Anyone else cringe a little when you get the weekly iPhone notification: “Your weekly screen time report is available?” I for one, am always hoping to see, “Your screen time was down by X%,” but that’s not often the case.

2020 brought new meaning to the phrase “screen time,” in a world that was already continuously catapulting into a digital reality. Many of us who used to spend time commuting, or in face-to-face meetings are now replacing that commute time by just starting our workdays earlier (i.e. extra hours in front of the computer), and meetings are now face-to-screen. We all know by now there are pros and cons to this new way of business and at the risk of sounding cheesy, we’re all in this together.

Column courtesy serdjophoto, iStock/Getty Images Plus

If you’re reading this, you may have noticed that this digital edition of Supply House Times got a bit of a makeover. Our parent company, BNP Media, is in the process of switching all of its brands to a more user-friendly and interactive digital edition platform.

Navigation on tablets and smart phones is greatly improved, there are more imbedded links to supplemental resources, and font sizes and styles are easier on the eyes. All of these improvements are in hopes to make the reader experience smoother and more engaging.

I know many sectors of our industry are booming and busy, despite how different our days might look compared to a couple of years ago. As much as a branch manager might love to relax with a cup of coffee and flip through pages of news, that’s not the reality we’re facing. Therefore, I hope this new platform makes scrolling through our content on your phone, or flipping the pages on your desktop computer while eating lunch a bit more digestible.

While I am embracing this digital world we live in, and am excited for what 2021 will bring our industry and this publication, I am a firm believer in taking a break from the screen — forcing yourself to take a break, I mean. Like most things in life, it’s all about balance. So once you finish checking out this new platform, take a moment and step outside, and encourage your team to do the same.

Natalie Forster is chief editor of Supply House Times. You can reach her at forstern@bnpmedia.com or 224-201-2225.