Digital detox

Overview

A digital detox is an effort to reset your dependence on digital devices by setting aside a period when you deliberately keep your distance from your smartphone, social media, and the internet. As the word "detox" suggests, it treats overuse of digital devices as a "poison" and aims to help your mind and body recover from its effects. It ranges in degree from strict versions that cut out digital devices completely to gentle ones where you take a break from social media only.

How social media fatigue relates to digital detox

Social media fatigue can be what prompts you to consider a digital detox. The stress social media brings takes many forms, such as information overload on your timeline, feelings of inferiority from comparing yourself with others, fixation on like counts and follower counts, and the feeling of being chased by notifications.

On top of ordinary social media fatigue, a question box owner may also feel the pressure of "I have to answer the questions." If you feel stressed every time you look at your smartphone while questions are piling up, that can be a sign you need a digital detox.

Detox methods for question box owners

To practice a digital detox while running a question box, a step-by-step approach is realistic. First, turn off notifications for your question box. Just breaking the habit of checking your smartphone every time a notification comes in can ease the mental burden.

Next, limit checking your question box to once a day. Decide on a time and a length, like "just 15 minutes at 8 p.m.," and don't think about your question box the rest of the time.

Coming back after a detox

When you come back from a digital detox, you don't need to return to your old pace. Things you noticed during the detox that "you got along fine without" can stay gone after you return. You may realize that most notifications were unnecessary, that you didn't need to look through every corner of your timeline, and that it was fine not to answer every question right away.

A digital detox doesn't have to be a one-time thing; you can do it regularly. Find a rhythm that suits you, such as not checking social media on weekends or not touching your smartphone one day a month. A question box is something to enjoy when it's fun, not something to keep up out of obligation.