Digital Detoxing: Is it Necessary?

Digital detoxing is the new self-help remedy, designed to improve one’s mental health and digital footprint.

This rehabilitation method strips avid tech users of any technology, whether its your phone or laptop.

The digital detox is mostly targeted at mobiles, since the modern person spends around 4.8 hours a day on their phone alone according to a report conducted by App Annie. This is a third of the average person’s waking time.

Alexander Bentley, Chairman and CEO of Remedy Wellbeing, which won this year’s ‘rehab of the year’ award , said our modern obsession we have with our phones is an untreated addiction, and it takes time to fully break the cycle.

He said: “This is why it’s called digital detox and not digital rehab.”

Alexander, 46, also highlighted the fact that a detox is designed to be a a short space of time during which you’ll experience unusual feelings of anxiety and fear of missing out.

He added: “A digital detox doesn’t have to be extreme in which a person relocates to a desert island every other weekend.

“It can simply be turning off your devices for a few days to give someone the space and clarity to reconnect with activities they used to enjoy, or spending time in nature. It could even be a great reason to put yourself out there and meet up with old friends or acquaintances.”

According to Statista, there were more than 62.3m mobile internet users in the United Kingdom in 2021, which translates to around 91.4% of the country’s population. With the digital crowd growing rapidly, more are seeking digital detox treatment.

Eva Ambler-Thomas, an intern for a communications consultancy, said: “People might detox because social media is often bombarded with bad news and the constant comparison to other people. Others detox because the large amount of screen time is affecting their health.

“I think that it’s important to detox especially after many lockdowns when everyone’s screen time went up, with working from home and not socialising. Social media took over our lives as the only form of connection for a while.”

Eva, 22, also told us about the multiple known benefits to digital detoxing, including reduced stress, reduced eye strain, reduced headaches and a better connection to the outside world. It has also been found that reduced screen time leads to a better quality of sleep.

The modern addiction to phone screens is increasing every day and some people have been known to suffer with ‘nomophobia’, which is the fear of being without a phone.

Alexander highlighted that nomophobia is now a recognised mental health condition, but previously started out as a ‘tongue in cheek’ reference to the anxiety felt when being without your device.

People who suffer from nomophobia will find themselves unable to turn off their phone, often charging it unnecessarily to ensure there is no risk of the battery being depleted.

They will ensure they always have their phone, often compulsively checking even if there hasn’t been a notification or alert to prompt them to do so.

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Featured Image: Emily Underworld, Unsplash