Why We Launched Weekends: Bringing Families Back Together

It started with a moment that felt all too ordinary. It was a Saturday morning, and I was on my phone, trying to find something—anything—we could do as a family that day. My wife was next to me, focused on something else on her screen. Our 3-year-old came over, asking to watch something on the iPad.

That's when it hit me: we were all in the same room, but completely disconnected. Each of us absorbed in our own devices, not out of choice, but by habit. It was a quiet wake-up call—one that made me reflect on how easily technology, which was supposed to bring us together, can pull us apart.

That moment planted the seed for Weekends. If tech helped create the problem, could it also be part of the solution? I knew we needed something to help families be more present with each other—not just connected, but actually together.

The Smartphone Paradox

Don't get me wrong—technology has brought incredible benefits to our lives. We can stay in touch with distant relatives, access information instantly, and yes, even find activities for our families. But somewhere along the way, the tool became the master.

The statistics are staggering. According to Common Sense Media, U.S. teens spend an average of more than seven hours per day on screen media for entertainment, not including time spent on schoolwork. Meanwhile, a 2024 Pew Research Center study found that about 47% of parents say they spend too much time on their smartphones, acknowledging that their own screen habits can interfere with connecting with their teens. Additionally, a 2025 survey reported in The Guardian revealed that only one in three British families eat together daily, with over half of children using devices during meals, and 39% of children have asked their parents to put down their phones at the table. We're living under the same roofs but often inhabiting entirely different digital worlds.

"We realized that technology should serve our relationships, not replace them. The question wasn't how to eliminate screens, but how to use them intentionally to create real-world connections."

The Weekend Planning Struggle

As a working parent, I know the weekend planning struggle intimately. Friday evening arrives, and suddenly you're faced with the pressure to make the weekend "special." You open your phone and start the endless scroll: Google searches, social media recommendations, review sites, event listings. An hour later, you're overwhelmed by choices and no closer to a decision.

The irony is that we have access to more information about activities than ever before, yet making a simple decision about how to spend Saturday afternoon has become a source of stress rather than excitement.

Technology for Good

This is why we created Weekends. We believe technology should be a bridge to real-world experiences, not a barrier. Instead of endless scrolling, what if AI could learn your family's preferences and suggest activities that actually fit your life?

What if planning a weekend adventure took 3 minutes instead of 3 hours? What if the weather changed your plans automatically? What if each activity you tried made the next recommendation even better?

Our Mission

Weekends exists to help families reclaim their time together. We're not anti-technology—we're pro-intentional technology. We want to be the app that gets you off your phone and into the world with the people you love most.

Every feature we build, every algorithm we train, every partnership we form is guided by one simple question: "Does this help families spend more quality time together?"

The Ripple Effect

When families spend intentional time together, something magical happens. Children develop stronger emotional bonds with their parents. Parents rediscover the joy of seeing the world through their children's eyes. Siblings create shared memories that last a lifetime.

But it goes beyond individual families. Communities become stronger when families are engaged. Local businesses thrive when families explore their neighborhoods. Children who grow up with strong family connections become adults who build stronger communities.

Join the Movement

Weekends is more than an app—it's a movement toward intentional family time. Every family that chooses exploration over endless scrolling, every parent who puts down their phone to build a fort, every child who discovers a new passion through a family adventure is part of this movement.

We're not trying to eliminate technology from family life. We're trying to make it serve a higher purpose: bringing families together in the real world, creating memories that last long after the phones are put away.