Digital Detox - Please check your phone at the doorstep
In today’s ultra-connected world, you can stay in touch with people all over the world at any time of day – friends, colleagues, relative strangers you follow on social media. If you’re like most Americans, your phone rarely leaves your side: In fact, according to a recent study, you check it every 12 minutes, or 80 times a day. And when you don’t have it with you, you feel anxious. Research confirms what many already know or suppose: Overuse of technology is harming our mental health, causing feelings of loneliness, depression, envy, and increasing stress. Is it any wonder, then, that there’s a trend toward disconnecting from your phone and connecting in real life to those around you? Called JOMO by some, the “joy of missing out” movement is here. Get ready for phone-free social clubs and cafés, restaurants that offer discounts if you turn off your phone, and hotels that advertise their no-WiFi status. If you don’t think you need some digital downtime, start tracking your screen habits. Knowing just how much time you spend browsing the Internet, checking social media, and so on may be the wake-up call you need to jump on the JOMO bandwagon.