I did a week-long digital detox and now the way I use my smartphone is very different
A new trend for “digital detox retreats” among CEOs got me thinking recently. I decided that maybe my productivity and attention span were being impacted by social media and smartphone use. Maybe it was time for me to do a digital detox.
I spent a week without news, social media or podcasts. Basically all I could do was text and call. It was equally torturous and enlightening.
A couple of weeks on from the detox, here are the changes to my habits that have stuck.
Deleted apps
When I began the detox I had to delete all social media apps – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Now that I am no longer on the detox you might imagine all have returned to my screen. Wrong. Only Twitter returned.
If you try this and find you enjoy not having the temptation of apps to play with, maybe consider downgrading from a smartphone to a ‘dumb’ phone.
Downtime
Screen Time’s ‘Downtime’ setting has been a big change. Between the hours of 8pm and 6am all the apps on my phone are blocked. If I want to use them, it isn’t very difficult to bypass the blocks, but it gives me a moment to think, “Do I really need to use this app right now?” It also means I am unlikely to bounce aimlessly from app to app. If I need to message somebody, I do that and then put my phone down.
Messenger
Facebook Messenger is now the focal point of my phone’s home screen. While this sounds like I’m replacing one social media app with another, it has had a positive impact. Less time scrolling Facebook and Instagram means that I am more likely to message friends and family, and consequently more likely to arrange to go to the pub with friends, which for me is a real positive.
All these changes have left me with a vast amount more time per day to do other things like reading, or work. My screen time per day was usually over three hours before the detox. Now I never get close to two. I’m spending that extra time reading, working and seeing friends.
