Digital Detoxing: Importance For a Mini Digital Fast

 

Digital Detoxing: Reclaiming Focus in an Age of Distraction

The legendary American comedian Groucho Marx once jokingly remarked that television had greatly contributed to his reading habits… because whenever someone switched it on, he moved to another room to read. Behind the humor lies a timeless truth. It is almost always the best way to reclaim our attention, simply walk away from the noise. For that, to understand or identify the disturbing elements, we have to find it out first.  

The Power of Solitude in Finding Clarity

Buddha left all the distractions of his time, his house, and all the noises around him and found the ultimate truth in the quiet solitude under the Bodhi tree. The world was blessed with some of the greatest discoveries, which were made in silence and complete solitude.

During the Great Plague of London, Sir Isaac Newton was living his days in Woolsthrope. He completely isolated himself from all the noise and distractions. Later, Newton described this period as his “annus mirabilis,” which is Latin for “the year of wonders.” He discovered calculus here. His greatest theories of gravity and motion were discovered during this period of solitude.

The Habit of Intentional Disconnection

Distractions were always part of human life, even long before the digital age. They have irritated brilliant minds throughout history. To counter them, great people practiced their own forms of intentional disconnection.

Mahatma Gandhi’s weekly disconnection was in the form of a “day long silence” popularly known as the “mouna vraata”. Gandhi dedicated that day to listen to his inner voice. He spoke to himself, in fact avoided reading also. He once admitted that such practice helped him for clarity of mind and decision-making.  Elbert Einstein also liked solitude rather than unnecessary and unproductive media attentions. He was not a trend chaser person.

Bill Gates also has a habit of intentional disconnection. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in the late 1990s, he revealed about his “Think Week” habit. He goes to the Pacific Northwest usually twice a year, allowing only reading materials like reports and memos with him. According to Bill such personal retreat away from all distractions helps him think, grow, and revive.

What is Poison

There is an old saying, “Anything in excess is poison. It may be anything—your food, water, air, love, even hate; when taken in excess, all become toxic.” The same apply with the internet and smartphones also. Injudicious and overusing of these platforms are poisoning our mind and soul slowly. These will steal our mental peace, flooded with limitless pieces of information and entertainment sufficient enough to distract our focus.

The Rising Tide of Digital Addiction

As per statistics globally, on average a person spends 2 hours and 21 minutes daily on social media. According to sources, 48% of children aged between 0-8 years watch short-form video platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. The figures are literally horrifying. Because most of the content’s standards are really doubtful and not appropriate for this age group.

In the 1960s U.S. President Richard Nixon criticized the decline of moral standards in television content. He rebuked, “You can’t even turn on the television with your family anymore—that four-letter word is everywhere.” The same is also appropriate with these social media platforms also. The explosive profanity, sexual content, vulgarity, and colloquial languages used by most of the influencers are making these platforms unfit for viewing.

Are You An Addict ?

If you are checking your phone first in the morning and last at night, if you feel anxious or restless without your phone, if you are scrolling social media for nothing, if you are losing your focus on books, if you are not enjoying the outer world, these are the symptoms of behavioral addiction. You are actually sick and digitally addicted. And the only solution is the detachment.

Returning to the Self

Just like fasting helps our body detox naturally, a mini detachment or intentional disconnection from social media and mobile phones can also help our mind rejuvenate. Practicing such a “mini digital fast” for 5 to 10 minutes daily has the magic to bring calm and clarity to our minds and build our thoughts in a progressive way. It will secure us against all sorts of distractions.

We can make a simple deal with ourselves: “Today I will not allow myself to waste my valuable time watching unproductive reels and short videos.” Just a simple act of shelf-control, a small daily commitment of such kind has the potentiality to save our precious hours. The hours that can reborn our peace.

In the lines of T. S. Eliot “Distracted from distraction by distraction, Filled with fancies and empty of meaning.”