This Thanksgiving, Put Down the Smart Phone, Says Randi Zuckerberg

This Thanksgiving, Randi Zuckerberg wants you to unplug. That’s right. Sister of Facebook mogul Mark Zuckerberg suggests you stop updating your Internet life and attempt to engage with actual life. That means talking to people in your family and stuff. Ugh, how awkward…

On her Dot Complicated blog, Zuckerberg urges readers to enjoy one-on-one time with their families and friends rather than Instagramming the turkey, referencing her own social media mishap last Thanksgiving. She also took the opportunity to promote her new book on web addiction.

Before you point out the hypocrisy of Little Miss Facebook proposing a social media ban, you may want to take a look at the post. She kind of has a point:

Yes, I do mean eating your Thanksgiving dinner instead of live-updating from the table. And calling or Skyping a loved one directly instead of shouting “Happy Thanksgiving” to your followers. This year, let’s take a day off from sharing our every thought and feeling with the world. Give thanks for the people in your life by giving them your undivided attention. The most meaningful thing we have to give is our time. Stop broadcasting and start listening.

All things in moderation, of course:

Initially, I was going to suggest a total Internet black-out for Thanksgiving, but a tech boycott isn’t the answer. Our devices and our social networks do keep us connected, when we use them thoughtfully. It’s pretty amazing that I can see a relative’s face from across the country, or see photos instantly from a special event I wasn’t able to attend. Tech connects us when we use it mindfully.

So what if her bro’s company was kind of what started this mess? So what if the Zuckerbergs seem to have conspired to create the most brilliant business model ever? So what if while one Zuckerberg sibling entraps us with apps and ads and photos of our cousin’s neighbor’s husband’s dog, another is promising to free us from the dizzying loop of technology?