I find the whole concept quite interesting.
Internet? No
Something breaks, fix it? No
Sit around all day? No :)
For many that keep the Sabbath, the time is spent eating, praying, and studying and there’s somewhat of a schedule. Friday night: synagogue, then big ceremonious dinner. Saturday morning: Synagogue. Saturday afternoon: big ceremonious lunch and study or sleep. Saturday evening: back to synagogue again. It’s a pretty full day.
I assume that's only if not urgent? e.g. pipe blows up or rock hits a window for whatever reason, you can at least effect basic repairs if not immediately call the tradie?
You're not supposed to do either on shabbat unless its life or death.
The only time you can break the Sabbath is if it is "pikuach nefesh" (life threatening if not done)
and being a single guy, I've hosted many a meal where I did the cooking, table setting and cleaning. (though in practice at these meals, there is also a pot luck nature to them and many times there's a whole system where your friends come over help you set the table and then help clean up and throw everything away all the trash after the meal, collecting silverware, wrapping up the plastic table cloth cover with all the crumbs/spills on it).
- I have two full, sit-down meals with my family and sometimes friends as well, typically with appetizers, mains, the whole she-bang. No cellphones.
- I go to synagogue (when it is not closed due to COVID) and pray. They have a light meal after services where I socialize before going home and having a bigger meal.
- I go to the park and play with my daughter. Other Jewish families in my neighborhood often do the same, so we socialize while our kids play.
- I catch up on reading
This is broken out into fine detail in the sources. There are 39 categories of work listed, covering agriculture, food production and cooking, textile production, building, and a few more.
When electricity came along there was a big debate among rabbis if its use comes under one of the existing categories or not. Nowadays among Orthodox Jews it's universally agreed that it does. This obviously wipes out a lot of modern life - not just the internet but even switching on lights, etc.
Reading, learning, eating lots of good food with the family, meeting friends, taking your kids to the park - all totally permitted.
As kids, yes it was sometimes annoying. But now it's amazing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/39_Melachot
It's not hard to violate them though. Carry something in public? nope. Use electricity/fire? No. etc etc
Then I go home. Before COVID, we'd visit several friend's houses, walking around the neighborhood, eat a little, have lunch, talk.
Then we'd meet again for the afternoon service. Then I'd go home and read for a while.
Then we'd meet again for evening service and havdalah. Then we'd have a few more shots and go home.
(During the winter when days are shorter, things are compressed. This is "summer mode" with long days.)
Sabbath is 25 hours. Typical schedule...
7-10 h sleep
3-4 h prayers
3-5 h meals
0-4 hours religious study
Remainder is light recreational activity, walking to/from synagogue/friends' homes.
* Scrabble and other board games
* Cycling and other outdoor activities
* Reading
* Gardening
* Picnicking with friends (though not so much nowadays)
We don't really subscribe to the very strict definition of "work", and I don't think the rest of our synagogue community does either. But phones, internet, and computing are largely discouraged.