We live in the age of digital overdose, let’s see how to undertake a digital detox and what tools to use to avoid wasting time on the web
You may have walked into the subway and your cell phone was empty or you may have forgotten it in the office. The scenario in front of you, more or less, is that of a crowd immersed in the screens of various electronic devices. Human contact reduced to a minimum. So how do you detox from smartphones and PCs?
According to several studies, every day the average user sees the screen of his smartphone at least 150 times. Often only by unconditional reflex and not to perform a real action. A continuous checking of notifications, from the phone to the various messaging services on computers, which significantly lowers our attention threshold. During training or work. It is estimated that more or less every three minutes a notification interrupts our routine, and we need about a minute to regain the right concentration. A real digital overdose and often when we are away from our devices we do not feel comfortable.
Digital Detox
It is in this context that the digital detox was born, literally detoxification from digital. It is a kind of food diet, like the one we follow to lose weight or change our lifestyle. Only we do not reduce carbohydrates and fats but the use, in a gradual way, of various electronic devices, from smartphones to computers, through tablets and e-books. Over time it is one of the most effective ways to reduce stress and especially to control addictions to smartphones, apps or social networks. The benefits of digital detox are many, both physical and mental. The reduction in the use of electronic devices allows us to have a greater conception of the real world, a higher attention threshold and above all a greater capacity in interpersonal relationships. From a physical point of view, a less intensive use of screens will tire our eyes less, avoiding the onset of particular visual pathologies, and will also improve our posture, especially related to shoulders and neck.
How to start the detox
Before starting a Digital Detox program, we need to understand the level of our dependence on electronic devices. Admitting that you need a “break” from the digital world then is the first step to take. Underestimating the phenomenon is already a symptom. It is useless, in fact, to hide, between work and entertainment most of us may need a period of detoxification. In order to understand how addicted we are to smartphones and notebooks we can use different software and applications on the Net. After a series of questions will indicate the level of our addiction. Obviously we must answer truthfully. Or to have no escape we can use services such as Rescue Time (on Mac), Moment (for iPhone) and Quality Time (on Android). They will calculate by themselves the time we spend on various electronic devices and then provide us with a total report. Once we have identified our level of dependence, we must begin to establish the moments of the day when we must switch off, that is, the total detachment from devices.
Establish free zones
After having carved out hours without the use of smartphones, which we must slowly try to increase, the second step in the digital detox is to establish free zones. That is, particular contexts where to avoid as much as possible the use of smartphones or mobile devices. For example during outings with your partner or evenings with friends. But also while we play with our children or visit relatives. It may seem trivial, but if we are addicted to notifications, messages and e-mails, it will not be easy at first. We can use small tricks to avoid looking at the smartphone screen. For example, we use a digital watch and when we feel the need to pick up the phone we look at the watch screen. Can we use digital detox techniques at work as well? The answer is yes. Of course, everything is based on organization. To avoid being disturbed by continuous emails we can only choose times at regular intervals where we check our inbox, during the rest of the day we silence the service and continue our operations without interruption. In addition, we try to avoid reading emails, answering calls or not to disconnect from electronic devices once work hours are over.
The apps to detox easily
It may seem like a nonsense but the best ally to detox from excessive use of technological devices is technology itself. There are several applications and browser extensions, in fact, that limit our access to the web or social networks based on settings chosen by us. If we often use Chrome, one of the best apps to avoid wasting too much time on the Internet is Stayfocusd. This can be downloaded and installed for free from the Chrome Web Store. We can set options to focus only on our work, when we start wasting time on the web, the extension alerts us and prompts us to get back to our main focus. It works by setting a black list of sites and with the maximum time we can devote to them. For example, we can choose to have only 10 minutes to read a newspaper site and only 5 minutes to browse the Facebook wall. Once that time is up, we won’t be able to access that site until the next day.
Timewaste Timer
Timewaste Timer uses a surefire way to stop our Internet addiction: our money. This is also an extension for Chrome and works in a very similar way to Stayfocusd, but there’s the addition of fines. Before we start, we’ll have to choose the sites we want to block after a certain amount of time and upload money to a deposit. If for example one day we exceed the maximum threshold set for the use of a social network we will receive a fine. And part of our money will be withdrawn from the deposit.
Pause
This is an application developed for iOS. It is quite an effective way to disconnect with the digital world while we have to work on a project or study a difficult subject. In fact, the app puts our smartphone or computer in airplane mode for the time set by us and expected to complete the study or work. In this way we’ll only have to focus on one task without the distractions of constant notifications. Plus, once we’re done, the app will have recorded the time spent in airplane mode. We’ll also be able to share the total time and compete in this special challenge with friends.
Yelling Mom
Do you remember as a kid when you spent too much time outside playing in the yard, or when you watched too many cartoons or played too much PlayStation. The most effective extension of that time was only one: your mother’s screams. Here’s Yelling Mom starts from that premise, mom is always mom. And nothing can make us disconnect from the digital world like your mother’s scolding. How does it work? When we start wasting time on various social networks, annoying screams will remind us that it’s time to get back to work.
Write or Die
This is the perfect app for bloggers, online writers, but also for those who need to write papers or projects written in high school or college. Before we get started we’ll set the app up with set writing goals to be achieved in a set amount of time. If at the end of the time we don’t reach the goal because we wasted time on the Internet the entire screen will be devoured by creepy creatures. And in the latest update of the app if we reach the goal in time we will also get rewards. Usually in the form of relaxing images and sounds to help us unwind after a long day’s work.
Siempo, the anti-addiction smartphone
As mentioned, we spend a lot of time of our day looking at our smartphone screen. Often browsing through the various social networks without any real intention but just for fun. If we want to detoxify from this situation, the perfect method is represented by Siempo. It is a smartphone to stop smartphone addiction. The trick with this phone is to not include most of the apps that waste our time. From social to messaging apps. The smartphone does, however, allow you to use maps, the camera and send and receive simple messages, in addition to the classic phone functions. Siempo, moreover if set, can block any incoming notification for a certain period of time. In short, it is perfect to establish the already mentioned free zones. But it also allows you to have, thanks to a timer, alerts when to switch off and disconnect a bit from the digital world and the phone itself. Siempo will be released in December 2017, it is now launching on Kickstarter, and its price is around 250 euros.