Technology. In today’s society, we are more plugged-in than ever. We are constantly using our phones for thousands of reasons, and it has gotten to a point where this habit is starting to affect our lives negatively. It is time to detox.
People today use their phones to keep up with friends and family, organize events, preserve fun memories, and answer any questions they have ever had about anything. It is a beautifully useful thing, but some could argue that today’s society relies a little too heavily on our gizmos and gadgets (and yes, writing that phrase made me feel a thousand years old). It is important when you are using technology to use it to your advantage instead of letting it define and control your life.
If every person were to count how many times they checked their phone a day, most would probably lose track by noon. Most people wake up and check their phone, eat breakfast and check their phone, go to work and check their phone, and the list goes on and on. The first and last thing that most people in this country do with their day is to check their phone. The sad thing is that most of this constant phone checking is not at all beneficial to the person’s quality of life. We are all just addicted and need a way to keep ourselves entertained.
This weekend, I went on a technology detox. To be fair, I did this because I was forced to (I was in an area with absolutely no cell signal), but it was still a very cleansing and eye-opening experience. I went on a trip to Lake Powell with my family, and it was very different than most of our other family experiences. Usually, we get together, talk for a while, and slowly, people will start to revert to their phones for entertainment. Whether this means scrolling through Instagram, watching the Utes destroy some other school in football on the TV, or playing video games, my family’s amusement relies heavily on technology. When we got to Lake Powell this changed drastically. People were now spending more time with one another, more conversations were being had, and many memories were being created. It was wonderful, and it inspired me to write this article.
You are probably thinking to yourself, “I am happy with my technology habits, why should I do a detox?” I am here to tell you that there are so many better things you can be doing with your life rather than relying on technology, and there are so many ways you can better yourself by limiting this addiction. You could write a book (or that paper you are currently procrastinating and silently telling yourself you are not stressed about), read a book (which so few people do nowadays), go on a hike, visit with a friend in person, or try something you have never done before.
Actively letting go of technology for just a few hours a day is good for one’s mental health, and can really improve your quality of life. You will start to observe things you have never noticed before, learn more about yourself as a person, and you don’t have to feel guilty about spending your entire life on these technological bricks that so many people rely on. If you are attempting a detox here are some things to try:
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Invite your friends so you can all detox and make memories together.
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Fill your tech-free time with fun activities that you rarely have time to do.
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Be more ‘in the moment’ when you are going tech-free and you will have a new respect for the planet.
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Spend some of this time to better yourself, especially the less ‘put together’ areas of your life.
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Try new things as often as possible
You may think it is ironic that an article from an online magazine is telling you to limit your technology use, but what better place is there to get this message out? Doing a technology detox is very rewarding, it will lift your spirits, and make you care more about the things in your life rather than the memories posted by others. Unplugging from devices can give one more time to reflect, and will give you time to experience life’s best moments free from interruption. You should definitely try it!