Taking a break from technology not only frees up time, but has real mental health benefits. Source: Shutterstock
Until this point, you have been hearing that taking time off from technology is beneficial to your health. I am sure you are wondering what exactly are those benefits. There are many benefits of doing a digital detox, some are mental and some are physical.
ICT has now become a normal part of our lives. Nearly everything we do requires some use of ICT, from the alarm that wakes us up in the morning to the goodnight messages we send our loved ones on social networks. Since it is such a norm, we sometimes fail to see the negative effects it has on our well-being.
A digital detox not only results in relief from all the stress we accumulate from the constant technology use, but it also makes us aware how much of our lives technology takes away from us. Here are 3 benefits of doing a digital detox:
Better social interactions
Eliminating digital distractions creates more opportunities to pay attention to those around you. Source: Colgate
The use of technology usually takes away from the time people spend interacting with each other. Since everyone is too busy focusing on social media, television, and games etc. there are no conversations being had and no quality time being spent. A study by Kaveri Subrahmanyam and Patricia Greenfield revealed that increased use of devices leads to reduced quality time among family members, and increased parent-child conflicts.
Taking time off screen for family time or just general human interaction enables you to become more involved with those around you. I grew up I home where we are not allowed to touch our phones during dinner. That is the time we use to ask each other about how we are doing and how the day went. Even watching television during dinner is not allowed because even though we are all sitting together as a family, we are not focusing on each other, but on the television.
Better concentration
Unplugging allows you to focus on your tasks without any distractions. Source: iStock
The notification sound constantly going off on our devices can be very distracting, which results in the urge to respond. We end up taking time off important tasks to tend to notifications that are not of importance.
Switching off your device or disabling notifications while completing important tasks eliminates distractions which then allows you to concentrate on what you are doing. This will give you time to ensure that you have done the task to the best of your ability, paying attention to every single detail.
Take studying for example, it is nearly impossible to study with my phone next to me because without noticing, I end up picking up my phone and scrolling through social media, resulting in time being wasted and in me losing focus.
Better sleep
Cut off screen time at least 30 minutes before you go to bed so your brain has enough time to shutdown. Source: American Heart Association
A study revealed that the blue light that emitted by your devices can mess up your quality of sleep, even after you have switched off your screen.
“The cells at the back of the eyes contain a light-sensitive protein that picks up certain wavelengths of light. These light-sensitive cells then send signals to the brain's "clock" that regulates the body's circadian rhythms.” Says article from verywellmind.com
This could result in the inability to fall asleep quickly, interrupted sleep throughout the night, and insomnia.
This might sound a bit weird to some (including me at first) because we scroll through the internet or play something on Netflix hoping it would make us fall asleep faster. However, I realized that sometimes playing a show before I sleep would end up in my focusing on the show and eventually binge watching. Sometimes I would feel myself falling asleep but I would still hear the show and wake up whenever the characters say something that catches my attention.
Wondering how these three things benefit your mental health? Well, all these things highly contribute to your overall well-being. In fact, an article by Healthline pointed out that people who are sleep deprived show the same symptoms as those who have social anxiety.
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