Author: It’s Time to Log Off

A Brief History of Digital Detox

Users have been concerned about the impact of screentime on our mental and physical health since the creation of the WorldWideWeb. We’ve trawled through the records to show you that the history of anxiety about screens, and attempts to spend time off them, is as long as the history of screens itself.

The History of Digital Detox:

1998

With the creation of the WorldWideWeb in the early-90s researchers (primarily psychologists and anthropologists) first started to suggest that it might not be a wholly beneficial invention, with the early emphasis being on the “overuse” phenomena and internet addiction and dependency. Dr Kimberley Young penned: ‘Caught in the net: how to recognize the signs of Internet addiction–and a winning strategy for recovery‘, and proposed one of the first sets of criteria to detect Internet addiction. Any individual who fulfilled five of the following eight criteria would be regarded as Internet addicted:

1. Preoccupation with the Internet;
2. A need for increased time spent online to achieve the same amount of satisfaction;
3. Repeated efforts to curtail Internet use;
4. Irritability, depression, or mood lability when Internet use is limited;
5. Staying online longer than anticipated;
6. Putting a job or relationship in jeopardy to use the Internet;
7. Lying to others about how much time is spent online; and
8. Using the Internet as a means of regulating mood.

2008

China became the first country in the world to classify ‘internet addiction disorder’ as a mental illness. Since then the government estimates 24 adults and children have been diagnosed and over 300 military-style bootcamps have sprung up all over the country to enforce drastic and draconian digital detox methods.

2009

When early social media platforms launched in the early-00s; LinkedIn (2002), YouTube (2005), and MySpace (2003), concerns shifted to the impact these types of applications might be having on our brains. A group of researchers produced a paper entitled: ‘Social network and addiction’, indicative of the worry social media addiction was beginning to cause.

2012

A study found that around 60% of Facebook users had made a conscious effort to voluntarily take a break from Facebook for a time period of several weeks or more. This early form of digital detox was referred to the as ‘media refusal’, with non-users known as ‘social media rejectors’.

Camp Grounded launched its first digital detox retreat in California with 10 guests.

2013

Former Googler Tristan Harris launched the Center for Humane Technology, formerly called Time Well Spent, to spread awareness and talk about the aspects of technology that are often ignored, such as attention and distraction and their effects on the user

2014

Our founder, Tanya Goodin, responded to the growing concerns coming from North America and Asia about our excessive attention to screens and founded Time to Log Off in the UK. We’ve spent the past six years collecting research and resources on the subject to share with our community.

2015

A survey conducted by Deloitte found that around 59% of smartphone users checked a social media platform in the five minutes before going to bed, and within 30 minutes of waking up.

A 2015 review concluded there was a probable link between basic psychological needs and social media addiction. “Social network site users seek feedback, and they get it from hundreds of people—instantly. It could be argued that the platforms are designed to get users ‘hooked‘.”

The first digital detox retreat was run by Time To Log Off in Europe, in October of this year.

2016

A reduced sense of wellbeing was found in teenagers who passively, rather than actively, used social media. Research by Chassiakos, Radesky, and Christakis showed that the manner of social media use was the key factor, rather than the amount of time engaged. A decline in well-being and life-satisfaction was found in older adolescents who passively consumed social media, but these were not found in those who were more actively engaged.

2017

Facebook admitted that this passive consumption of social media, described in the 2016 research, could be harmful to mental health, although they said active engagement could have a positive effect. An Oxford University study showed that digital use can be seen as conforming to a ‘Goldilocks effect‘ – with both spending too much and too little time on screens having a negative impact on wellbeing. It suggested that moderate use could have positive effects in terms of connectivity, which we have always pointed out at Time to Log Off. 

Our first book, Off: Your Digital detox for a Better Life was published, one of the very first titles looking at the reasons for digital detox – and how to do one, and is now translated into seven languages.

