What is meant by digital detox?
Technology has become a part and parcel of our life owing to rapid developments. Most work is done online, be it filling a form, giving interviews or doing data entry and scrolling social media. As per the Oxford dictionary, digital detox can be defined as a period of time during which an individual voluntarily refrains from the use of electronic gadgets like computers, smartphones, tablets etc.
This can be assumed to be a period where a person chooses to focus on the physical world around or indulge in any activities related to personal growth.
Aim of a digital detox:
The aim of digital detox is to disconnect with the digital world for some time and take a break from the stressors related to digital work and social media. It helps in breaking the constant flow of information and helps our mind that is saturated with digital info and other distractions to relax.
Digital detox tips for teenagers
Do not use phone just after waking up or before going to sleep
The blue light from electronic gadgets affects our sleeping schedule. Often we hear people complaining that they can’t fall asleep early and one of the most prevalent reasons for this is that they are using their phone right before going to sleep. Our mind needs quite some time to wake up from sleep inertia and in the meantime if you saturate it with digital information, it becomes weak and is unable to function properly for the rest of the day.
Install the Digital wellbeing app
Well every individual has so many apps on their phones , some of which are even useless. This app however will limit your access to any app that distracts you as per your instructions. They won’t let you access the app for a span of time and hence you can focus on other things and activities as per your need. This also helps in breaking down your constant urge and addiction of scrolling on your mobiles.
Mute notifications
Every notification on your phone is more of a distraction than a reminder.
Often people have said that every time a notification pops up, they have an urge to check their phones. Well muting notifications helps you avoid such distractions. It helps you focus on your work at a stretch without having an urge to check your phone constantly.
Train FOMO and any feeling of urgency
FOMO stands for ” Fear of Missing Out” and it implies the fear that one is missing out on a lot of occasions, trips, communities etc that other people are enjoying. One has to train their mind by thinking that it is not possible to have anything in life, one has to let something go. There is also the feeling of urgency where some people think that there is an urgent need to achieve a lot in life, make a lot of friends and visit new places etc. However one should realise that there is always a right time for everything and whatever life holds for you will eventually fall in place.
Spend more time in Nature
It is often said that Nature can be therapeutic. ” Calm amidst the chaos” is the feeling people experience when surrounded by Nature. A day spent amidst Nature can cure someone of a lot of anxiety and stress.
Read books during free time
All book lovers have often said that there is nothing better than the imagination provided by a book. Once you get lost in the depth of a book, hours will pass and you will realise that there is so much more to life than social media. You are gaining and not losing anything if you refrain from social media for some time.
Clean up your social media feeds
Unfollow the people whose activities bother you, follow motivating accounts and those who try to portray their honest life on social media. You can follow a limited number of people who are close to you and pages that really interest you.
Following the right accounts on social media can help you gain a lot of knowledge and you can come across a lot of opportunities while following the wrong accounts can have a huge negative impact on your mind and even hamper your everyday activities.
Try to keep your phone out of reach or on airplane mode
If you are doing some work or spending time with your family and friends, try keeping our phone out of reach so that you don’t check it repeatedly and focus on your work or the people that you are with. Keeping your phone on airplane mode is also effective when you are trying to read something from your phone or trying to study in general.
Make a schedule
An effective way for digital detox is making a schedule and trying to stick to it. Making a schedule will keep you busy and help you in sorting out your priorities. As a result, you won’t consume digital information more than necessary. This will keep your mind from being saturated and you can focus clearly on other things that require more attention.
Engage in physical activities
Sports or gym activities and even going for a run can help you clear your mind. Besides, it will also help you improve your physical health and make you feel better about yourself both physically and mentally.
Overview
Technology can be a threat to our general welfare, especially for today’s teens. The teenagers to train themselves to overcome digital addiction and we hope our digital detox tips will help them.