Center for Sport, Health and Wellbeing
Digital detox

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digital detox

Most of us spend several hours a day on our smartphones, bridging waiting times with WhatsApp messages, Instagram or mobile games and also using our cell phones during other activities such as eating or online seminars. Lectures or research for presentations and seminars also take place online for the most part.

But what does this actually do to us? Can the constant consumption of digital media and smartphones have negative consequences for us? And what would we actually do with all that time if we weren't spending it on our cell phones?

These are precisely the questions we will be addressing below. We want to inform and motivate people to put their cell phones down. You can find out how to do this here.

Triangle with ZSGW icon
Digital stress

Digital devices are with us every day and make many things possible, such as online lectures or Skyping with friends. However, in addition to the opportunities, they also bring disadvantages and risks. For example, digital media can lead to so-called digital stress. Digital stress is caused by the stress associated with the use of digital devices. A study by PräDiTec (Gimpel, 2019) identified a total of 12 stress factors that can occur when working with digital devices. Factors such as

Information overload

unreliability of the technology

constant permanent and omnipresence and

the fear of becoming a "transparent person".

And it is precisely these stress factors that can have a negative impact on us and our health. For example, high digital stress is associated with reduced work performance and satisfaction and can lead to emotional exhaustion. You can see the effects that high digital stress can have on our bodies in the following images.

Problematic smartphone use

In addition to digital stress, too much smartphone use can also have a negative impact on your health. Click through the images to find out what the consequences can be if you spend too much time on your smartphone and test whether you have problematic consumption yourself.

Do you have problematic smartphone use? Take the test!

Want to know how addicted you are to your smartphone? With the help of just ten questions, you can find out whether your smartphone use is problematic or within limits. The questionnaire is a validated measurement tool developed by Korean scientists (Kwon, Kim, Cho & Yang, 2013). You can take the test at the following link:

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3877074/table/pone-0083558-t001/

Both Android (from version 9) and iOS allow you to check your smartphone consumption. You can display your daily screen time and your unlocks and also set timers for apps or certain rest periods. You can also set yourself a daily screen time target, for example. We show you exactly how to do this in the following videos.

Please note: Once you watch the video, data will be transmitted to Youtube/ Google. For more information, see Google Privacy.
Android screen time
Please note: Once you watch the video, data will be transmitted to Youtube/ Google. For more information, see Google Privacy.
Screen time iOS
What can you do with the time you have saved?

Imagine you had one hour a day at your disposal that you could save through digital detox. What could you do with it...?

8 tips for a successful digital detox

Would you like to try digital detoxing too, but don't know how to get started? With our eight tips, you can get some inspiration and start your digital detox time. And remember: digital detox doesn't mean you have to put your smartphone away for the next four weeks. A digital detox can also take place on a much smaller scale and have a positive effect on you. For example, just try a few hours without your phone to start with. Have fun trying it out!

Did you know that...? - A few facts about problematic consumption
Digital detox - who's doing it?
Please note: Once you watch the video, data will be transmitted to Youtube/ Google. For more information, see Google Privacy.
Digital detox self-experiment

Does the whole digital detox topic still sound very abstract and difficult for you to implement? Anna from our study team completely gave up all digital devices for a week. She reports on her experiences in her video diary:

  • App Annie (2020). State of Mobile 2020. Available for download at https://www.appannie.com/de/go/state-of-mobile-2020/. Last accessed on March 2, 2021.
  • Bitkom Research (2020). Digital Detox Is Especially Difficult During the Pandemic. Last accessed on March 2, 2021, at https://www.bitkom.org/Presse/Presseinformation/Digital-Detox-faellt-waehrend-Corona-besonders-schwer.
  • Däfler, M.-N. (2018). Give Me Patience—But Quickly! 222 Suggestions for More Serenity and Less Stress. pp. 43–51. 2nd ed. Wiesbaden: Springer Verlag.
  • Deloitte (Ed.) (2020). Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey. Available for download at https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/telecommunications/global-mobile-consumer-survey.html
    Last accessed on March 2, 2021.
  • Gimpel, H., Lanzl, J., Regal, C., Urbach, N., Wischniewski, S., Tegtmeier, P., Kreilos, M., Kühlmann, T., Becker, J., Eimecke, J., Derra, N. D. (2019). Healthy Digital Work?! A Study on Digital Stress in Germany. Augsburg : Business Informatics Project Group at Fraunhofer FIT. doi.org/10.24406/fit-n-562039
  • Grant, J., Lust, K., & Chamberlain, S. (2019). Problematic smartphone use associated with greater alcohol consumption, mental health issues, poorer academic performance, and impulsivity. Journal of Behavioral Addiction, 8 (2), pp. 335–2342.
  • Haug, S., Casto, R., Kwon, M., Filler, A., Kowatsch, T., & Schaub, M. (2015). Smartphone use and smartphone addiction among young people in Switzerland. Journal of Behavioral Addictions 4 (4), pp. 299–307.
  • Kwon, M., Kim, D.-J., Cho, H., & Yang, S. (2013). The Smartphone Addiction Scale: Development and Validation of a Short Version for Adolescents. PLoS One 8 ( 12), e83558.
  • Otto, D. (2016). Digital Detox: How to Live Relaxed with Your Cell Phone and Other Devices. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.
  • Welledits, V., Schmidkonz, C., & Kraft, P. (2020). Digital Detox in the Workplace. Methods and Recommendations for the Healthy Use of Technology. Wiesbaden: Springer Verlag.