Last week I went out to dinner with two close friends.  We spent a little over an hour eating dinner and updating each other on life, work, and relationships, with our iPhones sitting next to our plates as if they belonged there – like our forks and napkins and knives.  When my phone lit up or vibrated, I looked down. Two or three times (or maybe more) I picked it up to look closer at an email or text my sister back.  My friends did the same.  Nobody was offended, even if we stopped paying full attention to the conversation for a minute or two and then looked up and said:  Wait, what?  Can you repeat that?

Sometimes I stop paying attention to people and things happening around me because of my little piece of technology.  Although it wasn’t until recently that I thought: I can sometimes be addicted to my iPhone.

When Eric called me to discuss his latest initiative with Mark DiMassimo I thought: YES!  It’s brilliant! I mean, I work for and with the two, so I know they’re brilliant and full of smart ideas that make people react, but this one couldn’t come at a better time. Eric explained to me the new endeavor, Offlining, Inc., will urge everyone to turn off their mobile devices and computers, and devote real attention to the people that matter most in life.

We launched the new Offlining, Inc. campaign on Wednesday to coincide with Father’s Day – how perfect. On Monday, two days before the launch, the New York Times came out with a series of articles about our brains on computers.

So far, it’s been interesting to hear people’s reactions – as media, they’re completely connected during their 9-5s.  One reporter explained to me:  Whew, it’s nice to see Eric and Mark do something like this.  I’ve started completely disconnecting when I leave work – disconnecting from the Internet, that is.  I keep my phone on but just for phone calls.

Since my mind has been consumed with details about the launch of Offlining, Inc. (writing a press release, reviewing ads, status meetings, talking to media), I’ve been more conscious of how much I’m on my phone, or staring at my computer screen during “off work” hours, and trying to cut my time spent online — way down. And I encourage you all to take the challenge – go offline with us!