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Ten Commandments for Phone Users

2 August 2019
Fish 8

1. Never at the family meal table. Including breakfast!

2. Never sneak. Under the table. In the loo.

3. Master your privacy settings, especially on Facebook. On your mobile, on websites, everywhere.

4. Be secure. Take passwords seriously. That means thinking about the process. Try Googling 'how to set strong passwords'.

5. Be responsible for your teens' mobile and other screen use. Know their passwords. Know their habits. Peek. Have a policy on where and when they use their devices. Stick to it.

6. Small children's use of devices and online experience is in your hands. Take that responsibility seriously. Listen to the experts. Limit their use, by age. Have a policy. Stick to it.

7. Everywhere you find yourself – home, office, factory, school, church – if you can speak to someone face-to-face, do. If you don't want to, ask yourself why.

8. Never let your devices interfere with your concentration. When you have work to do, or fun to have, or children or parents to spend time with, turn off your mobiles and tablets and leave them in another room.

9. When you're driving – never. Just never, ever. Not handheld, or hands-free or anything. Silent it, like you do in church, and leave it screen down, or in the glove compartment, or on the back seat. And if you must adjust your satnav, or have your mobile set up for directions, pull off the road, and stop.

10. Take a Sabbath. Either Sunday dawn till dusk. Or, for better value, the Jewish Shabbat – Friday evening to Saturday evening. Make it a family thing. And don't cheat!

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