Page 32 - Trending Magazine 2018 Spring

Digital Detox_Layout 1 18-03-16 2:15 PM Page 2

“I’ve given up technology. I have no social media, I have no ways of using that service which can lead to a form of un-
cable, Netflix, anything of the sort,” one commenter wrote. healthy attachment for some,” Sobkow said. “I see
“When you enter my house, there is a basket for phones. (Facebook) has been tweaking the types of content their
No joke. I don’t need to sit watching someone be in users see in newsfeeds toencourage usage they believe is
another world.” healthy, which is something I respect in an environment
“What I can’t stand is when I visit people or they come to where there is always going to be shareholder pressure
stay at my place and they spend their time on their to ramp up profits.”
smartphone … we have become the most socially unsocial Although disconnecting from the online world for months
people,” another commenter added. at a time may seem impossible, MacKrith said it’s actually
Others said they didn’t know if an all-out digital detox was not that bad.
necessary, but that they had taken steps to find a more “I don’t really find I miss the social media, maybe just a few
positive balance with technology. people,” MacKrith said, adding he still allows himself to
“For myself it has always been a situation of learning a bit check his email once a day to keep in touch with some
of discipline … if your phone rings or if your phone dings, friends. “I sometimes miss seeing some of my friend’s
it is not a problem to ignore it because you know the feeds, but I keep myself busy with other stuff … I spend a
message will still be there later,” one commenter said. lot of my time reading books instead of engaging in social
Adam Sobkow, eBrandon owner and manager, said he too media. I still allow myself to watch movies, as well.”
has had to find a balance. MacKrith also notices a reduction of stress after being off
“On the whole, technology is a great thing and is a big part his phone for a bit, he said, and an increase in his ability to
of my life,” Sobkow said. “Like anything where you have a concentrate.
smorgasbord of options to pick from and the ability to “I find it much easier to focus on my reading … it’s a little
only consume so much, you have to learn to prioritize and more of a struggle to read textbooks — or even non-text-
strike a balance.” books — during the school year. I find it significantly easier
Personally, Sobkow said he finds that balance lies in care- to focus during those summer months,” MacKrith said.
fully choosing what notifications he has set up on his While he recognizes some people may not be able to drop
phone. their devices cold turkey for months at a time, MacKrith
“I’ve found it important to be very choosey about what said he recommends people allow themselves to discon-
has the power to take my attention. It initially seems like nect — even if it’s only a few hours or a day at a time.
a great idea to say yes to anything that wants to send you “I’m not saying we should get rid of social media, but give
an alert that’s relevant to your life or interests in some yourself some breathing room and engage with the real
way, but eventually those alerts start adding up,” Sobkow world,” MacKrith said. “It’s something I think we should all
said. “Every time the phone buzzes and I check it, I’m do a little more.”
getting pulled away from the present moment in some Giving the brain a break from the constant demand of our
way… That doesn’t mean that all notifications are bad. Not devices is becoming more important to our mental health,
long ago, the city starting offer-
ing the ability to send out emer-
gency notifications. If there’s a
critical situation in this city, I
want that alert.”
As for eBrandon, Sobkow said
he hasn’t gotten into sending
phone notifications from the
website, and he hasn’t neces-
sarily had to. It is important, he
said, that tech companies are
mindful of the social responsi-
bilities that come with the
services they offer.
“Every service provider is going
to be different … if you look at
Facebook, for example, I imaine
it’s a fine line between offering
a service that their user base
looks for and perhaps having
EBrandon owner Adam Sobkow says it’s important for people to strike a balance between
32 social media use, and their time for other important things in life, such as work and family.