Your summer vacation, unplugged: Is it even possible?

A month or so ago, we took a vacation to the Bahamas. It came at a time when I really needed it. We headed to the Cove at Atlantis; what I considered to be the perfect place for a quick family getaway. I like to be connected via technology, so I brought my iPhone, BlackBerry, iPad, Kindle, and laptop. Some of you, I’m sure, are already saying this is too much stuff, but I was in the middle of some important stuff at work so I was just trying to be prepared, hence the laptop. I had no real intention of setting up my laptop during a weeklong family vacation. I did plan to use my other devices, though.

After checking in to the hotel, we immediately headed to the pool and beach area to walk around and get some fresh air. As we strolled by the pool, all I saw were parents reading electronic devices while their kids (and iPhone-less nannies) played around them.

I would guess 80 percent or more were reading some sort of digital device, be it a smartphone or iPad. It then hit me: They were “connected,” but they were completely disconnected from their kids. A family vacation, I thought, should mean 100 percent connection with my family (OK, 97 percent). I didn’t want to be that dad who was always looking at his iPhone instead of focusing on his kids.