⚡️ Wait... before you click 'Buy'

Happy (late) Thanksgiving!

I hope you spent the last few days with people you care about (or at least with peace, rest, and a little warmth).

If you’re reading this, congrats for surviving Black Friday!

But wait… we’re not done.

Today is Cyber Monday ⚡️

The deals are LOUD!

The urgency is real.

And the dopamine hits of clicking “buy” are instantaneous.

But every purchase has two prices:

1. The price on the tag

2. The unseen price: your attention, your time, your presence (or absence)

In the rush of discounts, it’s easy to forget that.

Especially when it comes to tech, the very tools that can empower can also entrap.

That’s why this Cyber Monday, I want to introduce a simple decision test:

The Upgrade–Downgrade Test

Is whatever you’re about to buy a true upgrade… or a hidden downgrade?

A few questions that can help:

• Will this make my life easier, faster, or more productive?

• Or does it just make entertainment and distraction more convenient?

• Will this give me time back or take more time from me?

If your answers lean toward saving time, reducing friction, or improving your craft, it’s an upgrade.

If they lean toward more consumption, more scrolling, or more passive screen time, it’s a downgrade in disguise.

Here are a couple of examples:

✓ A True Upgrade

A new laptop that cuts your render times in half or stops freezing during your workflow.

Less waiting and fewer crashes → You gain hours of productivity every week.

That’s an upgrade.

✗ A Hidden Downgrade

Upgrading from a 62in 4K TV to a 65in “because it’s on sale.”

Netflix looks better and the couch gets “stickier”

That’s a downgrade.

⚠️ Cyber Monday isn’t the danger. Unconscious buying is.

The Holiday Season

Cyber Monday marks the end of the Thanksgiving weekend but also welcomes in the final month of the year.

The holiday season is officially here.

December is the month when:

• Families gather

• Kids take a break from school

• College students return home

• Work slows

Which makes it the perfect moment to be screen smarter… to actually cherish the time you’re sharing with friends and family.

Here are two simple practices you can implement together with them:

1. Tech-Free Zones

Pick one or more shared spaces where phones stay out (the dining table, the living room, the kitchen)

2. Tech-Free Slots

Choose windows of the day where everyone puts their phones away:

• First couple of hours of the morning

• The evening e.g. 7-9pm

A few simple boundaries go a long way.

Looking Ahead

You’ve probably noticed the Screen Smarter weekly cadence has been… well, off lately.

Thank you for sticking around through the wobble. The best version of this newsletter is coming in 2026!

See you next week,
George