Why it’s time for a digital detox
Published: 03:04 PM,Apr 06,2025 | EDITED : 11:04 AM,Apr 07,2025
As Oman celebrated the Eid break, almost everyone spent their time with family and friends, some travelling and some in the comfort of their homes.
However they spent their break, digital devices must have played a crucial role in the holidays – after all, there were Eid pictures to be posted, holiday venues to be shared and recipes exchanged.
At this point, it seems that we all need to break away from those smartphones for some time.
We are all aware of the impact of social media on our mental health, self-image, stress levels and attention span. And yet, we find it difficult to live without the smartphone for even a few hours.
Social media is an alternate universe. It forces us to compete, over-share and engage with people we will never meet on issues we may not really care about. Very often, in the daily news cycle, it is actually bots that we are engaging with and not even real people.
All this can potentially lead to depression, anxiety, body image crises and insomnia.
There are now studies which show that individuals who stay away from digital devices for even one week show noticeable change in their routine and general well-being. Many of them report that they take to exercise, reading, spending time with family and even pursue hobbies like crafts and painting as a diversion.
One of the reasons for this frustration is that social media compels us to compare our lives with the appearance of others. Their external lives become our aspirational internal one. This leads to envy, unnecessary unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
There is also the way in which every argument becomes ours – no matter where a discussion may be taking place, social media ensnares us into its trap and makes it our problem. This keeps users at a heightened peak of unproductive rage.
There are, of course, many ways of staying away from the toxic world of social media. Starting small is always recommended. This could involve not taking one’s phone when going for a walk one day, or putting it away when watching a film. This time span could be later extended.
Removing apps from the phone and just keeping them on the computer is often recommended as it substantially reduces the time spent on them. Typically, we tend to reach out for the phone while talking to others, driving, and even eating. Having the apps away from us in a more formal setting would require us to dedicate specific time for it.
Like so many other experiments, staying away from social media is better done with others. Keeping score, accounting to others and sharing in the success of the experiment would mean more when sharing accomplishments.
If this is not possible at all, social media can be used for more than endless scrolling. Podcasts on adventure, history, even crime stories have seen a rapid rise. They are hosted by respected journalists and others established in their field. We may not be able to live without smartphones but we can surely change the way we use it.
However they spent their break, digital devices must have played a crucial role in the holidays – after all, there were Eid pictures to be posted, holiday venues to be shared and recipes exchanged.
At this point, it seems that we all need to break away from those smartphones for some time.
We are all aware of the impact of social media on our mental health, self-image, stress levels and attention span. And yet, we find it difficult to live without the smartphone for even a few hours.
Social media is an alternate universe. It forces us to compete, over-share and engage with people we will never meet on issues we may not really care about. Very often, in the daily news cycle, it is actually bots that we are engaging with and not even real people.
All this can potentially lead to depression, anxiety, body image crises and insomnia.
There are now studies which show that individuals who stay away from digital devices for even one week show noticeable change in their routine and general well-being. Many of them report that they take to exercise, reading, spending time with family and even pursue hobbies like crafts and painting as a diversion.
One of the reasons for this frustration is that social media compels us to compare our lives with the appearance of others. Their external lives become our aspirational internal one. This leads to envy, unnecessary unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
There is also the way in which every argument becomes ours – no matter where a discussion may be taking place, social media ensnares us into its trap and makes it our problem. This keeps users at a heightened peak of unproductive rage.
There are, of course, many ways of staying away from the toxic world of social media. Starting small is always recommended. This could involve not taking one’s phone when going for a walk one day, or putting it away when watching a film. This time span could be later extended.
Removing apps from the phone and just keeping them on the computer is often recommended as it substantially reduces the time spent on them. Typically, we tend to reach out for the phone while talking to others, driving, and even eating. Having the apps away from us in a more formal setting would require us to dedicate specific time for it.
Like so many other experiments, staying away from social media is better done with others. Keeping score, accounting to others and sharing in the success of the experiment would mean more when sharing accomplishments.
If this is not possible at all, social media can be used for more than endless scrolling. Podcasts on adventure, history, even crime stories have seen a rapid rise. They are hosted by respected journalists and others established in their field. We may not be able to live without smartphones but we can surely change the way we use it.