Digital Detox
There are many types of detox — spring, post-holiday, whole-body, monthly, weekend, and more. For every human struggle, there is now some kind of cleansing regimen. The same goes for digital detox. Here, however, the alternatives more or less present themselves, and there is no need to immediately consult an herbalist, tarot card reader, dubious healer, or a celebrity who has a guaranteed recipe for getting out of it.
Let’s define digital detox: it’s a state of our existence when we intentionally avoid all digital platforms, especially social media, to escape the reality of modern everyday life.
Flight over the statistical nest
Let’s start with verified data from last year, which gives us a glimpse into our issue. Approximately 5.7 million people in the Czech Republic use social networks, which is a majority. Of these, 45% of users log in regularly more through their mobile phones than through computers or tablets. Facebook dominates with 5.3 million, followed closely by Instagram with 2.3 million, and LinkedIn occupies the third place with 1.6 million.
(non)Noticeable addiction
This is something different than nicotine, alcohol, porn, or a soap opera. Just think, how often have you said to yourself, “When will they write back?” and every moment carefully looked at your phone to see if the notification light indicates a received message? How often did you mindlessly scroll through Facebook or Instagram on the subway, even though you could pull out a book and read or just look at people? How often did you skip an outdoor event in a place with no signal because you were chatting with a new contact? If you identify with any of this, I have bad news for you: You are addicts!!
Fortunately, there is always something that can be done about it.
Tips to get out of it
Surprisingly, there are quite a few exit doors from this mess, and it works just like with any addiction — first, you have to want to step through those doors. Below, we are opening several of them for you, so gather your courage and go for it, even if just for a while. And leave the charger and power bank locked at home!
Sports
During sports, you simply don’t have time (or shouldn’t) to chat or check out who posted something new. Go for a conditioning run for a few kilometers around your place, go rock climbing with friends, have at least an hour of badminton with a partner, dust off your inline skates, and head to the nearest trail, inflate the tires and take a bike ride somewhere into nature, or simply take a trip and turn off your data, don’t look for wifi in restaurants, and enjoy that magical moment of digital silence.
Read
...but not posts on Timeline or captions on Instagram, but books, magazines, comics, just anything that has paper pages. And you can even do it on an e-reader if you have enough willpower not to slip back to turning on your phone. A book will immerse you in its story, and you won't want to break away from it. It has worked this way for almost five centuries (since the invention of the printing press in 1450), so why should it suddenly be different? There are dozens of genres, so at least with one, the bookstore will definitely match your taste.
Festivals
In recent years, there has been a surge of various festivals, so you just need to gather the pieces that resonate with you. Apart from the most common music festivals, there are also events focused purely on food (soups, bakery, pasta, vegetarianism...), fantasy and sci-fi, historical celebrations not only in castles, wine, film, theater, and more. It is important not to be lazy and have the will to get yourself going, because once you step out of the house, it all comes naturally and without fuss.
Unconventional Experiences
If the tips mentioned above seem like an ordinary thing that isn't worth even finishing this article, let alone stepping out of the house, we come with a "tougher" caliber. Maybe it's time to experience something new that has eluded your attention so far. Spice up your life with an escape room, zorbing on water or on a hill, take your friend on a boat ride, to dinner in a medieval restaurant with a juggler performance, to a sauna, or maybe a hot air balloon ride over the Czech Paradise.
Generally speaking, you don't need any tips; you just need to have the will to leave your silicon sweetheart and ignore it for a while. If you start to feel similar cravings and possessive-impulsive tendencies as Gollum from The Lord of the Rings had towards the Ring, then you are probably lost for good, and no passing hobbit will help you.
