Does Your Smart Home Need a Tech-Free Room

Nov 8

Tech-Free Rooms

Although smart home technology is meant to make our lives better, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. With more and more of our lives being connected to devices and technology, it's also important that we have a time and place to disconnect. So how does one do that in a home that is also completely integrated?

The answer is actually quite simple, and famed scientist Michael Faraday came up with it in 1836. A Faraday Cage, or Faraday Shield, is a space enclosed with a conductive material to block electromagnetic signals from penetrating to the space within.

Not a New Concept

This can be achieved with a metallic mesh, but is equally possible with metal plates. This is not a new concept, and can be found in a variety of settings where it is important to shield sensitive equipment from being disrupted by electromagnetic waves. For example, if you've ever had an MRI, you've probably already been inside a Faraday Shield. The walls have a protective metal plate within them to prevent the magnetic field generated by the MRI machine from affecting electronics outside the room.

Disconnect From it All

In a future where your home entire home is connected, you may find that such a room in your own home can be a great place to disconnect from it all. Inside, there would be no cell service and no Wi-Fi - a quiet place free from the noise of the technological world.

But you don't need to install metal plates in the walls around a room to create a tech-free zone. Many people today find it helpful to dedicate particular rooms as such. For example, maybe you agree not to take your phone, laptop, or tablet into the bedroom. This can be a great way to limit tech use and exposure for both you and your children.