Why a digital detox can be an impossible goal | technology

In February 2023, word got out that the CEO (CEO) of the software company Salesforce, Marc Benioff, had a “digital detox”: 10 tech-free days at a resort in French Polynesia.

For a small group of people, being away from their devices is a dream come true. But for most people it is impossible, and even more so today.

A digital detox requires us to move away from technology almost entirely, taking a break from screens, social media, and video conferencing for several days. The intention is good: to reduce stress and anxiety and reconnect with the physical world. And although there are no scientifically proven benefits from periods of abstinence from technology use, Digital detox is now a coveted goal for many people.

But that challenge is even more difficult to achieve today than it was in 2012, when researchers first used the term.

Back then, screens were really important, even with the initial releases of apps and social networks. But trying a digital detox in 2012 would have been a lot easier than it is now. Getting away from technology is now more impossible than ever.

We pay in stores with our mobile phones, work on computers and tablets, and maintain relationships with apps. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the connection between life and technology has only intensified.

Digital Detox in 2023… Where do we begin?

Unless we take refuge in the wilderness, somewhere remote, for a few days without a cell phone, experts say digital detoxing is no longer viable for most people.

“It’s such an integral part of our lives that we’re doomed if we say we’ll be without a cell phone for a week,” says Churkin.

With people becoming more and more reliant on technology, a digital detox no longer seems like a reasonable goal.. But perhaps there is a more realistic solution, one that lessens our tech obsession without forcing a complete disconnect.

As much time as people already spent on their devices before COVID-19, the pandemic has further intensified our time in front of screens.

People have used their devices more during lockdowns, particularly as an alternative to other forms of communication. But these habits are far from over, even now that we have some freedom to get out of the house and socialize.

A 2022 study by the University of Leeds, UK, showed that 54% of British adults use screens more than they did before the pandemic.

Half of the people surveyed were in front of screens for 11 hours or more each day. And 51% are spending more time on screens for fun than before the pandemic, while 27% have increased their screen use at work.

This increase in time using technology has also changed the way we communicate. Key relationships are becoming more digital. We form communities in WhatsApp groups and replace twice-monthly family lunches with weekly video calls, for example.

Covid-19 has caused some of our communications to go digital And many of them still exist in these technology-enabled environments, such as group chats and video calls.

Therefore, a digital detox is not just about taking a break from everyday conversations With your boss – it may also mean breaking off relations with your closest and dearest for a while.

Online dating has become more popular and has also increased during the pandemic. With that said, technology has also become fundamental to making friends.

Data from dating app Bumble indicates that the Bumble BFF feature, which is designed for people to meet new friends, has seen significant traffic growth since 2020.

By the end of 2021, approximately 15% of Bumble’s 42 million users were already looking for BFF friends. A year ago it was less than 10%, and at the end of 2022 male users have increased by another 26%.

According to author Chris Dancy, who monitors his connected presence with more than 700 sensors, devices, and apps, “much of today’s technology, for better or worse, is some form of accessibility.”

“For so many kids, so many parents, so many partners, so many friends — I hate to say it, but they’ve forgotten how to maintain relationships without it,” says Dancy.

The shared shift to hybrid work and relationships has left the traditional idea of ​​a digital detox not only obsolete, but nearly impossible.

A digital detox is being touted as an anxiety-relieving therapy — all one that will take people away from distracting screens and reconnect them with the present moment. But as the disconnect between people’s lives and their screens becomes increasingly disconnected, the idea of ​​separation can bring more anxiety if not realized.

“I can’t stop technology. We stay on screens for many different reasons,” says Sina Junidi, professor of digital management at the University of Teesside in the UK.

Therefore, the teacher’s approach is different. “For me, it’s more about letting go of the ‘cling and craving’ for technology.”

“Attachment and desire,” Junaidy explains, is related to a Buddhist concept whereby people want something because they think it will make them happy—but in reality, it’s just a dose of dopamine.

Instead of eliminating technology entirely, Junaidy practices digital awareness. “I make sure my use of technology is purposeful,” he says.

Digital awareness can be more practical for some people, rather than a complete detox: Don’t worry so much about cutting out technology entirely and focus on using it more deliberately.

Rather than being lured in by mindless addictive scrolling, Junaidy believes that digitally conscious users can improve their lives with technology, rather than feeling trapped by a device.

Even if people can’t get away from screens completely, Experts say paying attention to certain patterns of technology use can help make this activity more rewarding.

“I started using a lot of different trackers on my cell phone,” says anthropologist Amber Case, from Oregon, US. She noticed that she clicked on Instagram 80 times a day, so she downloaded the One Sec plugin, which makes the user take a deep breath before opening and accessing apps on a cell phone. It gives the user a moment before logging in and takes them off autopilot.

Case also recommends breaking the habit of passing your phone around in everyday life and notes that it can be helpful to leave your phone somewhere else when you don’t need it.

Instead, she advises relaxing by looking up, allowing yourself to do nothing for a minute.

finally, Specialists say the goal should not be to eliminate technology or time period or absorb pressure in that sense. People still need to write texts and send emails, but they can do so without being distracted by the real wormholes that open up in online content.

Dancy calls this approach a “gray detox”—you’re neither completely immersed nor completely absent from technology.

And there isn’t just one way. Their techniques include installing apps or plug-ins to remove all references from social media or even switching phones with loved ones, who may be using their screens as a way to intentionally communicate with each other.

“Every weekend I use my husband’s cell phone and he uses mine,” she says. They reply to messages and listen to music at each other’s expense. “It’s a way to really immerse yourself in each other’s lives,” says Dancy. Or rather, in digital life, it is often private.

The digital detox of 2012 may be dated if you’re not a billionaire, but that doesn’t mean we’re doomed to scroll endlessly for the rest of our lives.

Instead of bringing us more anxiety by trying to live without our cell phones for a week, we can look at the inevitable screen time in a way that feels perfect and specific to our lives.

Thus, we will not need to look for any resorts in Polynesia.