2018

An Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report noted the benefits of ‘structured and limited’ internet use in children and adolescents for developmental and educational purposes, but found that excessive use could have a negative impact on mental wellbeing, leading to discussions about what excessive use looked like and what form breaks from screens should take.

2019

Radesky and Christakis, published research which suggested that there are developmental risks when young children have too much access to screens too early. There was also a review of the research carried out to date and though there have been various methodical critiques the conclusion was that there are concrete connections between screen time and health problems, whilst limited use led to some social benefits. Researchers also found that a majority of adults in the US use Facebook and 60% of those have made an active effort to use it less in recent times.

Social media platforms such as Instagram began to explore alternative methods, such as making likes on a user’s post invisible to the user, to shift the focus away from constant notifications and likes.

Digital detox: where now?

Clearly we’re just at the beginning of our relationship with the digital detox. As concerns about excessive time spent on screens grows, so to is the impulse to want to spend more time away from them. We’re committed to spreading information and resources to anyone who wants to get better tech:life balance. Join us and sign up to our community to get all the latest information and research as it becomes available.

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

Living 24:6 will make you happier

We talk all the time about being ‘on’ 24:7. We have to check our emails: we never know what might come up during the lunch break which requires immediate attention. We have to have our notifications on: what if we missed the release of tickets for our favourite artist? We have to be on Twitter all the time or we might miss the next trending topic and be behind the breaking news story. Living like this is draining. UK adults now spend an average of 8 hours and 41 minutes a day on screens – more time than we’re asleep! People often ask us what an achievable way to do a digital detox might look like. So here’s one idea for trying a digital detox: living 24:6.

What is 24:6?

The idea of living 24:6 is to be be just as accessible as usual, apart from one day a week. Typically this day would be Sunday, after all, it is the day of rest. However, you could pick Wednesday to split up the week, or Monday so that it starts a bit better, whatever works for you. You can choose exactly what form 24:6 takes for you personally too. Perhaps you need a break from email but watching a little TV with the kids could be a nice relaxing way to wind down in the evening and bond? You might choose to give up social media but still check your phone messages. Or you could go cold turkey, no phone, no screens of any kind, and have one day where you can just breathe. We can guarantee that you will appreciate the break!

What are the benefits?

A regular digital detox brings so many benefits. Can you remember the last time you slept without a fitful night? If not, this could be the answer as it has been proven that a digital detox can do wonders for your sleep schedule! How about your concentration? When was the last time you read a book from start to finish without struggling to focus? Digital detoxes can help you to direct your attention where you want it, they might even help with your work. Not only that, time off screens will almost certainly benefit your mental health, leaving you happier and healthier each week.

How to organise it

If the point of living 24:6 is to put less stress on yourself then you might want to take a few steps beforehand so it doesn’t stress you out even more! If you won’t be contactable then talk to those for whom it’s important to be able get hold of you. You could give them a landline number or the number of someone you’ll be with. It can be hard to commit to a new habit so make it as easy for yourself as possible by thinking through and eliminating problems up front.

Give 24:6 living a go, maybe for just this week, and let us know how you get on? We love to get your feedback about what is working for you in trying a digital detox and building a more mindful lifestyle. Good luck!

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

#logoffforlove this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day. Whether we view it as a holiday on a par with Christmas, or snub it as another money-making invention by card companies, it’s hard to ignore the opportunity to do something to show our loved ones how much we care.

However, no matter how wonderfully thoughtful the plans you have made for Valentine’s Day, they won’t be complete if you’re glued to your screen. To really participate in Valentine’s Day we need to be present and fully in the moment with our loved ones.

Unsurprisingly, research has found that the more often someone gets ‘phubbed‘ (phone snubbed) by their partner, the less satisfied they are with their romantic relationship. With Valentine’s Day approaching, we need to figure out how to get our technology use under control so that it doesn’t have a negative impact on our relationships.

