In an article published on Statista, it showed that Americans use some form of electronics 11+ hours a day. If we are awake 18 hours a day, digital devices consume a tremendous amount of our waking time. I am not sure of the accuracy of the data, but from personal experience, I use some electronics daily for long periods. The article included that we multitask, so the data needs to be read and understood in that context.
I am not advocating for a partial or complete withdrawal from electronics because we can no more turn it off, unplug it, and walk away than we can stop the sun from rising. But just las we can wear sunblock or wear a hat to protect us from the rays of the sun, we can use filters to protect us from the evil digits.
My challenge in the first post asked to see how many of us could turn it off, unplug it, and walk away for one hour a day for one week. I must admit I did not do very well at the beginning of the week. Though I walked for one hour, I still carried my phone, and each time that disgusting little beep went off, I checked for a message. Finally, towards the end of the week, I measured the distance from my starting point to the halfway point and used that as a guide for my digitally unstimulated walk. So for the last four days of the challenge, I took off my watch, kissed my phone goodbye, and locked them in the car. I turned it off, unplugged it, and walked away. So, for just one hour a day during the busiest part of my day, I became digitally unstimulated!
How has it been working for you?
Stan Brooks, PhD