According to a survey conducted by Sky Broadband, up to 1 in 4 people admits to spending more time online each day than they do sleeping. That’s quite a shocking figure and, though I would imagine the majority of parents don’t use anything like that much, I know many would say they probably spend more time online than they would like. Though it has revolutionised our lives, the internet has also changed the landscape of “downtime” in much the western world. Disconnecting is something we struggle with, however, and the same study also found that over half of us become anxious when we are unable to get online for some reason.
Cold Turkey
As part of a series for the New York Times, five neuroscientists set out on a week-long rafting trip along the remote San Juan River in order to test the effects of being disconnected from technology. Though many struggled, by day three it was noted that everyone was much more relaxed and able to engage with their surroundings. Termed “Third Day Syndrome” by Dr David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, he believed that the discovery suggested downtime plays a vital role in relieving us of our technological fatigue – something that interrupts our abilities to concentrate, entertain ourselves in moments of inactivity and prevents us from fully engaging with others.
Looking back at my trip, it was around a similar sort of time that I forgot all about my phone, tablet and laptop (all of which I had brought with me!) and began to feel a sense of inner calm. I spent my evenings engaging with my partner, re-connecting and talking like we used to in the early days of our relationship and I was much less distracted with my children. Though I try not to use technology around them, working from home makes that more difficult than I would like. I was happier and so, too, were my loved ones.
Technological ties
Either by choice or by circumstance, most of us are fairly regular internet users. As creatures of novelty, the internet and its many wonders appeal to us and, as social creatures, engaging with each other across counties, countries and continents is equally appealing. These days it isn’t easy, or even possible, to disconnect completely and for those of us who rely on the internet for work it is harder still.
Often, we invite these distractions ourselves. From checking facebook on smartphones when we have a few quiet minutes here and there, to immediately responding to emails and being unable to resist checking “just one more thing” we are increasingly bringing technological disturbances into our lives and interrupting our abilities to be present with loved ones and to focus our understandably jumbled thoughts. So, how can we take steps to limit our internet usage and to use our online time more effectively?
Download an app. Those of us who rely on the internet for work can download a variety of apps that monitor time spent online which can help to focus us on our tasks. Seeing it in black and white can motivate us to be more efficient with our time.
Try leaving your phone at home sometimes. If you’re going on a family day out, off to a playdate or meeting a friend for coffee, try leaving your phone at home. Nobody likes it when friends/family repeatedly check their phone when spending time together and research shows that you are more focussed on those you are spending time with when there are no technological distractions to tempt us.
Turn technology off during the day. At home, boredom can often get the better of us but it has repeatedly been demonstrated that boredom inspires innovation and creativity. This is particularly useful for Home Educators.
Schedule internet time. Whether you work from home or just like to spend time socialising/unwinding online, set regular hours for your work and activities to reduce temptation to fritter away bits of time here and there. Focussed hours are more productive than checking in for a few minutes at a time.
Go on holiday somewhere with remote internet access. Or leave your devices at home. By day three you will come to appreciate just how much technology encroaches on so many areas of your life and it becomes easier to see where changes need to be made.
I love technology. I organise my social life and my entire working life online and we have every gadget imaginable at our house. But, there is a lot to be said for unplugging and going off the grid more often, especially for extended periods. When we choose to live in the moment and schedule our online time, we are more able to be creative, peaceful and present.
However, it is important not to confuse normal, though intrusive, internet use with a genuine problem. An article in the New York Times reported that a high frequency of internet checking correlated with depressive/anxious symptoms, meaning that anyone who considers themselves to be an increasingly heavy user, or who feels unable to disconnect for even brief periods, may simply be using the internet as escapism and should seek further advice from their GP.
