Surviving (the days after) a Digital Detox
Anyone can do a digital detox. Only a few survive re-entry into the ‘civilized’ world.
Featured guest article by Lyle Frink, PR consultant who’s skilled at simplifying the complex, engaging the mundane, and whose puns are always intended.
It was an involuntary descent into digital detoxification. The beach cottage along the Senegalese coast had no WiFi and I was not willing to sacrifice my wallet at the Alter of the Telecoms for a digital fix. It was time to live life without an always-connected smartphone.
Darkness on the edge of the world
With no WiFi, there was a noticeable absence of beeps and other digital stimuli from my smartphone. Repeated checks for nonexistent messages only convinced me that I had “third-hand syndrome” — an ailment usually limited to smokers when they are trying to quit a tobacco habit and they wonder what to do with that extra hand.
Frankly, it was a bit unnerving to not have the latest news about Donald Trump and the Czech presidential elections. I couldn’t even see what the latest security issues were in the IT world. In the evening, all you could do was listen to the wind howling across the horizon and watch the full moon cast its sterling light through the trees.
But there was more that could be done from a relational perspective. The “Cross-Four” checkers game was removed from the box and introduced to the kids. It was a great, unplugged evening — at least until they learned that combining their forces against a tiring dad was a winning strategy. The pluses from this interaction outweighed the minus of being offline — not being able to complain to Airbnb that our previous host had been a bait-and-switch cheat.
Congratulations, detoxification achieved
The following days made it clear, detox had been reached. Eyes were progressively retrained to notice the non-digital: I would never have noticed a herd of camels back home or that peculiar bird’s running — not hopping — footprints in the sand. There was a big plus in a non-digital living in the moment: When hundreds of pelicans are flying overhead — and splattering you as they go airborne — you just have to lean back and enjoy it. The only minus from getting away from the laptop and into the bright equatorial sunlight was a substantial sunburn. You are at peace with the world and the digital beeps and whistles seem oh, so distant.
The appearance of success
The subsequent stop in St. Louis in the northern end of Senegal featured a full-scale assault on my senses: Crowds, pulsating music, goats, sheep, competing muezzins, honking taxis, and even a few arguments on the street below. Oh yes, while the accommodation did provide WiFi access, it was just one input among many options. Then when my insides went in full-scale revolt from some warmed-over chicken, internet access was a highly welcome distraction. If you can’t move far or fast, just surf in peace.
Not getting the balance right
Any belief that I had re-orientated my life away from undue digital influences died at 11:43 PM in Dakar. While I should have seized the opportunity of a warm shower and relatively quiet accommodation to collapse into deep slumber, I did not. Instead, I spent a surprisingly long time reading about the latest developments in the Mueller investigation and the incredible re-election of Milos Zeman as Czech president. Relapsing into these old habits took all of ten minutes. Realizing that a relapse had taken place took about two hours.
Surviving a toxic environment
Despite this digital detox, always-online-habits were more worked into family psyches than sand in a backpack. Once home, smartphones were on and connected in minutes. But still, there was an uneasy awareness that I had missed almost nothing while offline — and that the world had continued turning regardless. And, more importantly, there was the sense that I should not forget four little lessons from this past time, but I should apply them going forward:
1. Put it away — Put that smartphone away — somewhere other than your pocket. Place this device outside of direct physical proximity. And, definitely move it away from the dining table.
2. Gag that device — Turn off the audio notifications. Those beeps are sapping your mental wherewithal to put a few cohesive thoughts together.
3. Turn off the data — Go to your router settings and turn off the data at a given time. Practice this approach and the timing details on your kids first before venturing to your own devices. They will undoubtedly appreciate your efforts.
4. Do some positive alternatives — Schedule some completely offline activities with your significant others. Even if no pictures are taken and posted on Facebook or Snapchat, memories will remain. There should be some times and places that are data and device free.
About the author:
Lyle Frink is a freelance PR and communications consultant based in Prague, Czech Republic. As both a punster and a wordsmith, he likes to simplify the message — and make it interesting — for a range of industries stretching from IT security to beer and automotive. His family includes a wife, three kids, and some chickens.
