Digital Detox

Log Off. Shut Down. Get Outside

ARE YOU A SLAVE TO YOUR SMARTPHONE?

By Alexander Thatcher

Digital Detox

A period of time during which a person refrains from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers, regarded as an opportunity to reduce stress or focus on social interaction in the physical world.

THE INTERNET HAS MADE US MORE GLOBALLY CONNECTED THAN EVER BEFORE, BUT LIFE IN THIS FAST-PACED DIGITAL AGE IS FAR FROM IDEAL.

The average person now spends more than half of their waking life staring at a screen, and although there are many positive things the digital age has brought us, it’s also causing some serious backwash, and the negative psychological, social and cultural impact is real.

A vast majority of society are feeling disconnected, depressed and alone, and studies have shown that the longer you spend on social networks, the lonelier you’re likely to be. We are inherently social creatures, but modern digital life tends to compartmentalise us instead of bringing us together.

People everywhere are now starting to realise that sometimes it’s essential to digitally disconnect in order to reconnect with ourselves and everything else around us. It can start to feel like it’s just all too much and, as hard as it may sound, it might be time for many of us to reassess our relationship with technology and take a break.

With that in mind here are some tips on how you can go about switching off and rediscovering the world... and maybe yourself.

ARE YOU A SLAVE TO YOUR SMARTPHONE?

1. Take a detox holiday

Holidays are so precious. Are you wasting them by spending most of your days on your smartphone?

Taking a break from work or study should be synonymous with unplugging from the digital world. Studies show that it’s likely to reduce your stress levels, help with mental health and allow you to return home recharged and refreshed.

Although you get most benefits from hitting that off button for two weeks, understandably this can be incredibly hard — if not impossible — for some people. The good news is you don’t have to go cold turkey, as even a small cut back will be beneficial.

You could simply avoid social media for some of the time — two hours a day can be a good start, increasing it every day if you can.

By taking time away from tech and not constantly posting on social media, scouring the news or watching cat videos — yes we know about that — you’ll find yourself engaging more honestly with the destination and enjoying the moment as it happens. Without our phones we’re also forced to spend time with ourselves and make REAL connections with other people.

Take a detox holiday

Digital free days

no phone dinner game

If you’re really keen just to break the digital cycle there are now many destinations offering ‘detox holidays’.

2. Take a digital-free day

Weekends are perfect for creating digital-free days for yourself. Turn everything — especially your phone — off and spend time indulging in simple pleasures like hanging out with friends, reading a book, going for a picnic or even, heaven forbid... doing nothing at all!

If you don’t think you can survive a whole day, try just allocating a few hours where you go without technology and build from there. Switching devices off at 6.00pm and not turning them back on until the morning can also be a great way to take a break each day.

3. Play the dinner game

Next time you go for dinner with friends or family, encourage everyone to put their phones in the centre of the table — if someone picks up their phone, then they also pick up the bill :-)

Takes some time away from your smartphone

You might think that social media allows us to be connected to our family and “friends” 24/7, but studies have discovered that it’s actually making us feel lonelier.

Reports suggest that if you spend over two hours a day on social networks, your chances of feeling socially isolated are twice as high.

A study carried out by the University of Pittsburgh found that people who visit social networks over 58 times a week are three times more likely to feel lonely than those who use the sites under nine times.

4. Things can wait

Not everything has to happen instantly! As difficult as it can be not to reply to social media messages or emails as they happen, most of the time they are not urgent and can wait if you’re on your own time.

Work emails can nearly always wait until Monday morning. Not replying to emails that are sent over the weekend sends a message that says you respect your time (and their time) and that you expect them to respect it too.

‘It’s possible that young adults who initially felt socially isolated turned to social media. Or it could be that their increased use of social media somehow led to feeling isolated from the real world.’ — Professor Elizabeth Miller University of Pittsburgh

DID YOU KNOW

As many as 60% of us say that a traditional holiday doesn’t relieve our work-related stress, as we keep in contact with our work colleagues. In fact, 38% of us can’t last one day on holiday without checking our emails, either work or personal.

Fifteen years ago this would never have been expected, but today many of us feel an immense pressure to remain contactable even when lying on the beach.

5. Take a break from Social Media

Consider deleting your smartphone social media apps — it’s ok you can reinstall them later, but social media is one of the most common offenders when it comes to screentime, so removing the problem altogether is a great way to switch off.

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