They're everywhere. Gleaming screens, clamoring for our attention. Whether it's a hip-hugging BlackBerry, a hand-held gaming system or a personal laptop, technology is nearly inescapable.While connecting with friends and family, staying up on current events, doing business or just de-stressing are important, some technology junkies have reached a breaking point.

Like mother Susan Maushart, who described her family's 6-month technological fast in a new book, "The Winter of Our Disconnect: How Three Totally Wired Teenagers (and a Mother Who Slept with Her iPhone)Pulled the Plug on Their Technology and Lived to Tell the Tale."

After realizing that she and her three teenagers were failing to connect with each other, she called for the ban of anything with a screen.

Her children, though perhaps skeptical, agreed and found themselves renewing previous interests, discovering new ones and enjoying the time as a family.

It wasn't perfect, Maushart said, but a refreshing reminder of the benefits of a slower-paced life.