Valentine’s Day is about making your significant other feel special. How can you do this when you refuse to give them your full attention? We need to learn to live through each other, and not through our screens. This is why every year we run our #logoffforlove campaign.

6 Do’s and Don’ts to #logoffforlove this Valentine’s Day

DO Write a card

Whilst sending a quick text to let your partner know how much you appreciate them requires less planning, it just can’t beat the feeling of receiving a card. Knowing that you have invested time and attention into picking out a card and then filling it with a meaningful message will make your partner feel miles more special than any emoji ever could.

DO Put your phone away during dinner

Spending time together requires more than just being sat on the same table at a restaurant. Dinners together can be a wonderful way to take a break from our hectic lives and spend quality time together, but checking your phone throughout dinner signals that you are not fully invested in your partner. Give them your full attention; put it on do not disturb so that even the buzzing of notifications won’t be a distraction.

DO Choose a screen-free activity

Whilst movies are great, wouldn’t it be nice to interact with the other a little more? Even if you are concentrated on the same thing, having your eyes fixed to a screen, with parallel lines of sight, does not invite the same intimacy and affection that other activities would. Do something like cooking together, or go for a walk: anything that involves face-to-face communication and interaction.

DON’T check social media

Again, you’re spending time together, so why would you want to shift your focus onto what others are doing at this moment? In fact, many even find that their partner’s love of social media feels like there is a third person in the relationship. Show your partner that you are fully invested in them by not allowing them to become a third wheel to you and your phone.

DON’T check your phone before bed

Having your phone in the bedroom is just not a good idea. It compromises your sleep, is not exactly an aphrodisiac, and checking it before bed yet again signals to your partner that you are more interested in other people’s lives and stories right now than theirs.

DO Continue this all year

These tips aren’t just for Valentine’s Day – they’re great habits to adopt in order to establish a healthier relationship with our tech. We need to be reminded to prioritise our human relationships. These steps should be good starting points towards overcoming our addition to our phones. Good luck, and have a Happy Valentine’s Day.

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

The Fight Back Against the Algorithms

Algorithms seem to be taking over our lives. Every time we hit the search button on Google, buy a train ticket online or use social media we are expanding the scope and range of algorithms. Instead of letting a string of computer code increasingly decide our preferences for us,  how can we fight back and retain some element of control over our online experiences?

An ‘Algorithm’ is simply a set of instructions, and today it just describes the automated steps a computer follows in operating different functions. But, after repeated reference in the context of social media giants such as Facebook, and privacy scandals such as that of Cambridge Analytica, the concept has taken on very many negative connotations. ‘Algorithm’ has almost become a dirty word.

An algorithm in itself is not sinister, and they have some fantastic applications in our day-to-day lives, such as suggesting the quickest route home or saving us from having to type the full question into Google through suggestions.

However, algorithms need to be demystified. We need to understand how they gather and use data on us so that we can limit the control they have over us.

What’s so harmful about social media algorithms?

Social media algorithms are central to online advertising. To be cost-effective, companies want to ensure their advertisements are being shown to the right people. That’s where algorithms come in: by analysing the issues and subjects we interact with positively on social media they can determine what sort of products and services we may be interested in. Brands and businesses then pay social media platforms like Facebook to push their services to us, and suddenly we’re inundated with online advertisements tailored exactly to our interests.

Ultimately, an algorithm aims to override human thought and decision making process, telling and showing us what we want to see, before we may have even decided this ourselves. However, the problem is not that the algorithms exist, it’s that we’ve invested too much trust in them. We need to remember that what content we seek out and view should be up to us. You may love discovering new music through Spotify’s personalised suggestions, but you know that sometimes you’ll want to explore new genres: music that is not in any way similar to what you listen to now. Because this won’t be like any music you’ve listened to thus far, you probably value the freedom to seek this out yourself.

Are algorithms biased?

Yes, inevitably. An algorithm reviews the content we like and then pushes similar content towards us.

