Well it’s that time of year! The cold is fast approaching and school is coming close to an end before winter break. I know what you young people are thinking. “Thanksgiving break, Christmas break and New Year’s will be my time to sleep in and eat a lot of junk food.” Sorry to bust your bubble young people, but your holidays this year will be different if you listen to what I have to say.

It’s amazing to read about reports and studies on how much time is wasted in front of the television by you kids! A 2015 BBC article reported on a study that found children spend over 6 hours in front of a screen daily. This includes televisions, computers, mobile devices and so on. This is totally unacceptable seeing as how children are at school for about 8-10 hours and sleeping for another 8-10 hours. That means if you’re not sleeping or at school, you’re probably wasting time away on social media or watching some reality TV show or cartoon.

What happened to kids these days? Geez, I sound like a really old man right now. I loved watching cartoons just like other kids, but I’m pretty sure I only watched 1-2 hours if that. I think this message is needed though, because as a parent who was once a kid I notice how much times have changed. A screen now sits in our pockets and purses and if we’re not careful we can become less productive and purposeful in life. So bare with me as I get on my soapbox and give you 5 simple “things” you can do during your holiday breaks, because I really do believe your future depends on how you spend your breaks from school.

Go Play Outside

I remember the days I used to ride my bike outside with all my friends. Those were some very fun times and some of my favorite times. There are so many studies that show how simply playing outside and interacting with nature can help a child’s developmental skills. So, during your Thanksgiving break if the weather is manageable, go outside and have fun. Head over to the nearest park with parental supervision and walk around with some friends. Get on a swing! Go down a slide! Find out what cold sand feels like as it flows in between your fingers back into the Earth! I’m in my early 30s and I still go outside, if it’s running with my dog or just walking with my family. Outside is the best place you can go for your physical health mental health.

Put Down The Mobile Device

Put down the mobile device and step away! Seriously, does anyone else feel that smartphones have made many of us dumber people, me included. Whether it’s Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram or whatever the latest social media craze is, we have got to stop wasting so much time looking down and start looking up. There is an entire world more beautiful and majestic than anything your 6″ by 3″ screen will ever show you. However, you will miss this is you never look up.

Also, when you’re having dinner with the family leave the phone and gadgets in your room. Conversation is important. Talk. Listen. Find out what’s going on with your family. Even if you find it boring, family time is important and you will regret the days you didn’t spend learning about them.

Visit Your Local Library

This is something I enjoyed doing and still enjoy today. A building with a bunch of information on anything you can imagine available for free. Whatever you want to read and learn about is there or you. All you need is a library card and transportation to get you there. I really want to drive this message to juniors and seniors in high school. If you don’t know what college you want to go to then you need to visit the library and do some research. They have many books about colleges and careers. They even have books on studying for the SATs, ACTs, preparing for college admissions and other information that will help you succeed in life. Did I mention that all of these resources at the library are free!

Volunteer

A big part of your growth as a person is how much time you give to help those less fortunate than you. This can be at a homeless shelter, at your place of worship, an animal shelter or wherever there is a need for humanitarian assistance. Please do consult your parents and find a good, reputable organization that you can volunteer at. Especially with all the natural disasters that have happened in this world you have endless ways to offer your time for the benefit of someone who is suffering.

Learn A New Skill

I don’t want to hear that 2 days isn’t enough to learn something new. Even one day is an opportunity to better yourself. The new skill you learn could be cooking a new recipe, changing a tire or even studying photography. There is valuable time that you can use to gain a new skill. Nothing great can be accomplished if you sit and lounge around the house being idle and lazy. There is so much free knowledge out there that can help you develop your abilities and who knows, maybe you will learn to do something new that you never thought of doing.

Young people, there is so much you can do that would be better than swiping your phone to see the next update on someone else’s life. I strongly believe while the advancement in technology has been great for society, on an individual level there have been many setbacks. You don’t have to take my word for it. You simply just need to visit the nearest mall or your next social function and observe how little communicating verbally happens between people. One observation I have made over my lifetime is that young people who can manage their time and money earlier in their lives improve their chances of being successful in life. You don’t have to be an Einstein or a Nobel Peace Prize winner, but you always must strive to be the best version of yourself each day.