Why “Use Less Tech” Is a Terrible Goal (and What to Set Instead)
Nov 03, 2026
It sounds good. But will things actually change?
“We need to use less tech.” It sounds like a great goal. Most of us have said it, or something like it: We need to keep the house cleaner. We need to get to bed earlier. We’re on our screens way too much.
Here’s the thing. Those aren’t actually goals. And that’s exactly why they so rarely change anything.
A lifetime of setting goals
Goals have been a big part of my life since I was a teenager. I set them as a college student, and I used them when I taught others to speak English. For nearly 18 years I worked for a company where a big part of my job was helping people set goals, including commission-only employees whose targets determined whether they could provide for their families. I’ve also helped youth in my church set goals to grow in different areas of their lives.
But my most important role is as a dad of six kids. My focus should be helping them learn to set and reach their own goals, because knowing how to do that is what produces real results, especially in today’s world of technology.
Vision vs. goal
The first step is knowing the difference between a vision and a goal.
A vision is where you’re headed. For example: technology serves our family instead of running it. That’s a wonderful vision, but it isn’t a goal.
A goal is how you get there. For example: no phones at the dinner table starting this week, and we’ll check in every Sunday for the next month to see how it’s going.
“Use less technology” is a great vision. As a goal, it leaves you without a next step.
Make it a SMART goal
My son is a senior running cross country. Runners talk about setting a PR, a personal record. “Get a PR” is a fine goal. “Run a PR of 15:30 by November 15” is a much more powerful one. It’s specific, and it has a deadline.
That’s the idea behind SMART goals. A SMART goal is:
- Specific: a clear action, not just a wish, so you know when you’ve reached it.
- Measurable: you can tell whether it’s working.
- Achievable: it’s realistic for your family.
- Relevant: it connects to the vision you care about.
- Time-bound: it has a clear timeframe or end date.
When I teach this, I say there are no dumb goals. If you want to improve, that’s great. Just don’t leave your goal in “DUMB” form: Directionless, Unaligned with what matters most, can’t be Measured, and with no Boundary on when it will be done.
Here’s how “use less technology” becomes SMART: No phones at the dinner table, starting now, with a family check-in each Sunday for the next 30 days.
- Specific? Dinner table, no phones.
- Measurable? Either there are phones at the table or there aren’t.
- Achievable? Absolutely. People can put their phones away for 30 minutes while the family eats.
- Relevant? Yes, it supports using less tech and connecting more as a family.
- Time-bound? The next 30 days.
Watch out for the word “better”
One word to watch for: better. “Be better with screens” tells you where you’re headed. It doesn’t tell you what to do on Tuesday to get there. When “better” sneaks into a goal, ask yourself: Better how? How much better? By when?
What happened when our family tried it
Our family had a vision of spending more time together during busy weeks full of sports, school and everything else. We noticed we were decompressing in the evenings with TV. That’s not a bad thing, but it was crowding out the time we had to really talk and build our relationships.
So we decided to turn off the TV Monday through Thursday and save it for the weekends. We tried it for a week, and the outcome was fantastic, so we kept it going.
Have we been perfect? There have been a few glitches. But for the most part, Monday through Thursday have been no-TV nights, and we’ve seen a definite difference in how our family connects during the week. To make it an even SMARTer goal, we could track it on a calendar and set a date to step back, evaluate, and decide what to adjust.
Your action step this week
- Pick one thing your family wants most when it comes to technology. That’s your vision.
- Write one goal. Make it specific: exactly what you’ll do, how you’ll measure it, and when you’ll check in. Make sure it’s realistic.
- Track it along the way.
For example, “better sleep” becomes no screens in the bedroom after 9:00 p.m. on school nights for the next four weeks. It’s as simple as that.
Get your free Family SMART Goal Template
To help you get started, I’ve created a free Family SMART Goal Template you can use right away, on your own, with your spouse, and with your kids. Use it to set goals for this week, this month and this year, so technology works in your favor and amplifies your family’s life instead of running it.
