Digital Detox: Why Do We Need It?

Can you imagine what your life would be like without digital tools? Maybe you've heard of digital detox or "cyberminimalism" before. Not yet ? We assure you that these two terms will become more and more common, bearing in mind that new technologies do not cease to gain space in our daily life. Today, 2.87 billion people in the world own a smartphone. And the mobile does not stop evolving, its uses either. In this article, we open the Pandora's box of electronic communication tools to bring out the “great misfortunes” hidden within.

What is digital detox?

Digital detoxification (digital detox) is a growing phenomenon. It signifies a period of time during which a person refrains from using electronic connection devices, such as smartphones, tablets and computers in order to reduce stress and favor social interactions in the physical world. Yes, the physical world! It seems necessary and legitimate to us to make this precision, as soon as we inhabit two different worlds at the same time: virtual and physical. If man can afford the luxury of wasting his time, having in view that we only have one life, that's a whole other question …

Is the situation really that worrying?

Addiction to smartphones is now identified as a mental disorder called "nomophobia". A study published last year in NeuroRegulation claims that smartphone addiction can lead to symptoms similar to those of drug addiction.

Let's start by quoting some alarming statistics just to help you imagine the gravity of this disaster:

• French people spend an average of 4 hours per day on their smartphones or computers.

• smartphone users consult them every 7 minutes and 30 minutes on average.

• 23% prefer to be naked in public rather than not having their device.

• 26% look at their phone while crossing the street.

It's not only worrying, it's dangerous! Smartphone addiction threatens our physical and mental health.

Smartphones have a negative impact on the quality of sleep. People who are connected in the evening at bedtime find it more difficult to fall asleep, suffer from sleep disorders more often and need more recovery time during the weekends. This is because the blue LED light emitted from screens has a stimulating effect on the brain, which promotes wakefulness.

What are the effects of screen exposure for the little ones?

But let's say a few words about the most vulnerable group - children 12 to 24 months old. The impact on their neurological, social and language development can be very serious. Many studies carried out in recent years indicate a link between language disorders and screen exposure in children of this age.

A study in which 900 children aged 18 months participated showed alarming results. Parents filled out a questionnaire in which they indicated the time the little ones spend in front of the screen per day. It turns out that 20% of children spend 28 minutes a day on average. The study found that 30 more minutes of screen time per day increased the risk of expressive language delay by 49%. Apart from language disorders, what other consequences can this have if we neglect these alarming figures? Hyperactivity, sleep disorders, attention deficit, difficulty concentrating, passive relationship with the outside world, etc.

So what is the explanation for these negative effects? During this sensorimotor period of development (12 to 24 months), the real linguistic bath and its emotional and communicative dimension are much richer for learning language than the images on the screen. Children need interactions with adults and with their environment to learn. In front of the screen, the child is attracted by the lights and the noises involving his five senses, but he does not have the feeling of being able to act on what he sees, and consequently, he remains in the state of passive spectator.

Why leave the virtual habitat for a certain period?

For adults, the motivations for digital detox vary. In some cases, users see that electronic connection devices are consuming too much of their time and energy, and they want to regain control over their life and time. Others fear a violation of their privacy. In the workplace, for example, constant engagement with these tools reduces productivity and increases stress.

Are you addicted to your smartphone?

Just answer a simple question: How do you feel when you find that you have forgotten your smartphone at home? Frustrated? Disconnected from the world? Is your breathing getting short? Accelerated heart rate? Have you become the victim of a panic attack? If you have given affirmative answers to these questions, then, it is very likely that you have become a slave to your smartphone.

Psychologists are unanimous that addiction to digital connection devices is most often caused by some deficiency. How else could we explain the popularity of social networks? Social networks respond to the three human needs that are at the origin of this addiction: belonging to a group, attachment and recognition. If either of them is not satisfied, the “virtual self” becomes an easy way to compensate by creating another identity, different from who you really are.

According to doctors, people addicted to their phones are predisposed to depression and anxiety because of a chemical imbalance in their brains. Users are addicted when they favor virtual relationships over those in the physical world. This is why it is often said that smartphones have destroyed social relationships.

Digital detox: instructions for use:

Do you want to try living without your cell phone? We will help you with some practical advice to make the transition period more bearable. Start by changing your attitude: you are not offline! It's a chance to reconnect with yourself!

The first thing to do, which can help you survive during the critical period, is to turn off push notifications and set specific times for responding to messages and emails, so that you can concentrate on your important tasks. rest of the time. You can also delete unnecessary apps.

There are hotels that offer packages without a screen or Internet. Cell phones are confiscated at the entrance and in return, guests are offered relaxing baths, massages and sports sessions. Once the agonizing step has been overcome, to keep good habits, specialists advise buying an alarm clock so as not to look at the smartphone in the morning.

Try to make the most of the free time you have found by reading a good book or cooking a meal. This will help you escape the relapse. And finally, if you are tempted by the idea of taking the smartphone back in hand, ask yourself the question: "Who do I want to be connected to: to my family or to strangers?""

That said, we can conclude, it is worth reviewing our relationship with our electronic companion, because it is a tool above all, isn't it? Nothing more. It is not the extension of your hand! So why give it a more important place in your life?

Anyway, the temporary detachment, however short it may be, would allow the mind to reintegrate into its natural environment, to reflect, to contemplate the world, to review all the little things that we do not often notice with our eyes. fixed on the screen, or to take a simple look at the sky, in short, to live here and now! And you, since when you haven't checked the notifications and messages received?