Digital detox is necessary to rejuvenate oneself, as long exposure to electronic devices could lead to burnout

The digital world has brought us to the age of 24-hour thereby creating a type of behavioural addiction where events have directly or indirectly started affecting our lives. In today’s fast-paced environment, we are constantly connected to our devices, and it has overwhelmed us at times too. In a hyper-connected world, being ‘online’ or ‘available’ is the new normal. Going offline or disconnecting from the digital world is something that is reserved for someone who can afford to use the technology at will rather than treat it as a necessity. The technology that has enabled us to stay connected, live faster and have fuller lives has given birth to a new norm or terminology “Digital Detox”.

Digital detox refers to a period where the person avoids or abstains from the use of electronic devices such as smartphones or computers connected to the internet to reduce stress and focus more on their well-being and interaction with others. A digital detox can be as extreme or light as one wants it to be. By disconnecting, the eyes and the body are allowed to rest and recharge. Excessive screen time causes eye strain, headaches and even distorted sleep patterns. According to the research, in many situations continuous scrolling has proven to be harmful to mental as well as physical health. The addiction has even led to obsessive-compulsive behaviour, anxiety and depression. Not only this, continuous use of work on mobile phones or computers causes inflammation of the tendons of the thumb, and causes back, neck and shoulder pains too. Deleting or uninstalling the most unessential applications, scheduling time to silence notifications, participating in activities without posting or posing for a few days or weeks, having no or low social media usage, and spending more time with families in terms of vacations or short picnics are a few ways to reduce the screen time and break the chain of digital addiction. Digital detox opens avenues for awareness and insight for everyone in some way or the other. Listed here are the top 5 benefits of an occasional digital detox:-

1. Improved Mental and Physical Health: A digital detox thereby helps giving the brain a break from the constant stimulation of notifications and news followed by relaxation and reduced stress levels. 2. Increased Productivity: Since the individual will be away from the use of digital devices, such detox will help reduce distractions and allow an individual to focus on tasks and activities that are of utmost importance, thereby increasing productivity. 3. Improved relationships: Doing a digital detox is taking charge of how an individual spends his time and energy followed by what they give attention to. It helps them to realise what they want more in life. 4. Encourages Creativity: A digital detox will help an individual to focus more on their personality, intelligence, and knowledge thereby broadening prospects and helping in overcoming prejudices. 5. Promotes Self Reflection: Doing a digital detox is taking charge of how an individual spends his time and energy followed by what they give attention to. It helps them to realise what they want more in life.

Undoubtedly, the digital age has brought a seismic change to our networking and efficiency but being open to change will help conquer the fear of not being available online always. Naturally, the first few days of digital detox will be tough, but once these behaviour triggers begin to weaken, everything will fall into its place.

(The author is a teacher at a reputed school in Delhi)