Have you ever spent hours on social networks without noticing how time went by? It is very common; it has happened to all of us. Although social media has many positive aspects, we also have to understand that it can be addictive.
I like social media, especially seeing pictures of beautiful places around the world on Instagram or captivating images of an activity I enjoy. But many times, we need to detox from the digital world, separate ourselves from our devices and technology and get back to basics.
I recently experienced a forced detox when my internet company didn’t relocate my service in time when I moved house. Almost two months without WiFi helped me to disconnect and focus on other issues.
Are we addicted to technology?
Growing up, my parents, aunts, uncles and teachers were concerned about the amount of time millennials like me spent glued to the computer or cell phone. Years later, I see how they too treat their devices as an extension of their bodies, making it clear that it’s not behavior that’s typical of one age group, it’s what almost all of us do now.
Usually, I’m online almost all day, researching for work, checking social media, sending an email, shopping online, listening to music or watching a series on a streaming platform.
My case is not unique, most people nowadays have a very digitally active life.
What do the experts say?
According to studies, there has been an increase in the number of hours of internet use per week, even though users fear that the information they share compromises their privacy. Online hours are seen as functional, since with the service we can access work from anywhere.
Contradictorily, our productivity has declined. We spend part of the day checking our email and always have our cell phone at hand to glance at it every few minutes. In addition, having a large amount of information at our fingertips makes it difficult to focus. Many times, I have realized I have lost several minutes looking at information that I am not interested in, after having wandered between links.
Those who try to disconnect
Some years ago, I wanted to disappear from social networks for a while. I am not the only one, friends have told me that at some point in their lives they have taken a break, because these places can become a hole of harassment, lies, facades and unreality that can affect mental health.
More and more people are trying to step away from their devices from time to time to avoid accessing the dark side of the digital world. I don’t know anyone under the age of 80 who is completely away from social networks, but I have heard of cases of people who have closed their Facebook and Instagram accounts, or who only use text messages on their cell phones.
There is a real Slow Technology movement, which does not cut people off completely from their online lives, but instead sets certain rules for access according to the expectations they have in their day-to-day lives, for example, for raising children.
The advantages and disadvantages of an enforced virtual disconnection
The delays by my internet company took me involuntarily away from it intermittently. Since I only had access to my phone data —and my company didn’t want to sell me more per day — I could only spend it in important situations like work and communicating with my family.
When working from home, since I couldn’t keep jumping between links, I completed tasks more quickly. However, the limit of the internet plan did not make it easy to access the information I needed to read, which put me under pressure.
On the other hand, my phone was almost useless. I was only receiving and making calls, and I used WhatsApp and Telegram in a limited way. Although I realized how necessary the internet was in my routine for work and to make my life easier, I was also able to recognize how many hours I lose between social media posts. In those days, I had more hours of sleep and would let go of my cell phone early, long before I went to bed.
An internet detox can be stressful if your work depends on your online access – including social media, which for us writers is a source of ideas and information. But, if you’re on vacation or can limit your online access in your daily life, your body and mind will thank you.
We can live with limited internet access, according to our own rules. But, at this point, after being so dependent on the service, I don’t think we can live completely without the internet, at least in my case.
Images: Gian Cescon and Clark Tibbs