Have you noticed lately that from the moment you wake up to the minute you're in bed, you're surrounded by screens demanding your attention? Come to think of it, when's the last time you had an entire face to face conversation with a friend without either of you being distracted by the ever-present draw of glowing pixels?
Connectivity is a powerful thing and the digital revolution has widened our horizons and brought us endless possibilities. But in the midst of all these miracles we often forget how important it is to take a step back from the assault of information every now and again and be present in the real live analogue world – you know, that place outside of Facebook and Instagram where grass grows and our loved ones exist. Because believe it or not there's no app yet for either of those.
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That's why today in the US and around the world, people are deciding to locate the off buttons on their the phones and tablets for a bit to observe the National Day of Unplugging (which is actually two days).
It's not about becoming a digital hermit for life – they've shared their reasons on the National Day of Unplugging website after all. But for the next couple of days you can switch off safe in the knowledge that people around the world are doing the same, so you won't miss any important cat videos.
There are many reasons why people are deciding to take a digital breather from for a few hours or days, from taking the time to work on a hobby or focus on work, to read, get back to nature, explore their city or spend quality time with someone, or just to relax without the FOMA (Fear of Missing Out).
For some, the idea of social media withdrawl might sound terrifying, but studies have shown that reducing time spent on our devices can actually reduce anxiety and stress.
Once you challenge yourself to switch off, you might be surprised how much time you have taken back for yourself, how much more productive you are, how much more meaningful and interesting your conversations and real-world interactions can be without interruption, and how much more connected you feel to the moment.
So could you benefit from a day of digital detox?
