Digital Detox: Why it is necessary?
Digital Detox: Digital detoxification is determined as the positive time period when a person chooses not to participate in using digital devices like smartphones, computers, laptops, tabs, and other social media platforms. Spend 10 minutes before going to bed without using technology or screens. Blue light-emitting gadgets can prevent your body from producing melatonin, which is necessary for sleep. Try relaxing activities like reading, meditation, or journaling as an alternative to using electronics.
Why Digital Detoxification is necessary?
This kind of detoxification is necessary for individuals because, in recent times, most of the population spent lots of time on social media or on these devices.
Concerns rise for Digital Detoxification
Digital detoxification started with the concern rise with the health of individuals to excessive use or by their addictive behaviour of digital devices which also leads to Internet Addictive Disorder. In 2015, a survey held by Deloitte found that approximately 59% of the population that uses smartphones use their mobile phone before sleep and just after waking up.
Increased usage of Digital devices and sleeping problems after the covid pandemic
In 2022, after the covid pandemic, the percentage of using smartphones has increased in our day-to-day life. In India, almost one person in four Indians has the problem of spending much time on these social platforms.
Today’s youth are so much addicted or glued to their phones every time that can affect their future as well as their growth. Constant use can worsen the quality of your lifestyle and bind up your senses. Due to the excessive use of social media after the pandemic, most of the population is suffering from insomnia disease due to lack of sleep.
GISS (Great Indian Sleep Scorecard)
Late-night social media scrolling has increased by 57% this year. Women have a lot of problems with insomnia about 38% as compared to men about 31% which is according to the GISS (Great Indian Sleep Scorecard) 2022. Excess use of electronic devices has harmful effects on sleep patterns and on lifestyles.
Digital devices affect the mental and physical health
People who have a proper lifestyle or sleep pattern are less stressed than others who have not. Improper sleep can lead to mental stress and physical stress like depression, anxiety, heart rate fluctuations, sleepiness the whole day, tiredness, swollen eyes, headache, some sleep disorders, sleep deprivation, sleep inertia, etc. Mostly the blue light which emits from smartphones at night can lead to dark circles and can also restrain the production of melatonin which can affect the circadian rhythm.
No doubt that digital devices are much helpful for the progression of knowledge or they can also be productive for various purposes we can learn or can follow our hobbies or passion almost everything from social media like singing, dancing, and painting, and can study from most of the digital platforms, exercise, yoga videos, etc. But addiction is much harmful to all of us. We can also earn from social media, there are several apps the study where you can teach or learn the subjects you want.
Read Also: Avoid Internet Addiction: Limit Your Time Online
Benefits of avoiding digital devices usage
Several benefits are thereby avoiding digital devices usage:
Better Sleep
you can have better sleep through digital detoxification. The body releases a hormone called melatonin according to the regular sleep cycle which is released before sleep in the dark and helps in relaxing the body and drift off; but when we use phones before sleep, melatonin delays that can affect the brain and disturbance occurs in the sleep pattern. And less or lack of sleep can affect mental health.
Boost our mood
Staying on mobile phones can worsen mental health, lead to eye pain, teary eyes, and headache, and can also do neck problems, etc. So, if we stay away from mobile phones, it can boost our moods, and we can also do more physical work to stay healthy, can do more social interactions, and can be more environmentally friendly.
Breaks for entertainment
By not being on all the time on the phone, we can take some breaks for entertainment purposes during the whole day on mobile phones.
Better relationships
Other than that we can do meditation for a better focus on lifestyle, and we can play with our family or can talk with our loved ones for a better relationship.
Read Also: Social Media Negative Effects: How Social Media Harms Your Mental Health