HEALTH + WELLNESS
IT MAY FEEL GOOD TO BE CONNECTED THROUGH TECHNOLOGY IN THAT IT MAKES US FEEL LIKE WE ’ RE PART OF SOMETHING WIDER AND THAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING OF US ( AS WELL AS DEMANDING OUR TIME , LET ’ S NOT FORGET …), BUT IN THIS ERA OF CONSTANT CONNECTIVITY , THE CONSUMING , SORTING , ABSORBING AND FILTERING OF INFORMATION AND IMAGERY IS EXHAUSTING . THERE ’ S JUST TOO MUCH OF IT . ALL THE TIME
While many of us must interact technologically for work , we don ’ t have to do it at all hours of the day and night , and if we feel that we do , it ’ s probably time for a digital detox .
In fact , quite quickly , the world of smartphones is becoming a little murkier with 30 % of five- to seven-year-olds now owning one and support for phone and internet addiction more in demand than help for drug dependency . Shockingly , it seems most of our lives are now lived online and it ’ s easier than ever to while away copious amounts of time on our phones , slipping into a negative cycle of doomscrolling ( obsessively checking online news for updates , especially on social media feeds , often with the expectation that the news will be bad ), swiping and simply staring at edited snippets of other people ’ s lives all day , every day .
Screen-based addictions are on the rise , with popular internet search engines reporting a 500 % increase in searches for help – if you ’ re starting to wonder if your phone controls you you control it then you then it could be worth checking if you ’ re one of the many people who are slipping into addiction territory .
What are the tell-tale signs of phone addiction ?
• Are you constantly checking your phone ?
• Has compulsive texting or scrolling become the norm to the exclusion of other things in your life ?
• Are your relationships , work or mental health suffering ?
• Are you constantly checking for messages or mindlessly accessing your social media accounts regularly ?
• Is your phone seriously interfering with a good night ’ s sleep ?
Essentially , the criteria for smartphone addiction includes needing to use your phone more to feel like you ’ ve had your ‘ fix ’; wanting to cut down but failing ; sacrificing other activities in favour of spending time on your phone ; and , subsequently , feeling angry , depressed and irritable when you can ’ t use your phone .
According to leading psychotherapists who specialise in addiction , some key questions to ask yourself to determine how healthy – or not – your relationship with your device is , are :
• Have you put yourself or someone else at risk as a result of using your phone by walking into the road while checking it , for example , or walking and texting at the same time ?
• Are you less attentive to friends or family because you are constantly checking your phone and scrolling on social media ?
• Have you set timers for your use and failed ?
• Do you get defensive when people point out that you ’ re on your phone a lot ?
• Does your use of technology disrupt your life and relationships to the extent that you get little else done ?
Regardless of ‘ addiction ’, however , which is such a loaded word and very much the worstcase scenario , many of us are unknowingly spending more time on our phones than perhaps we should be . According to Uswitch ’ s most recent research , in 2023 , 87 % of UK adults owned a smartphone , 96 % of 16- to 24-yearolds owned a smartphone and 69 % of over- 65s owned a smartphone , but staggeringly , regardless of age , Brits are spending an average of 4 hours and 14 minutes a day on their phones . Which begs the question , where is their time-travel portal because HOW does anyone have that much ‘ spare ’ time ? But let ’ s solve that mystery another day …
The stats speak for themselves ; by 2025 , it ’ s predicted that the UK population will reach 68.3 million , and that 95 % ( roughly 65 million people ) will be smartphone users . The unavoidable truth is that we live in an ever-connected world , of which phones are an integral cog , but that doesn ’ t mean we shouldn ’ t take a break from time to time . Cue , the digital detox .
What is a digital detox ? The term ‘ detoxification ’ is roughly defined as the process of removing toxic substances or qualities . In the case of a digital detox , it refers to a set length of time for an individual to stay away from the devices ( and social media sites ) that have become such an integral part of daily life including smartphones , computers , tablets and televisions . www . insidekent . co . uk • 141