Student life today is so much different from what it was then. Before, when students were away from their notebooks and quizzes, they’d log into Friendster, an older social media platform yet trendy back in the day, or ping their friends on Yahoo! Messenger.
But all those are gone now, and pupils are finding their way on a bigger social networking platform called Facebook. When you think of social media, you abruptly will think of Facebook. Here, you won’t just be able to connect with people but also sell your products and even shop. It’s a promising way to stay connected with your classmates when you need to huddle for that challenging homework.
Yet, this digital atmosphere has somehow taken its toll on these students’ well-being. Instead of reviewing for the next major test, they’d chat endlessly with their Facebook friends. Parents and teachers, alongside several other institutions, are continuously advocating against too much use of social media. How about a digital detox? How can unplugging from the digital world help boost mental health and focus? Join the ESCP business school team as they discuss this matter.
What Is Digital Detox?
Like drinking a bottle of juice to nourish and detoxify your body, digital detox works by resetting your habits back to when you were not exposed to the poisons of social media, among other digital platforms.
While undergoing a digital detox, you refrain from using electronic gadgets based on the Internet, such as smartphones, laptops, PCs, and tablets. This is an opportunity to promote focus, reduce stress, and interact in person with others.
Additionally, less time on digital devices means more time to experience nature, exercise, and practice mindfulness. Digital detox, or unplugging, helps you maintain a healthier lifestyle.
Ways Unplugging Boosts Mental Health And Focus
1. Sharper Focus
Whether your student targets a medal or not, they must focus while studying. The familiar sound of the notification when they receive a message on Facebook Messenger can be distracting up to the point your child can forget what they have to do for the day if they’re always online.
Immersing them in a digital detox helps them notice their immediate surroundings more. Thus, unplugging helps the brain concentrate better on the urgent things that must be done.
2. Lower Levels Of Stress
Information overload is a hotly debated topic today because of the immense stress this can give to people, not just students. Just by scrolling through your social media feed, you will read about news that can upset you. Worse, break you down. Or trigger your worst of emotions. Reducing your time on social lessens your news consumption. Therefore, you’ll get preoccupied with more important things, stuff that can help you feel calmer.
Stress has always been connected to mental health. Too much stress could lead to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, irritability, loss of control, sadness, memory problems, and sleep problems, among other things.
3. Better And More Meaningful Social Interactions
It is ironic because, just when you think social media is “social,” it works the other way. Spending too much time online deprives you of those meaningful in-person interactions you can have with your family and friends. A dinnertime with family wherein everybody is happily conversing with each other is very different from a dinner where family members are engrossed with their smartphones.
Social interactions have numerous benefits for good mental health. In addition to lowering the chances of anxiety and depression, they also promote higher self-esteem and greater empathy.
4. More Control Over Your Time
How often do you check your phone for possible updates on social media? You wouldn’t be able to count them right away. A lot. A study indicated that the average smartphone user checks their device more than 60 times daily. Don’t cringe, but this has become a reflex action to the point you won’t feel good if you don’t check your phone. Taking a break from digital devices helps you gain more control over your time. More control over your time means better mental health and sharper focus.
Tips To Succeed With Your Digital Detox
Unplugging will take a lot of work. It’s impossible to unplug and then feel no need to recheck your smartphone in the next few days. Several people find it difficult because they also use their phones for work and business. So, here are tips you can follow to succeed with this lifestyle change.
Let Family Time Distract You
Let family time be your distraction instead of allowing your devices to distract you. Don’t just sleep on your bed if you choose not to check your phone for several hours. Instead, go out of your room to converse with your family. You’ll be more surprised about the memories you’ll create together than what you get when tinkering on your phone for hours.
Designate Areas At Home Where Checking Phones Are Prohibited
Yes, off-screen zones are home. This could either be the dining room, where family members are not allowed to bring their phones to the table, or the kitchen, where you follow a recipe book instead of watching a recipe on YouTube. You may also re-arrange your home to create an area with books and board games instead of TVs and couches for smartphone use. If you’re willing to take a step further, remove computers from your kids’ bedrooms and instead place them in a common room, like your living room, so you can monitor what they are visiting online.
Teach Kids About The Negative Effects Of Screen Time
Don’t just tell them to put down their phones. Provide context by giving them the facts about the adverse effects of too much social media use. Helping them understand this is not a punishment but a way to secure them a brighter future.
Wrapping Up
As they say, prevention is better than cure. If your kids are showing signs of depression, irritability, anger, frustration, and sleep deprivation, their phone is often the culprit. Guide them through a digital detox now. It will be challenging on the first days since schools already require gadgets for homework and quizzes. But, the moment you find the balance, just like riding your bike, you can promote better wellness for your kids.
0 comments