromises will be in an 80/20 lifestyle
Evaluating our peace of mind in an age of information overload
Navigating relationships and social situations as a “crunchy mom”
Making peace with choosing convenience in some situations
Behind the scenes of Emily’s content creation process
How we handle criticism and negativity as content creators
The best way to encourage independent, creative play in kids

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

ABOUT EMILY

Emily Morrow is the creator of Really Very Crunchy, a sketch comedy account with over 3 million followers across platforms and more than 2 billion views on her videos. Emily's new book, Really Very Crunchy: The beginner's guide to removing toxins from your life without adding them to your personality, is available everywhere March 12.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Really Very Crunchy by Emily Morrow

The Really Very Crunchy Podcast with Emily and Jason Morrow

Chocolate custard recipe

CONNECT

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.

Next Episode

242. Quick & Easy Summer Meals | Cooking From Scratch

I love sharing what we are cooking in our farmhouse from season to season, so join me for this episode where I’m talking through what our menu looks like during these long, hot summer days. We are on the go more in the summer, so I am spending less time cooking which means I need to keep our kitchen stocked with quick and easy staples that we can throw together in a pinch. I hope you find meal inspiration in this episode to take with you into your own kitchen!

Check out part two of this episode exclusively on YouTube where I am showing the process of transforming my parents’ open-concept home into a cozy, inviting space.

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Some recipes mentioned in this episode: peach chicken, honey mustard, sourdough bagels, puff pancake, mayonnaise, granola, strawberry jam, sourdough crepes, water kefir, sourdough lemon bread, fermented lemonade

Check out the Farmhouse on Boone blog for more from-scratch recipe inspiration for every season!

And follow along on YouTube to see more of the meals we are enjoying in the farmhouse.

CONNECT

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.