How much time do you spend on your phone every day? I checked my Screen Time some time ago and it turned out that I used my phone for almost 2,5 – 3,5 hours daily. Not to mention that I also use my laptop while working and studying, which is basically what I currently do most of my day. One of the trends that try to tackle the issue is taking a digital detox.
After briefly learning about the concept, I wanted to explore what benefits could digital detox bring to my life. According to the study conducted by Kovert, a research organisation focused on the impact of technology on people’s body and behaviour, I could expect to become more open towards others, more engaged in conversations, improve my posture and memory, have a more-efficient sleep and gain a new perspective on life (Segran E, 2015).
Even though the concept sounded appealing to me at the beginning, I have decided not to try it out. The main reason for that is that I am working towards applying in my life another concept – lagom, meaning ‘just enough’. This ideology encourages to avoid extremes, in favour of a balanced life (Mchugh J, 2017) . ‘Just enough’ can mean different things to different people, so you need to decide what this concept means to you. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t critically assess your use of your tech.
Acknowledging both advantages and conceptual conflict of digital detox and balanced life, I have decided to take the best from both worlds and make some small improvements in my life. I have analysed, using the information provided by Screen Time on my iPhone and my observations, what I have been doing during those 2,5 hours. Then I critically assessed which activities bring me any positive value and decided to use my phone more intentionally. I also picked situations in which I try to completely put my phone away, such as hanging out with my friends, studying or reading before going to bed. That being said I still have Instagram ?
Do you think it is a good idea to take a digital detox for a couple of days?
Resorces:
- Elizabeth Segran, What Really Happens To Your Brain And Body During A Digital Detox, fastcompany.com, 2015 (https://www.fastcompany.com/3049138/what-really-happens-to-your-brain-and-body-during-a-digital-detox)
- Jess Mchugh, Lagom: This Swedish Lifestyle Trend Will Help Balance Your Life, travelandleisure.com, 2017 (https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/yoga-wellness/lagom-swedish-lifestyle)
- Art credit: Kelsey Tyler (https://woollymag.com/wellness/the-best-digital-detox-is-no-detox-at-all.html)
