Game off

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Game off

Switch off your screen & play outside

Impact

Effort

What

Screens are addictive for a reason. From Pinterest to Portal, from Facebook to your favourite show, we love to be entertained by games, social media, TV and practically anything else that’s screen-shaped.

But you can have too much of a good thing.

Lots of screen-time doesn’t just lead to sore thumbs and square eyes*, it’s also linked to wider waistlines, bigger energy bills and larger carbon footprints.

So for a few hours each week, switch off your screens and do something different.

It's that simple.

*according to all parents everywhere

Why

Screens are hungry for our time and our energy supply. Although individually, the use of various electronic items doesn’t seem like much, all those small footprints add up to a bigger one1. And, what with the nightly phone and iPad charging and the various TVs, laptops and games consoles that need plugging in, powering our screen habit adds up to a significant amount of energy use.

So swap the screens for some free, offline fun and save nearly 70kg CO2 over a year.

How

Here’s the fun bit. Getting offline and away from your screens shouldn’t feel like a sacrifice. There are so many ways you can fill your time with physically and mentally rewarding, low-carbon, social and super-fun activities.

Why not try out a new sport, pick up an old favourite, or simply go explore the great outdoors.

Here are a few starters:

  • Project Wild Thing - they have some great ideas for getting stuck into nature.
  • Discover a hobby - if you're up for trying a new sport or hobby check out this site for the low-down on everything from Acroyoga and Archery to Sign Language and Screenwriting!
  • Your local leisure centre - find out what sports classes and clubs yours runs.
  • Meetup - want to get outside but not sure who to go with? Meetup is a really friendly platform that people use to organise clubs and group events - including everything from hikes and bike rides to wine tastings, language exchange and theatre trips!

References

  1. Breaking Energy - https://breakingenergy.com/2014/01/15/infographic-how-much-energy-do-your-gadgets-ipads-and-flat-screen-tvs-use
  2. Money Supermarket - https://www.moneysupermarket.com/money-made-easy/whats-happening-to-energy-prices/
  3. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/why-are-screens-make-us-less-happy.html
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3710158/
  5. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinanderton/2019/03/21/research-report-shows-how-much-time-we-spend-gaming-infographic/#7b7e02453e07