New Trend, Many Choose to Leave Their Smartphones for a Month to Undergo ‘Digital Detox’
In this modern world, smartphones are considered as one of the important communication tools to connect with each other.
Apart from just communicating, smartphones are also a device for searching for information, looking for directions and shopping.
In other words, even though the device is small, everything can be done with just one click.
But have you ever thought, what would happen if we stopped using smartphones for a long time?
What is a digital detox?
Maybe for most people, a smartphone is everything. However, for some people, using a cellphone for a long period of time will disrupt their daily routine.
Therefore, an experiment was carried out by a group of young people in their 20s to 30s in Washington, USA.
They took steps by replacing smartphones with regular cellphones.
This is also said to have become a new practice for the younger generation of the United States who want to escape the negative impacts of social media.
A group of young people share their digital detox experiences
A young man who also took part in the challenge Offline Month hosted by a company in Washington, Jay West, 29, said he often searches for his smartphone in his pocket while waiting for the bus to arrive.
He, who is also a data analyst for the city’s metro system, said the feeling of not having a cellphone was boring, but he still wanted to try it.
Another participant, Rachael Schultz, 35, admitted that she had to ask cyclists for directions because she no longer had to rely on the telephone.
Meanwhile, Lizzie Benjamin, 25, also listened to songs again using her father’s old CD recordings.
“Previously I used applications like Spotify to listen to songs,” he said.
Meanwhile Bobby Lomis, 25, also said that previously he found it difficult to watch an episode of a show without looking at his smartphone.
Now, even without a smartphone and earphones, he can enjoy the sound of birds singing while walking.
Not only that, daily screen use also decreased from six hours to four hours, which is roughly equivalent to the average screen use among adults in the United States.
Scientists provide early warning about cell phones
Scientists have also been warning for a long time that smartphone addiction is closely linked to decreased levels of concentration, sleep problems and even anxiety.
This concerning issue gained further attention when last March, a court in California ruled that platforms such as Instagram, YouTube could be held liable for the addictive nature of their services.
A survey was also conducted by YouGov last year and the results found that more than two-thirds of individuals aged 18 to 29 expressed a desire to reduce their screen time.
Therefore, various initiatives have been undertaken to assist in these efforts including digital detox, phone blocking tools, and communities in Washington hosting this detox program for a month.
On campuses, the practice of a multi-week ‘social media diet’ is gaining popularity, while screen-free activities with friends are also trending in big cities.
Psychology researcher at Georgetown University, Kostadin Kushlev believes that stopping using smartphones even for just a few weeks can have a positive effect.
For example, it can provide calm and the ability to maintain focus.
In fact, preliminary studies also suggest that these effects may persist in the long term, he said.
Meanwhile, Josh Morin, one of the organizers of this program, believes that staying away from cell phones is not enough.
“Instead, attractive alternatives need to be provided.”
The programs it organizes include weekly discussion sessions held in karaoke bars in popular areas of the city, to encourage face-to-face social interaction.
“To truly change these habits, we need to provide a more meaningful and enjoyable social life,” explains Morin.
Participants must pay $100
Nevertheless, initiative Offline Month the ones recommended are not free. Instead, a fee of $100 is charged to participants that covers the loan of a flip phone with basic functions like calling, messaging and an Uber-like app, which syncs to the user’s smartphone.
So far, the startup is moving slowly with a goal of surpassing 1,000 users by May, but experts see it as the start of a larger trend.
Princeton University history professor Graham Burnett describes this phenomenon as the emergence of an authentic movement, such as the rise of the environmental movement in the 1960s which ultimately gave birth to various environmental protection policies.
Meanwhile, Kendall Schrohe, 23, who works for a digital privacy monitoring organization, completed a month-long detox last January.
Now, she can navigate her surroundings without relying on Google Maps, and has even deleted Instagram and formed her own digital detox support group.
“I look at it from an optimistic standpoint, and I think this is just the beginning of something bigger,” he said.
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