Ping! beep! ring! In a world where we are constantly bombarded with emails, social media notifications and other distractions – sometimes don't you want to go where no one knows your name? A digital detox for 1 day is the answer. Take a day to relax, reflect, get outside and connect with loved ones. Here are five reasons to take a digital detox to disconnect and relax and what can improve our lives:
Health Whether through passive observation or active engagement, we are constantly faced with a barrage of negativity on email and social media. Being on the receiving end of constant anger, stress or other negativity leads to toxic neurochemical reactions in the body.
In addition, many people spend time at home managing work email. The stress around expectations of working around the clock can make you tired. Unplugging can help. Studies have shown that spending less time on social media leads to a remarkable increase in life satisfaction and positive emotions.
Creativity
Much research – and many spiritual and philosophical systems – suggests that disconnecting from daily concerns and spending time in simple reflection and contemplation are essential for health, sanity and personal growth. In fact, psychological research suggests that doing nothing is essential for creativity and innovation, and one's apparent inactivity can actually cultivate new insights, inventions, or melodies. Albert Einstein was known for staring into space for hours in his office.
Relationships
One of the conveniences of computers is the ability to tap a keyboard and demand answers to almost anything — math equations, movie playback options, the meaning of life — in an instant. The instant gratification that comes with this sometimes gives us an answer before we've even answered the question — which can lead us to unrealistically expect that people will fulfill our desires just as quickly in real life. It corrupts our interaction with people. We begin to get the right to immediately satisfy all our impulses. Just because technology is available on demand doesn't mean people are too. No one can live like that.
Empathy
Face-to-face interaction contains a number of non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, gestures and eye contact, but online you are reduced to one medium language. That really complicates communication.
Take, for example, the historical medium for writing letters. Putting pen to paper usually involves taking the time to think, clarify thoughts and practice “role playing” (examining thoughts from the reader's point of view) with the expectation that a letter will be kept in a box for years and will be cherished. Email communication degrades all that.
Loneliness
Shopping and texting online means you never have to interact face-to-face with other people. And even group activities, such as attending a concert but watching while recording through a small phone screen, can be marred by technology.
Our ability to broadcast every passing thought, desire or emotion to hundreds of scattered individuals is unique in human history and human psychology, yet research shows that at no time in our history have so many people reported being lonely.
