Digital Detox: Why you should take regular phone breaks in 2019

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed, discouraged and often times disturbed after a trip to your Facebook news feed. But to most people, a day without your phone within arms reach and unplugged from the internet seems unfathomable - our lives revolve around our digital devices after all.

With an increasing reliance on digital devices and social media, we fail to realise that we don't really need to watch all of the Instagram stories on our home page before they disappear, or check how many views we have gotten on ours. We don't really need to scroll through our social media home pages until we find something interesting to become absorbed in. We don't really need to reply to our group chats within 2 seconds of the last message. In retrospect, it all feels mind-numbing.

In a digital age in which desensitisation is so prevalent, it makes the experience with our devices almost robotic, we are so used to encountering and scrolling past bleak and depressing content on our feed. Millennial's and Gen Z's admittedly feel less connected to human stories and issues, we are passionate about sharing our opinion and having our voice heard, but do we genuinely care? It's a concerning and confronting reality.

We have all had moments of feverish stress when the WiFi or data connection has failed you - 'I was just about to post something on Instagram', 'I need to chat someone about what happened to me 5 minutes ago', 'What if I want to order UberEats?' are some of the immediate thoughts and you go into the mode of human survival, relying on entertainment and practicalities that take you back a digitally unplugged World.

Recently, Apple users were confronted by the severity of their screen time when they started receiving weekly updates on how much time you spend on your apps. It is daunting when you see the accumulation of time and wonder if it was productive at all. Something positive did come from this though, Apple users are now presented with a function in which you can schedule time away from your screen, limit time on certain apps and block content. Customising your experience with your digital devices is so important and can help you develop a healthier experience with your screen.

Despite the negative aspects, social media is interactive, creative and encourages connectivity. It allows us to keep up to date with the people we care about constantly. It allows us to consume digital content whenever it is convenient for us. It also allows us to share our favourite daily tidbits in a space that represents us.

So how can we each participate in a digital detox? Our favourite way is by putting our devices aside, preparing a recipe we've always wanted to try and enjoying it over an engaging conversation or a juicy book. Organise a no-phone dinner out with friends, leave your phone behind on your lunch break at work, join a part-time course which allows you to pick up a new skill. See what your cities culture scene has on in the weekend and explore the options, you'll be surprised by how much time passes when you're having real-word type of fun.