Digital Detoxing – can it be done as a Professional in Digital Tech?

Going digital dark, e-toxing, digital detoxing, screen-free for a week, whatever you want to call it, was something I have wanted to try for a while now. As a professional working in the digital space, with a hectic lifestyle involving 3 kids, community sports events, two businesses, and a general dependency on digital technology to support it all, I wondered if it would be possible to get rid of it all for one week and experience a positive change. This is how it went.?

Why go screen free for a week?

First up, my definition of “screen free” really only meant no mobile phone, no TV, no tablets, and no digital entertainment that couldn't be enjoyed in a group setting (the irony was not lost on me when my first social outing for the week was at a Digital Golf centre). That meant my work laptops were really the only screens that were permitted for the week – for obvious reasons.

The reason I decided to try this “e-tox” was simple. I don’t ever recall signing a social contract that committed me to needing a mobile device in order to partake in our modern society. Long ago it felt like an “opt-in” scheme, where having a mobile device on you at all times meant nothing but pure convenience. But this has slowly metamorphosised into a trojan horse of digital dependency if you wish to participate in, well, most things in our society. I wanted to see how difficult it would be to get rid of that digital connection from the world for a week.?

The Effects

I was keen to understand if I would sleep better, if my outlook would be more positive, if I felt I had more time to myself, and if I found a new perspective on my lifestyle. I also wanted to understand the extent to which we're shackled to our sociodigital era. I certainly did find those things, and more.?

A quick note here on family responsibility, I decided to go digital-dark in the school holidays, which immediately ruled out the need to have a mobile phone on me during school hours, for scenarios such as a sick child needing to come home from school. My partner wasn’t participating in this experiment so we still had access to the outside world if needed.?

I was quickly reminded of the handcuffs a mobile phone represents when we had to travel to a friend’s new house about 35 mins away. I had no access to Google Maps and thought I’d wing it like “the old days” by quickly glancing at a map at home before setting off in the car. Well, we got a bit lost and wasted 20 mins backtracking.?

Then there was the time I tried accessing a Microsoft service at work and the two-factor authentication message came up. Well, that was a problem without a phone so I just closed the browser and moved onto a different task.?

My son’s birthday was also that week and I used one of my work laptops to purchase a sports viewing subscription, only to be confronted with the requirement to verify myself via an SMS code. Again, not possible.?

We were putting together some new toys that my son got for his birthday and like most things these days the paper instructions are absolute rubbish compared to a YouTube video that has absolutely nailed it. I could feel the urge to go online and save myself 60 mins of frustration, but we persisted through the pain.?

Next there was a problem with my reticulation (garden watering system), and we had arranged for someone to come out, but the only way to test the system was via an app on my phone as it’s a wifi-enabled system… at this point I reluctantly had to switch on the phone for 5 mins to resolve the issue.?

Then there were the countless group chats, social invitations, and general catch-ups that occur during any week from friends and family simply messaging. No banking, no Uber, no transport apps, no Spotify, no reels, no YouTube, no tap ‘n’ go – all of that was also gone for the week.

And you know what?

It’s probably not surprising that once the week was over, I genuinely did not want to pick up the phone again or spend an evening watching Netflix. The freedom I’d felt by separating myself from the invisible digital web was fantastic. I slept better. I spent more time with my kids. I read more and I simply stared off into space more. I spent more time self-reflecting simply because I had the headspace to do so.?

And now, what have I learnt??

I never considered myself dependent on social media or digital connectivity via my phone, but there is a definite and real pressure from society to be connected in this way. There is probably no addiction to speak of for most us but rather a dependency placed on us from society to maintain a connection, else be ostracised from the modern way of life.?

If I’m honest to myself I will try to minimise the time using devices and watching screens when I don’t need to. I will remind myself that staring into space and allowing the brain to reflect upon itself is a considerably healthier space to be in as opposed to seeking stimuli to combat that feeling of being bored. With highly stimulating jobs, families, and activities available to us every day perhaps we should welcome the opportunity to feel bored and let self-reflection creep in.

Was it a useful exercise? Absolutely. Do I recommend trying it? Absolutely - assuming you don’t damage any relationships by doing it. Could I do it longer term? I really doubt it! Give it a try and find out how it impacts you.