# Anti-Technology Challenges May's Screen-Free Week Finds Alternatives to Digital Entertainment By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2015-05-25 | Life-Stages Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/screen-free-week References: [screenfree.org](http://www.screenfree.org/) Television, computers and mobile devices are great tools for child entertainment and education, but Screen-Free Week aims to bring awareness to the fact that the same can be said for nature and [low-tech activities](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spin-play). As an annual event that's held in May, families, schools and entire communities are invited to unplug in order to get more active and spend more time interacting face-to-face with others. Anyone can join the week-long challenge, and the process is made easy through Screen-Free Week with a free-to-download Organizer's Kit. Although digital entertainment and education certainly has its benefits in moderation, studies have shown that [excessive screen time](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/moodshift) leads to poor performance in school, child obesity and attention problems. As such, this year's event was endorsed by a number of schools, health associations, toy retailers, hospitals and parenting programs. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.7/10 - Popularity: 28% | Activity: 15% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Life-Stages](https://www.trendhunter.com/life-stages) > [Youth](https://www.trendhunter.com/youth) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Screen-free Week:** Opportunity for businesses to market low-tech entertainment and education options for children and families during Screen-Free Week. - **Nature-based Activities:** Potential for businesses in the outdoor and recreation industries to offer activities that promote nature and screen-free entertainment. - **Moderated Screen Time:** Opportunity for businesses to develop and market products that help families moderate their children's screen time, such as apps or parental control devices. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Outdoor Recreation:** Outdoor recreation companies can take advantage of Screen-Free Week by offering activities and programs that promote nature and low-tech entertainment. - **Toy Retail:** Toy retailers can benefit from the shift towards screen-free entertainment by promoting educational and fun toys that do not require digital devices. - **Tech and Parenting:** Companies specializing in tech and parenting can create and market products that help parents manage and restrict their children's screen time. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Retro Phone-Free Events](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/before-the-internet.md) - [Phone Breakup Newsletters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/reclaim-your-brain.md) - [Mobile Device Addiction Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mobile-device-addiction.md) - [Positive Screen Management Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/screentreat.md) - [Digital Dependency Awareness Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/digital-dependency.md) - [Mindful Low-Tech Smartphones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mudita-kompakt.md) - [Outdoor Activity Challenges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mental-health-awareness-month.md) - [Screen-Free Learning Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nodi-flip.md) - [No-Internet Couples Challenges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kahluastiritupchallenge.md)