Digital detox: what it is and why we need it

How many times do we control smartphones a day? Over 2600 times: the figure is Dscout and for some strong users the number would go up to over 5400. According to other studies, such as that of Deloitte, many of us would be active on mobile devices within five minutes after the awakening and, above all Over half the young people between 18 and 24 would get up in the middle of the night to check notifications, messages, calls. These are the numbers of the one that has been described in many ways as a real dependence on technology and digital environments and that in recent years has made digital detox a regime, at least temporary, so in vogue.

WHY DEPEND ON DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTS? ANSWER IN NEUROSCIENCE

What does this sort of rehab consist of social networks, mobile devices and other hi-tech extensions that accompany every moment of our lives?

Before discovering it, it is better to define the contours of the phenomenon better. Why, in short, a notification on the smartphone distracts us - even if we do not read the content - as if we were making a call and is likely to bring down our productivity at work or in the other activities in which we are engaged?

Because after a whole day spent shaking our social message boards, retweet polemic tweets, to send snap to friends and to respond to their comments, we may seem to feel a real physical exhaustion, so much so that someone has compared to being on social networks a real full-time job?

Above all, however, because despite this we just can not stop and move away from digital environments?

Experts have sought an answer to these and similar questions and the result, partly surprising, has to do with the very structure of our brain and with some processes that see it involved. As written by Recode (in an article entitled "We're consuming too much media"), in fact, our brain has a predisposition to pay attention to rapidly changing stimuli.

It is a legacy of evolution: when survival depended on the ability to defend against concrete threats from the external environment (animals, natural disasters, etc.), it was essential to pay attention to the conditions that suddenly changed and activate the stimulation mechanism as soon as possible. answer.

Similarly, today, we can not ignore the bulletin boards that update from minute to minute and, in fact, we indigestion of news and information that, according to someone, we would not be able to process adequately, so as to reduce us to a real condition of "ignorance 2.0".

To this same activation of the stimulus-response mechanism, however, correspond to different physiological changes that prepare the organism to the danger: it increases the heartbeat and the sweating, it reduces the salivation, the pupils dilate. It is not unnatural, therefore, to think that this kind of response from the body also occurs in front of the social message boards.

Especially since, experts continue, our brain also has a particular predisposition for bad news, if only to test our ability to respond, in case of need, to the event that they envisage.

Even without taking into account flaming, hate speech, fake news, in short, being on social networks can generate a sense of frustration associated with "symptoms" anything but virtual. The circle, however, is vicious: even staying away from our social message boards creates anxiety and frustration.

The experts call it FOMO, literally afraid of getting lost something (in English fear of missing out, ed) and it is the impression that the world can go on without us, that others can live exciting, formative experiences, unique while we are disconnected This is why we can not get away from our many digital devices.

DIGITAL DETOX: WHAT IS IT, HOW IT WORKS, WHAT YOU NEED

The solution is, however, and is precisely the digital detox. It involves completely turning off smartphones, tablets, PCs, wearable devices and taking a break from the digital world. As a detoxifying diet after the excesses of the holidays, staying disconnected for a while - experts agree - helps to recharge the batteries and resume with more energy.

Needless to reiterate: our stocks of attention are (very) limited and there are many things that today if they contend.

Often, as we are clouded by information overload, we find it impossible to even come up with new ideas that we need on work or family life, let alone have time to devote to ourselves, our passions, relationships, human contact. For this reason, from Forbes, just a few years ago, they thought of an essential guide to digital detox.

Who wants to detox from the technology should have, first of all, a good motivation: it does not matter that it is finally back contact with nature, having a little more time for itself, for the family, for friends or simply responding to a challenge of tech-apocalyptic friend.

Setting a time for your re-hab: needless to point out that, for it to be of any use, you should stay away from social networks at reasonable time, not less than twenty-four hours.

Why not try doing it, though, for a week? In this case should be warned their contacts for a while 'will have to invent more vintage ways to be able to meet outside the digital environment; plan your analogue life: you could take a long walk, take advantage to visit that museum in which you have never been or to see an old friend.

Fill the time normally dedicated to social media is the only way to resist the temptation to reignite the smartphone; enjoy the digital detox: almost certainly, one minute after turning off all the devices you may already feel a sense of loss and the desire to immediately return to the digital world.

We must be patient. After the initial upheaval, we will begin to enjoy the feeling of being finally disconnected; come back online, but calmly: when your digital detox is finished, the return to the digital world could be alienating, if not for the numerous notifications you could receive, for the back emails to be answered and for all the information you they will have to recover.

Everything must be done calmly, the re-hab should have taught above all what are the digital priorities and how to stay connected yes, but with slow times.

DIGITAL DETOX TEST SOLUTIONS ...

The digital detox has become, however, a trend so popular that not only stars and celebrities compete to try it and tell their experience (as did some influencers and fashion bloggers well known in the environment), but There are even hotels dedicated to digital detox: mountain huts, ancient hermit shelters, but also luxury resorts with all the amenities where to practice the sacred art of disconnection (and, yes, there are also in Italy).

Not to mention that brands have tried to ride the wave with products / services designed specifically for digital fasting. A few years ago Coca Cola had presented the social media guard, a medical device in the shape of a collar (obviously fake) for those who just can not manage to get away from the smartphone.

With the digital assistants that follow us in every moment of our life, then, both iOS and Android have integrated in their smartphones systems that, if activated, remind the user when it's time to go to sleep and stop being glued to the screen.

On the market stores, then, app that help you break away from your mobile phone, giving water for every minute where you do not reactivate the screen to countries that need it or starting to the principles of mindfulness (Headspace, the best known among them) app, it would seem to have already earned over 25 million pounds, ed).

... ALSO PARTIAL

If you remain completely offline, however, proves impossible for some individuals, who can not afford it for business reasons or because they are in the thick line of those who believe that digital detox hurts because it prevents guarding dogs against being able to maneuver digital tools to build a tailor-made storytelling, there is a less drastic solution: not surprisingly, most of the proposals and tourist routes dedicated today to those who want to detox from digital is based on the digital felix methodology.

In fact, in the age of distractions we are losing sight of what is essential, both in terms of private life and professional life, we literally need to learn to live well in digital.

Then, news, information, status updates can be identified that most create frustration, boredom, anxiety or any other negative feeling and you should stop following the pages or profiles that spread them, even going to remove from your friendships on social contacts that annoy .

Above all we should avoid thinking of being able to intervene in any controversy, especially if it is not about themselves, and to respond necessarily to any message, snap, tag.

In short, priorities and slow times are the advice of experts for a digital detox, even when connected.