"Absolutely no one remembered my birthday this July, except for my parents and a couple of very close friends." Carolina Madero deleted all her social media accounts to focus on her primary school teacher exam preparation. And she was right in her decision, judging by her grade and the permanent position she finally obtained. "It was a very distracting element, it made me waste a lot of study time with trivial characters and news," she says, even though without the 'snitch,' she missed out on congratulations.
It's not just exam candidates who feel compelled to give up the biggest time thief. Andrea Mateos' circle of friends already knows they can't count on her while she's nurturing her new book. She has to meet her editor's deadlines. "They understand that I take longer to respond to messages, that I have my own concentration processes, and I can have a kind of weekend retreat in the village just to inspire myself and force myself to write," she explains, although she admits feeling some anxiety when catching up after the technological blackout.
Rocío Rodríguez also puts her mobile phone in a drawer at a certain hour. "If I pick it up just before going to sleep, I can get hooked for hours on TikTok. That's why I keep it away from me and bought an analog alarm clock. I don't want it to be the last thing I check and the first thing I do as soon as I wake up. I've stayed up until three in the morning endlessly scrolling," explains the young woman.
More than half of Spaniards consider a digital detox, according to the SPC Generation Study on young people's digital disconnection habits. "Hyperconnectivity is not negative in itself, as it allows us to connect from one end of the world to the other or provides us with information that makes our lives easier, but more and more people are asking for a more conscious, healthy, and friendly relationship with technology. It is a trend that is gaining momentum in our country," says Jorge Flores, founder of PantallasAmigas and an expert in safe technology use, especially in childhood and adolescence.
Six out of 10 already know someone who has practiced it in its different forms: uninstalling applications, deleting social profiles that contribute little, controlling phone exposure time, disabling notifications, setting to silent mode, setting a long code to prevent easy unlocking with facial recognition... "It can have a temporary nature, when it's only for a weekend or to avoid being disturbed on vacation, or a permanent one, in the case of people who definitively delete their social profiles," continues the specialist.
According to Irene Manterola, who presented the aforementioned study and is the marketing director of the Spanish company SPC, the younger generations, who have already grown up with this appendage in hand, prioritize their well-being. "Three out of four have set out to reduce mobile phone use. They cite reasons of well-being and mental health. They want to gain time because time is life and value face-to-face interaction, as it is a less agitated way of communicating. Additionally, they show a less firm commitment to the work world because perhaps their job does not define them as much as it does for other generations."
Remember the Snake game on the Nokia 3310 when WhatsApp and Candy Crush didn't exist? Manterola reveals that there is even a trend back to dumbphones, mobile phones without internet access that allow for some distance from constant connection. "We have launched SPC Wild in response to this demand, which reaches 12.2% of young people. It is an option not only for older people who are not as tech-savvy but also for those who prefer the warmth of a call, want more battery autonomy without having to charge every day, or to reconnect with what truly matters."
A simpler and more basic use to be more present and not in meetings where everyone is looking at their phones, ignoring the interlocutor, or in a dinner for two where no one looks each other in the eyes. "We have to educate by example. Pointing fingers at families is uncomfortable. But we cannot ask our children not to be on their phones while we, as adults, use them all the time, even in the car while driving or not pay attention when they talk to us because we are simultaneously responding to a WhatsApp message," says Flores from PantallasAmigas.
In the educational field, the delay in the age to buy the first mobile phone is already a serious debate, and there are summer camps where it is forbidden for kids to bring them. And in the workplace, more and more employees and executives are speaking up to have their personal time respected, choosing when they want to be connected to achieve work-life balance. Two out of three workers do not disconnect when their workday ends, according to the latest report on Digital Disconnection from the job platform InfoJobs.
One in three attributes it to pending tasks that occupy part of their thoughts, while 16% say they are on standby in case something comes up that needs to be resolved, but they usually handle it the next day if it's not urgent. Only 7% admit to always being on work mode. "The digitalization of the work environment also forces us to consider digital disconnection as something essential for the overall well-being of workers," says Mónica Pérez, communication and studies director at InfoJobs, encouraging companies to introduce healthy practices that allow professionals to separate work and personal life. "This involves effective time management, prioritizing rest and recovery." In a professional environment with good practices, she points out, "employee motivation, performance, and job satisfaction increase."
Even influencers, who work precisely with their phones and immediately share the content they experience on Instagram, are confessing in their own stories that sometimes they prefer to post their photos and videos on days different from when things happen to be able to enjoy them. Have you been to a concert lately? It seems we need to show that we were there, instead of enjoying the live music. Not to mention the criticism of overcrowded places, because there are no longer well-kept secrets for the intrepid traveler. This leads to a form of tourism phobia for locals.
A man, a teenager, and a child sitting on a couch looking at their mobile phones and tablet.Vitaly Gariev / Unplash
We spend an average of five hours a day with our smartphone. 85% of Spaniards never part with it and take it to bed and to the bathroom, according to a recent study by the cybersecurity company NordVPN. Mainly, in bed, people check emails and messages (49%), watch YouTube videos (50%), movies, and series (45%). Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Spaniards prefer to read or listen to the news (42%), attend to work emails (39%), and play games (29%). The pandemic and remote work have exacerbated this situation because a minute of disconnection can make it seem like one is not working, even though in the office, people take breaks to smoke or have several coffees a day.
"The phenomenon of nomophobia, the fear of being without a cell phone, demonstrates the extent to which we are dependent on our digital connections, which can lead to serious health and safety issues," says Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert. The concept of microleisure highlights our constant need to have smartphones at our fingertips at all times, "which gives us quick breaks and short moments of relaxation in our busy schedules," Warmenhoven adds. However, this lifestyle is giving us anxiety and attention deficits, as numerous experts explain to ZEN. "The real luxury lies in knowing when to be available and how to disconnect. Enjoying a healthy relationship with technology not only allows us to get all the advantages of being connected and up to date with everything, but also to have moments of greater tranquility in which our well-being is at the center and we can rediscover the pleasures of the little things," concludes Jorge Flores.
FIVE TIPS FOR A DETOX
1) Set schedules and use screen time control applications: "Smartphones allow us to monitor which are the most used applications and the time we spend on each of them," argues Flores.
2) Deactivate notifications: "Social networks, e-mails or messages provoke an effect in our brain that is the main cause of FOMO, the fear of missing out, because when we receive them we abandon the state of concentration and look for the dopamine reward that is released when we open them".
3) Implement a digital disconnection plan: "Dedicate at least one hour a day to completely detach yourself from the electronic devices that connect you to the Internet. It may seem like a long time but, little by little, you will discover that it is very rewarding to do other things in the time you save from scrolling," advises the PantallasAmigas expert.
4) Explore other types of devices: "Consider using a phone without internet during certain times of the day to reduce distractions and focus on the here and now.
5) Create technology-free zones: "A cell phone-free bedroom or dining room table strengthens the quality of your connections with your family and the people you live with. It is also essential to dedicate time to hobbies and activities that do not necessarily involve screens, such as reading, cooking, playing sports or going for a walk".