Digital detox: Current trend in the modern era for better health and wellness

Tech devices have become an integral part of the modern life of people. In the modern lifestyle, most people used to wake up in the morning with the alarm of their smartphones. It has become a habit for most people to scroll through social media platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, chat with friends, and check emails throughout the day. Online shopping, watching favourite TV shows, and using smartphones before bedtime are included in the typical day for a majority of people. It has been identified that, on average, 6 hours and 40 minutes per day are spent by people worldwide on screens across various devices.

It means the average screen time per week is equivalent to around 46 hours and 40 minutes among internet users worldwide. However, the increasing screen time is contributing towards the occurrence of various mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression. In this regard, digital detox may be an effective solution which can allow individuals to get relief from the pressure of increasing engagement with electronic devices. According to research, digital detox has the potential the improvement sleep, mood and relationships.

What is digital detox?

A digital detox refers to that situation where an individual is found to be remaining disconnected from the electronic devices connected to the internet for a certain period of time, ranging from a few days to a number of months. The practices in a digital detox may include the avoidance of scrolling social media, checking email, utilising tablets, smartphones or laptops, playing video games, watching news or other TV shows and many others. It is quite relevant in the contemporary digital world as it is found that individuals having internet addiction are most likely to experience 2.2 times sleep problems in comparison to the people who do not have an addiction.

Recognising its positive impact on mental, physical and emotional wellbeing, digital detox is becoming a rising trend among people worldwide. For example, in a survey among internet users in the United States in 2022, approximately 32 per cent of the respondents were found to be taking a break from digital gadgets for a minimum of two hours per day. Around 26 per cent of respondents have revealed that they were engaged in digital detox on a weekly basis.

Reasons for the digital detox 

Restoration of healthy habits

Electronic gadgets and social media consistently control the exercise, diet and sleep schedule of people by increasingly connecting to their phones, leading to unhealthy living. Less engagement on tech devices refers to the arrangement of more time towards engaging in physical exercise, experiencing nature, undertaking healthy diets and practising mindfulness, which leads to living a healthy lifestyle.

Improves sleep patterns

Digital devices have the potential to disrupt the natural sleep-wake-cycle of people through the emission of blue light resulting in poor sleep quality. Through the practice of digital detox, particularly before bedtime, a person can easily sleep within a few times and experience a more relaxed and peaceful sleep at night which helps to give more attention towards the next day’s work.

Enhanced focus 

The frequent pop-up notifications and beeps on electronic gadgets heavily distract individuals from the activities of the surrounding world. At the time of digital detox, one can carefully observe the immediate surroundings, which permits the brain to provide much better concentration on their tasks.

Reduce stress

The usage of social media for a long period often increases feelings of inadequacy, FOMO ( Fear of missing out), isolation and dissatisfaction. As a result, these feelings impact the mood of the people adversely, which leads to the occurrence of the symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression. Social media content does not represent the actual reality every time but often makes others upset or jealous. Around 280 million people across the world are found to be having symptoms of depression. As digital detox promotes the reduction of screen time on social media and enhancement of face-to-face interaction rather than social media interaction, it allows for improving the mental health condition of individuals by disconnecting them from social media addiction.

Re-engagement in offline hobbies 

A digital detox encourages individuals to focus more on their offline hobbies and passions, which have been neglected for a long time due to the enhanced screen time. A more balanced and fulfilling life can be achieved with this shift. For example, during this time, they can explore a wide range of activities ranging from reading or writing a book, travelling to their favourite destinations, playing board games, enjoying memorable moments with relatives or doing yoga or meditation. This will ultimately make the people feel happier.

Improve relationships 

In order to shift towards a digital detox, individuals often spend more valuable time with their close ones, who may be their family members, friends, relatives or colleagues. As a result, it provides them the opportunity to share their feelings and perceptions, which leads to an improvement in their relationship status. In terms of prioritising face-to-face interactions, individuals can deepen their relationship with their loved ones during a tech detox day.

When to undergo a digital detox

Are you concerned about whether you need a digital detox or not? When an individual, while using electronic devices, feels experiences like insecurity, a depressed mood, disruption in sleep or feeling anxiety, frustration or anger, then it is a sign the individual should consider taking a break from the usage of electronic media.

If one perceives that tech usage is impacting their mental and physical well-being, then it may be time to avoid the increased screen time on digital devices. Moreover, if one is found to be ignoring the responsibilities at work or home and losing interest in connecting with people in person in the social world due to the increased spending of time online, then it is a red flag towards the shifting to digital detox.

Strategies for the digital detox

The following steps should be considered to initiate a digital detox:

Making decisions on behavioural change

First of all, one has to determine the actual problems. It needs to be decided whether the issue is related to the enhanced usage of smartphones or spending a substantial amount of time on social media or watching TV shows or news too much time. Then, it should be figured out which behaviour or activities need to be eliminated or reduced.

Establishment of goals 

The next step is to establish a specific goal on the basis of the desire of an individual to decrease the use of certain types of media or devices. In this regard, the time should be specific. For example, one can decide to keep their smartphone in a different room at night, engage only 20 minutes a day on social media or spend a tech-free Sunday.

Making a time commitment

In order to achieve higher effectiveness in this detox, one should be committed to a longer time period for remaining away from digital habits. A minimum of two weeks or more is required to make one feel that they have broken the digital habit. This can be achieved by involving in practices like working out, visiting a place, increasing time spent with family members and focusing on offline habits.

Assessment of the progress

It is also important to check the progress after a few days of the beginning of this detox. For example, one can use mobile applications to track the usage time of their phones daily. Furthermore, individuals need to be more concerned regarding the exchange of one digital habit with another one. For instance, it should be ensured that during the goal of reducing screen time from Facebook, the usage of other social media platforms like Instagram or YouTube does not increase. 

Is the implication of a digital detox possible in current times?

Over-dependence on smartphones and technology can be considered the primary reason why it may be a challenging task for individuals to effectively implement digital detox in the contemporary world. Since the pandemic, the connection with technology has increased considerably. A digital detox needs to shelve technology almost completely, incorporating a break from social media, digital screens and video conferences for a number of days which is quite difficult in the current time but not impossible at all. However, it can be feasible or achievable with the gradual reduction of digital habits rather than completely eliminating the habits suddenly. In simple words, it is a time-consuming procedure.

FAQ

Follow us on