By Gavin Boyle
As we all look for ways to reduce the amount of time we spend on our devices, studies show that regularly engaging in digital detoxes can help people find activities to replace their endless scrolling.
“The way technology and social media is designed, it’s very hard to keep track of time,” Dr. Sajita Setia, a physician who researches screen time and mental health, told The Wall Street Journal when discussing why it is so hard to get off our devices. “It’s not about will power, it’s not about self control. We can never win against tech.”
Thankfully, people can use a variety of tools to help themselves get off their devices, from built-in settings on the Apple and Android devices to make them less addictive to “dumb” phones that have a very limited set of tools they offer their users.
Related: ‘Dumb Phones’ on the Rise as People Look to Cut Down Screen Time
The goal of reducing screen time is an admirable one, and research reveals that it comes with numerous benefits. A study from last November found that participants who reduced their average daily screen time from two hours to 30 minutes saw significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms along with insomnia.
Many people who have tried out a digital detox have found the change so freeing that they have completely restructured their lives to get off their devices as much as possible. Many Gen Zers are embracing this “appstinence” lifestyle and are only using their phones for calls, texts and navigation.
“Most of being disconnected for me has been through two themes: finding joy in time-bound opportunities to ditch the phone and removing apps from my phone,” one detoxer said. “I’d say I’ve been periodically disconnected from my phone for nearly my whole adult life.”
For some, however, the decision to limit their screen time is less about their own wellbeing and more about their children. Multiple studies have found that parents’ screen time habits largely impact their kids.
“…parents who spend excessive time on screens may unconsciously encourage similar habits in their children,” research from Psy.org found.
“One of the biggest predictors of adolescents’ screen use is their parents’ screen use,” Jason Nagata, a pediatrician at the University of California at San Francisco and the lead author of a recent study looking into the links between parent and child phone use, added when speaking with The Washington Post.
As we enter into the new year and reflect on the changes we want to implement in our lives, reducing screen time is a great goal that can have a profound effect on anyone’s lives — and may even impact the lives of those around them as well.
Read Next: How a Digital Detox Could Change Your Child’s Life
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