Most of us spend much of our day connected with our digital devices. A digital detox may have benefits such as helping you feel more connected to the world and improving your sleep.

A digital detox refers to a period of avoiding electronic devices. For some people, this might include completely avoiding technology, while others may choose to only avoid social media or the internet.

A digital detox may be particularly helpful for people who find themselves using their electronic devices before bed. Mentally stimulating activities, such as video games or social media, might impact sleep quality, and blue light from screens might also make it more difficult to fall asleep.

Digital addiction is a growing concern, especially for children and students. Digital addiction is a dependence on digital devices such as phones or computers.

Digital addiction isn’t yet an officially recognized mental health disorder, but the World Health Organization (WHO) formally recognized addiction to digital technology as a problem in 2020.

A digital detox involves avoiding digital devices for a period of time, often for several weeks or more. It may help some people connect with the world around them and become less reliant on their devices.

There may be benefits to a digital detox, such as:

  • improved sleep if you frequently spend time on your devices before bed
  • better connection with friends and loved ones
  • feeling more present in the moment

There’s no standard period for a digital detox, but many people recommend a 30-day detox since this gives adequate time to build new habits for many people.

In a small 2023 study, researchers found that a two-week detox where social media was limited to 30 minutes per day was beneficial for counteracting smartphone and social media addiction.

There’s no one way to do a digital detox, but the following steps may make undergoing a detox easier for you.

  1. Set clear goals: Try figuring out why you’re doing the detox and what you hope to achieve. For example, you may want to limit your time on social media or check your phone less frequently, so you have more time for a particular hobby or so that you get to bed at a reasonable hour.
  2. Choose a timeframe: Decide how long you want to do a detox for. Many people try for 2 weeks or 30 days, but there’s no perfect length. Starting small may feel more manageable.
  3. Choose what to avoid: You may want to avoid electronic devices completely or only focus on reducing time on social media. However, if you need your devices for work or school, it may not be possible to avoid them completely, so it’s important to set realistic goals.
  4. Set boundaries: Many tools are currently available to help you monitor or reduce your device phone or social media usage. You may find it helpful to use time-tracking apps, set up usage notifications, or use screen time monitoring tools.
  5. Inform others: It’s a good idea to let friends, family, or coworkers know you may be less responsive than usual during your detox. You may also want to try to find other people who want to try a digital detox and do it together with you.
  6. Plan alternative activities: If you check your phone frequently, you may find it helpful to fill your time with another activity or a new hobby.

Humans have survived for thousands of years without digital devices, and it’s perfectly safe to avoid your devices with some caveats.

In the beginning, you may find it challenging to avoid habits like checking your phone, and you may feel anxious or uncomfortable, like you’re missing out on something.

Additionally, modern society can pose some problems if you’re not accessing your devices regularly. You may require your devices for school or work, and not accessing them may cause issues.

Additionally, if you don’t let the people around you know that you’re not checking your messages, they may worry about you, or you may miss an important message.

If it’s not practical for you to avoid your devices completely, you may want to try a softer detox, such as avoiding social media during certain times of day, such as before bed, where it could interfere with your sleep.

You may find that you’re able to focus better after your detox and may experience increased mental clarity and less of a need to check your devices or social media on autopilot.

You may still find it helpful to limit your social media usage after your detox. Many apps and devices, such as iPhones, have built-in settings that allow you to limit certain activities.

Like with other forms of addiction, people with digital addiction may experience behaviors that are:

  • uncontrolled
  • habitual
  • compulsive

People addicted to technology may think about their technology excessively and may even experience withdrawal symptoms if they don’t have access to it. Excessive use of electronic devices may also cause physical symptoms such as:

Digital addiction is defined by a compulsive need to spend an unreasonable amount of time on digital devices to the point that other activities suffer.

Like other forms of addiction, digital addiction is driven by neurochemical changes in the brain, such as changes in dopamine levels. People with addiction go through

  • a binge or intoxication stage, where the reward centers in the brain are activated
  • a withdrawal stage, while stress systems in your brain are activated

A review of studies found that digital addiction exerts harmful effects on the structure and function of the brains of children and adolescents, with the prefrontal lobe the most impacted.

If you find you’ve been spending too much time on your devices, a digital detox may help you create new habits and reach for your phone less. You may find that it’s helpful to find new activities to fill your time with. Some ideas include:

  • exercise
  • reading
  • playing with a pet
  • spending time with friends or family
  • listening to music