Dr. Toko Jumi

It has been in the modern world where people are almost always in touch, always connected to their devices or rather, always wired. While technology undoubtedly enhances our lives, from improving productivity to connecting us with distant loved ones, it also comes with a hidden cost: conflicts with the loss of the personal time, thinking clarity and well-being. Such a concept as the ‘digital detox’ points to the growing concern of society on the issues of periodic disconnection from screens and a natural re-evaluation of the relationship with digital media. This article is based on the timely concept of the need to unlink or take a ‘screen break’ in the society that was increasingly connected.

The Charm of Being Always Online
Technological advancement has affected virtually all the spheres of existence. We use
portable devices such as smart phones or tablets, laptops, and even cars to have unlimited
info-tainment and communication facility in our palm. The online social tools, news, email
notifications – all these things give us the constant flow, which makes us check our devices
every hours. This mainly stems from the FOMO which is always fueled by the feelings of
happiness that is associated with the engagement of likes, shares, and comments. When it
comes to applying technology, there is no doubt that it helped to add more convenience into our lives, however, it is quite easy to fall into the category of over usage. Most of the times people continue with activities such as Facebook news feed browsing, Netflix, and Email even during leisure. This distorts the working culture, and it makes it very tricky to separate between one’s working time and leisure time, which concludes in digital tiredness.
I would like to present the reader with some true facts about high dependence on
technology and the Internet.

There is always a social cost of excessive screen time, meaning that it h as an effect on many activities in life. The first area that experience a sudden impact is mental health. According to the studies, it has been established that the overreliance of users with digital media especially social media creates negative emotions such as anxiety, depression and increased loneliness.

This is made worse by the constant comparison to other people’s carefully selected lives
which often make many feel incompetent or irrelevant.

One’s physical health is also compromised. Owning to its usage, it brings associated negative impacts as they lead to eye strain, poor posture, and sleep loss. Nighttime light disruptions caused by screens cause reduced melatonin timing, sleep inertia and poor sleep quality that is not restorative. Furthermore, extended periods of time at a workplace or for entertainment through gaming or social media on a computer or smartphone encourages a poor lifestyle and a sedentary lifestyle results in obesity-related diseases.

Further, lack of practice of face-to-face communication skills is another problem. More and
more people spend time online thus depriving them of the chance to interact face-to-face
which makes social relationships weaker and people feel lonely.

What is the meaning of the term ‘Digital Detox’?
A digital detox is defined as taking a short period without using such gadgets as mobile
phones, computers, tablets among others especially those with internet connection. It may be in the form of 1 to 2 hours of no screen time each day or more with some periods being days or weeks of no screen time. The goal in this case is to shed the virtual world and go back to the real one, or rather, to take back command from things that place before us.

While the digital detoxes can range in various types that people perform. There are those who decide to reduce their time on Social Networks, and there are those who do not entertain themselves online at all, not even watching television or playing video games or going for browsing online. For those working in online environment this can mean establishing clear lines between working hours and setting limitations when it comes to checking work-related emails or notifications.

Screen break has many advantages which are of significant importance to everyone,
especially to individuals in formal employment.

It is important that people should take breaks from their screen frequently to help with their mental and physical health. This way, a person is able to free his mind from mental
exhaustion that is caused by overstimulation through the use of technology. Here are some
key benefits of embracing a screen break:Here are some key benefits of embracing a screen break:

Improved Mental Health
Research conducted in this area reveals that less time spent on screens leads to low stress,
anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Taking a break from social media could be beneficial in
eradicating the sensation of low self-esteem and might assist people to come across what they have been missing, and how they could accomplish their aims in life. In the conditions when there is no possibility to get addicted to the digital environment, a person has more time to meditate, to write a diary and, overall, to improve mental and emotional state.

Enhanced Productivity
What many people believe is that being well connected means much business gets done. In
fact, constant notification jolts can dissipate attention and diminish it into smaller
disconnected episodes. It is through taking a screen break, one regains control over their
timings, is able to work without distractions and thus optimize on their productivity. It means that setting restrictions regarding technology utilization enables the expression of creativity and enhancement of the available opportunities.

Better Sleep Quality
Reducing the amount of time spent in front of screens at least an hour before going to sleep is one of the most recommended technique to enhance sleep quality. When blue light and latenight notifications are removed from the body, the natural sleep-wake cycle is regained and a person gets a more restful sleep. This in a way brings about better health and fitness of the body and overall health.

Stronger Relationships
Smarting is likely to improve interpersonal face-to-face connections different from mere
computer-mediated relations. Thereby, if people are not constantly glued to their phones,
perhaps they can be more attentive to their loved ones, and probably interact with them and share important moments in their lives. Not only does this assist with developing better interpersonal dealings, it also aids in the development of sympathy and understanding in a strict sense of the terms.

Increased Physical Activity
A digital detox brings out chances to do some activities normally not considered by persons
in current society. No matter if it is going for a walk, doing yoga or other outdoor activities,
these are beneficial for health and free from screen time.

Useful Advice on How to Detox Your Life contexts of wellbeing
For those are willing to take back the control and set the pace for getting ones life back, a
digital detox can seem like a daunting task however it does not have to be a large scale.
Here are some practical tips to make the process manageable: Here are some practical tips to make the process manageable:

Set Clear Goals
The first step that you need to get to is figuring out why you want or need to take the screen break in the first place. However, what is important is to have a clear motivation whether it is for health related reasons, such as sharpened mind, better sleep or better relationships.

Start Small
Start with taking a break every now and then during the day but this time the duration is one hour or less. For instance, rule that a certain time of the day such as during a meal or in the morning is off limits for the screens. Slowly add up such breaks with time as one can become more relaxed in letting go of the gadgets fully.

Turn Off Notifications
Notifications are considered as one of the major focuses diverts according to the survey done among the college going students. Disabling or silencing miscellaneous notifications such as phone notifications, email notifications and social media updates will help to minimize the urge to attend to the gadget.

Create a Tech-Free Space
Some experts recommend banning use of technology in some parts of your home like the
bedroom or the dining table. This helps to promote more directed and thus less technological occupied interactions in these areas.

Plan Offline Activities
As much as possible, ensure you develop some interests that can be done when you are not using your screen. For example, if one is reading a book, going for a nature walk or going to paint, all these activities will help revive ones interests and passions.

Get Support
Do not take this process individually, but instead, include friends, family members or working colleagues in the process. Family and friends can help you stay on track and
motivate you in case you experience some difficulties on your training process.

Balance, or Re balance as coined by the authors of the book, in the Context of a Hyper connected World
Living in the modern world, it is almost impossible to imagine a life when people do not use
screens for hours per day. But for how often all of us feel overwhelmed with the presence of digital technology in everyday life, digital detox is a perfect chance to reevaluate the role of the technology in our lives, and hence use it more consciously. In effect, reconstructing
balance appears to be the key to the positive uses that technology offers while not over
imposing its demands.

Last but not the least, a screen break is not about taking a break from devices, instead of
spending time on activities that benefit us instead of making us benefit from it. In this way,
we free ourselves for more meaningful interactions, greater output, and more positive life
experience. So go ahead and leave your screen behind, stay away from it for a while and
relish life as it is way cooler.

(The author is an Assistant Professor at the College of Community Science in Tura, West Garo Hills)

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