Digital Detox

As with every holiday, one of the main things I look forward to (other than sun, sea, and relaxation!) is completely cutting off from the world by engaging in a digital detox. Although the technical revolution is a great one, I firmly believe that we are becoming far too dependent on digital devices and as many of these online videos (ironically) depict, by being so engrossed in the digital world we are forgetting how to live. Below is a particularly powerful video that went viral within the last year or so and it really made me evaluate the time I waste looking down instead of up.

Now that's not to say that I'm not guilty of having the millennial 'hand claw'; iPhones are absolutely fantastic, I love sharing a good Instagram post, and my train journeys to work often consist of mindlessly scrolling through social media pages to see what other people are up to. Nevertheless, if there's any time to cut off from the digital world it's definitely on holiday.

For the last few years I have engaged in this little holiday tradition of mine and I have to say it really does work wonders for me. Being a former psychology student, I have learnt about the vicious link between social media and mental health, and I can 100% see why. More often than not, social media only ever shows the glamorous snippets of peoples lives which can lead us to believe that other people are happier than ourselves. I know so many people who constantly upload a stream of photos whilst on holiday and/or spend a good portion of their day whatsapping friends back home. Why can't we just enjoy being on holiday? What's the urgency with sharing photos online? Can we really be having such a #greatholiday if we have the time to post about it 24/7?

Upon arriving home from my sunny getaway to Menorca this year, I received an influx of 
messages and notifications across the digital sphere, which yes, I admit, was exciting. However, my digital detox seemed to have a complete rebound effect as I spent the next couple of days completely engrossed in catching up on everything I had missed out on. Consequently, these days were also accompanied by the mother of all headaches and I can only blame this on staring at a little, bright screen for hours on end. Case in point - digital is detrimental. 

I could go on for hours about my thoughts on the digital takeover but for now, I'll call it a day. I really wish I could have a digital detox more than once or twice a year, but it really isn't that easy. My mission for the next few months is to cut down the time I spend on my phone by enforcing a 'curfew', i.e. switching my phone off an hour earlier each month.

I'd love to attend a retreat or the 'Wilderness Festival' next year, which both embrace digital breaks and restoring balance. With any hope, my holiday companions next year will join me for a digi-break too!

- Megan