Have you ever actively tried to spend time off the internet and away from your devices? The idea of a digital detox is an increasingly popular one. In fact, seven in ten people have tried to moderate their digital consumption in some way. In this study by market research consultants GlobalWebIndex, the respondents were divided into:
- Digital detoxers. People who had detoxed from their digital devices completely for any extended time.
- Digital dieters. People who had taken steps to cut down the time they spent online or on devices.
- The digital comfortable. People who didn’t feel the need to cut down at all.
And among the things digital dieters were trying to do to cut back their digital consumption GWI found:
- 37% had deleted an app or program in the previous month
- 35% taken short breaks for hours at a time
- 27% had limited their digital intake to emails or other routine activities
- 24% had switched off notifications or emails
- 23% had moved their phones out of the bedroom
In another study by telecoms watchdog Ofcom, around a third of people say they feel either cut off (34%) or lost (29%) without the internet, and 17% say they find it stressful. Half of all adults (50%) say their life would be boring if they could not access the internet. But there are some positives. 10% feel more productive offline, rising to 15% for 18 to 34-year-olds, and 16% say they feel less distracted.
How do you feel when you spend time away from screens and off the internet?
It’s important to start reflecting on how your time spent on digital devices makes you feel.