Do you sleep with the phone next to your bed?
Or worse, on or under your pillow with it pinging or vibrating with every text, Tweet, or notification?
Do you feel insecure if your device isn’t nearby or on your person?
If you say yes, to any of these queries, maybe it’s time for a digital detox.
If we are going to preach to our kids to be less dependent on technology in their daily life, to limit their screen time, then we should model balanced digital habits ourselves. To help with that, here are seven simple steps for a digital detox with no FOMO.
FOMO or the “Fear Of Missing Out,” as Dr. Jennifer Shapka of the University of British Columbia defined it, is the “fear that others elsewhere are having more fun, or that you are missing out on a rewarding experience. It can lead to feelings of anxiety, envy, insecurity, and loneliness.”
FOMO is something our kids feel every day. So many of my students come to me in the mornings to borrow device chargers because they fell asleep with their phones on the pillow next to them, not plugged in, but now, not wanting to miss a single Snap, text, or Tweet, they need a charge. They worry that if they’re not posting a selfie about their life, they’re not living their best life. Sometimes we grownups feel the same thing!
Taking a digital detox, or at least adopting a few new mindful tech techniques, can be a healthy step forward.