Being mobile is harder than ever when our lives are digitally intertwined. The question is whether there is any point in trying
In February, the news came that the CEO of Salesforce Mark Benioff He had taken a “digital detox” in the form of ten completely tech-free days at a French Polynesian resort.
For a small group of people, undoing mobile devices and all other digital devices is a dream – but for most people it’s an impossible feat, especially now, writes bbc.
Easy in 2012 – harder now
“Digital detox” was a term first used by researchers in 2012. Today, it’s significantly more difficult to implement.
Digital life was widespread even then, but taking a break from mobile devices and computers in 2012 was easy compared to today, eleven years later.
“I can’t go anymore”
Experts the BBC spoke to candidly say that digital detoxing is no longer possible for most of us.
“Technology is a huge part of us now. We do most of it via an app,” notes the Seattle-based consultant Emily Cherkinwho specializes in managing screen time.
“It’s so embedded in our lives that if we said we’d be without a phone for a week, we’d fail.”
worse during an epidemic
The epidemic has also exacerbated the situation. Isolated, we stared more at our screens and those habits didn’t come back to anything else, though we now move freely again.
A 2022 University of Leeds study found that 54 per cent of British adults use screens more often than they did before the pandemic.
11 hours at least
Half of those surveyed looked at screens for 11 hours or more each day.
51 percent have more screen time in their spare time than before the pandemic, and 27 percent have increased their screen time at work.
social on screen
The transformation has also occurred in our private lives. We are building more and more communities in WhatsApp groups, replacing family meals and family gatherings with Facetime calls and more.
And as online dating has become more popular, and increased during the pandemic, technology has also become central to making friends.
“There are too many kids, parents, partners, friends — I hate to say it, but they’ve forgotten how to navigate relationships without technology and screens,” says the author. Chris Dancy.
“almost impossible”
The shift to hybrid work and hybrid relationships makes the traditional idea of a digital detox not just outdated but nearly impossible.
“I can’t turn off technology. We’re on screens for so many different reasons Sina Junaidy Senior Lecturer in Digital Entrepreneurship at Teeside University.
“For me, it’s more about getting rid of the ‘coveted association’ of technology.”
digital vigilance
Rather than abandon technology entirely, Junaidy practices digital vigilance.
“I make sure my use of technology is purposeful,” he says.
Amber case The Oregon State anthropologist resorted to another trick when she realized she was clicking Instagram on her cellphone 80 times a day.
It downloaded One Sec, a plugin that makes users take a deep breath before they can open and access apps on their phones.
Live without a cell phone for a week!
The digital detox of 2012 may be outdated unless you’re a billionaire, but that doesn’t mean we’re doomed to scroll through the rest of our lives mindlessly, Sums up the BBC.
“Instead of causing ourselves more anxiety by trying to live without our phones for a week, we can approach screen time that seems appropriate for our single lives — and Polynesia doesn’t have to be held back.”
And anyone who needs more guidance on going mobile-free than this can always google…
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Read also: Children spending too much time in front of screens can lead to brain damage [Dagens PS]
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