DIGITAL DETOX

BY SIMON HARDING

Stop being sucked in. It is easy is to be pulled-in by your phone, but DP asks, Has the time come to end that mindless compulsion, cleanse yourself and reclaim your focus?

According to Greek mythology, the song of the Sirens was so enchanting that anyone who heard it was drawn in and captive forever. Determined to hear the sweet sound for himself, Homer’s hero, Odysseus, ordered his crew to tie him to the ship’s mast and keep him there until it was safely out of range. The crew themselves were advised to fill their ears with beeswax, lest they too fell under the spell of the Sirens. 3,000 years later, we battle with our own siren: the chirrup of smartphone notifications. And with 78% of people in the UK claiming they could not live without their phone, according to a report by Ofcom – the UK’s telecommunications regulator – it seems that their power is equally as irresistible,

Believe it or not, it is now 11 years since the release of the first iPhone. Since then, the call of the handheld has become so enchanting that it interrupts meetings, conversations and even family interactions. According to the same Ofcom report, more than 50% of smartphone users admit to interrupting conversations with friends or family to check their phone.

And whether you’re driving, eating, putting the kids to bed or even having ‘quiet’ time – according to a 2018 report in PC Mag (Australia), 77% of survey respondent said they took their phone into the loo whilst at work – the merest beep from a device demands immediate attention, despite the inconvenience involved in doing so.

This compulsion – described by many as FOMO: fear of missing out – is a problem across the developed world. In the UK, Ofcom reveals that people check their phone, on average, every 12 minutes, and 40% of adults admit to looking at their phone within five minutes of waking up. In Australia, the latest annual Deloitte report on mobile phone usage shows that almost 40% of Australians believe they use their phones too much. Yet, despite that belief, only half are actually trying to do something about it. And of those who do, say Deloitte, 1 in 3 will fail.

Aware of the growing concern over usage, in the last 12 months both Google and Apple have launched features that enable users to track the amount of time spent on the phone, and set limits. Many other apps that perform the similar functions already exist and can be downloaded on both platforms, although The New York Times claims that Apple may be purging some from its store.

In any event, the concept of ‘digital detoxing’ is becoming more and more popular. Australian charity, Beyond Blue, is convinced of the benefits of doing so. They say that a digital detox will lead to a ‘more content and calmer you’, and reference thousands of social experiments in which those who have taken a break from technology have admitted to being less stressed. They also claim that once you realise how much time you waste online, you will: find you are more productive, have healthier relationships, sleep better, and feel fitter.

59% of mums and dads say they feel obligated to respond to text messages immediately 39% say they sometimes lose focus at work because they’re checking their phone 36% say they spend too much time on their phone Source: Pew Research Centre, Survey of parents of teens, March-April 2018 research

pewresearch.org

If you’re keen to try a digital detox, there are plenty of tips to be found online. US website, Today, suggests you work with your family to carve out ten minutes each day to be tech-free. This works better, they say, if you involve your children in the discussion process and agree on a time that works for all. They also suggest that connecting with friends is the main reason why teenagers have such high phone usage, and a way to counter it is to help your children connect with their friends in real life – facilitate catchups and even sleepovers, anything that will encourage face-to-face contact.

Another of their tips is to have a room in the house where family members are not allowed to use technology – therefore forcing everyone to detox – and to keep tablets and phones in the living areas so that they have to be used in the open.

They also recommend having a central charging point so there is less temptation to check devices at – or after – bedtime.

Today suggests a contract is a good idea, in which everyone agrees the rules around the use of technology. Of course, it is a given that adults are also expected to abide by the same rules, so you’ll need to make sure whatever you agree works for all. Tips from elsewhere include: taking a screenshot every time you reach for you phone, to show just how bad your habit is; keeping your phone on silent; and not carrying it in your hand.

In short, if you are concerned about your own – or your child’s – phone usage, there are plenty of tools and ideas out there for you to experiment with and, while there’s little scientific data to prove it, anecdotal evidence suggests you’ll feel better for it.

THERE’S HELP FROM OUR DIGITAL OVERLORDS

Oh, there are loads of Apps, of course, for detoxing. Flipd encourages people to intentionally unplug from their devices for set periods of time. If you want ‘credit’ for being offline, you must first proclaim your intention to do so by using the app. Learn more at flipdapp.co

OFFTIME is an app that lets you customize your (dis) connectivity. For a chosen period, you can choose to block calls, texts and notifications that might disturb you, but you can also make exceptions for important contacts so that they can still get through.

More information

HELP TURN OFF FROM BEYOND BLUE bit.ly/2Jd686Z US-BASED X-FINITY MOBILE HAS PUBLISHED A 7-DAY DETOX https://xfin.tv/2HcGs7i