How to Know When You Need A Digital Detox
So, imagine you’re standing among a group of strangers while waiting for a friend. Instead of engaging in a conversation or meeting someone new, you reach for your phone. You’re sitting in traffic, your mind wanders, and you pick up your phone. You’re working on homework and feel like you need a brain break, so you open your phone. Can you guess how many times I picked up my phone while writing this post? You remember you need to remind a friend or co-worker about a project. Instead of having a face-to-face conversation, you shoot them a quick text. Twenty minutes after you hit send, you realize you have been scrolling through social media the whole time.
If any of these are remotely close to sounding like you. You’re likely addicted to your digital device. In fact, if you have a device, you’re likely addicted. Our phones are actually designed to release the same chemical reaction in our brains as other addictions like gambling. Just imagine gambling on your phone. Yikes! Constant scrolling is designed to give our brains a rush of dopamine--the chemical responsible for pleasure. The release of dopamine creates a habit. Too much, and you’re addicted.
Click Here to Learn More About the Unhealthy Pursuit of Pleasure
Because dopamine is released when you perform certain activities, like scrolling, over time, your brain will become conditioned to expect a reward when it performs that activity. This creates an addiction-like cycle, where your brain will crave the reward of dopamine, and you will feel compelled to perform the activity that releases it.
The dopamine rush is the same reason you keep checking for new social media posts. The same reason you open your phone for every single notification. The same reason you feel the phantom buzzing effect in your pocket (that feeling your phone is vibrating even when it isn’t). And the same reason you hate seeing the little red circles next to an app (it can't be just me). You just need to clear it. All of these are part of the dopamine effect in your brain.
If this sounds like you, it's time to do a digital detox.
But by now, most of us already know that. If not, well, you do now. You might not realize how much those little devices impact how we interact with the “real” non-digital world. Our smartphone addiction has dramatically altered how we relate to people, what a healthy relationship looks like, and how we cope with the real world. Checking your phone during a conversation, texting another person in the same room, or ignoring friends and loved ones because you have been lured into a digital reality instead of engaging in actual reality. These might seem minor and even a little humorous. But the hard truth is that these behaviors are dangerous to our relationships and mental health because our phones have become an unhealthy coping mechanism. They have become the wrong kind of hobby.
So what does a digital detox look like? Here are 4 really quick ideas.
Focus on real people in the real world. That means talking, eye contact, and no screens.
Turn off notifications in a meeting, classroom, or hanging with friends. Be present at that moment—not connected to your device.
When you’re home, leave the phone in a specific location. If it’s not near you, you’ll be less tempted to open it and start down the rabbit hole of endless scrolling.
Get a hobby. They are great. They are uniquely designed to engage our minds in something different–something that grows us. Do something like baking a cake with your eyes closed, playing hopscotch with a robotic vacuum, or trying to brush your teeth with your toes!
Allowing our digital reality to help us cope with our physical reality creates more harm than good. A few simple (and easy) adjustments can make a world of difference for your mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
