Digital Detox
This week we learned more about digital detox and how it’s all about reducing the amount of time you are using technology. Jean Twenge says “ There’s lots of great things to do online, but moderation is often the best rule for life, and it’s no different when it comes to screens”. I think this is something that we all need to remind ourselves of. It is okay to be using technology, but when we spend too much time and it becomes an addiction, is when it’s problematic.
When looking at this past year and how reliant I have been on technology, I feel that it has become a big part of my life. COVID has made me so much more reliant on technology when it comes to school and just simply communicating with my friends. At the beginning of the pandemic, I felt that I was creating unhealthy internet habits by staring at my screen for hours either looking at videos or talking with people. As I look at devices, I find that it is challenging because technology keeps growing and is something that we are constantly relying on. I feel today we can find everything on our phones which is both beneficial but also an issue. I am worried that I am becoming addicted to my phone without even realizing it. I go on it when I want to look at my schedule, read about the news, communicate with people, for entertainment, and much more. I honestly feel that I can’t go a day without my phone because I am always using it.
As I reflect on my own experiences with technology, I do think that it raises my stress levels in various ways. I think technology can put a lot of pressure on me when I am constantly seeing new updates about my friends and the news. I think there are times where I am so overwhelmed that I begin to lose sleep from it. It is a problem because I want to constantly check my phone for new updates which gets mentally draining. I also think that the way that we are communicating with one another by texting or snapping is something that is challenging for me. I am someone that prefers to have conversations face to face, and adapting to this change has been challenging.
I really want to work on reducing the stress that I am getting from being on my phone for so long. My goal is to take the time to think about digital detox and find ways to reduce the time I am on my phone. One way I can do that is to enjoy the moments when I am face to face with my friends, rather than constantly be checking my phone. I also plan on taking breaks and setting time limits of how long I can look at apps. Overall, I have realized that I often waste too much time looking at things that aren’t important, and want to work on changing that.