This is supposedly all to guarantee a positive user experience, but surrounding ourselves purely with things that we know you like and agree with is dangerous – that way echo chambers lie. And it limits imagination and caps our powers of exploration. The web is a vast jungle of information and opinions, but if we rely on algorithms too much, browsing the web will become a rather stagnant and passive experience, more like watching television than searching for and discovering things ourselves.

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How can we limit algorithms’ power over us?

We need to be careful that we do not become puppets of algorithms and subsequently victims of sophisticated, big budget, online marketing.

Cut down the time you spend on social media

The less information you provide algorithms with, the less they will know about you. It’s as simple as that. Spend less time on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and become less reliant on social media sites for your news. The nature of an algorithm means it is inevitably biased: do you really want your news to be provided by a source with an agenda? 

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Confuse the algorithms

Anyone who doesn’t want social media algorithms gathering too much personal data needs to start disrupting them. That is, go against what they think you want. This means ‘liking’ and ‘following’ posts and communities that you really have no interest in (or even disagree with!) and resisting the urge to click on pages promoted to you. Consciously spend some time each day confusing the profile of information that’s been built up about you by behaving unpredictably online. A less certain algorithm will provide a greater diversity in the content pushed to you, reinstating the power of choice.

If this feels too counter-intuitive, Go Rando is a web browser extension that can do it for you!

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

6 Steps to Digital Decluttering

As we begin the new year, we all have ideas as for how we would like to improve ourselves. Perhaps we would like to learn to manage and use our time more efficiently, or be more productive at work or even just in our daily lives. Perhaps we would like to give ourselves the opportunities to find and release ourselves in activities we truly love.

However, often the most difficult part of bringing about change to our lifestyles is deciding how we can start. That’s where digital decluttering comes in. Think of it as Spring cleaning for your tech! Throwing out junk and sweeping away the cobwebs of past interactions and causes of stress.

Digital decluttering essentially entails organising your technology by clearing it of all the unnecessary documents, emails and other forms of information no longer of any use. We find that digital decluttering is not only the first step towards improving productivity, but also enables us to release ourselves from the stresses and pressures of daily life – by allowing us to concentrate and focus on doing the things we love when we have time off.  Here are six steps to help you do just that.

Organise your files

I find that a messy desktop is enough to discourage me and thus limit my productivity before I have even started my work! It is a fairly soothing and mindless activity to tidy your files into navigable folders so they are easily accessible, and the stress relief that comes as a result is well worth the task. Furthermore, try to make it a practice to save files into an organised area as you work.

Manage your inbox

An office worker receives on average 121 emails every day! That’s 600 emails coming into their inbox every working week. Having this much information facing you can be overwhelming and thus hinder productivity. So, clear out your inbox: delete past conversations, unmark those flagged emails you never managed to chase up and unsubscribe from those irrelevant newsletters you never read anyway!

Keep your tech up to date with you

By this, we mean both keeping your devices technically up to date with the latest software and security, as well as keeping it up to date with your lifestyle. Delete applications you no longer use – these just take up both visual and memory space and slow your device. Take back control over your device so that its function is suited to you and your life today.

Turn off unrelated notifications during working hours

There’s no point responding to non urgent personal messages whilst trying to work. Productivity, and the quality of interaction with the person contacting you, both benefit from you concentrating on work and then knowing you can use your well earned break to commit yourself to stress-free social interaction. Trying to do both simultaneously won’t help either.

Avoid online distractions whilst working

A well earned break from work can do wonders for productivity, but too often all we do on our break is check social media or open YouTube whilst still trying to concentrate on a project (the average user checks their smartphone every 12 minutes!), These distractions make it even more difficult for us to resume focus, and almost always leave us feeling even more unproductive and worse about ourselves. (We offer specific advice here if you actually feel that you are addicted to your phone).

Limit your use of technology

The quantity of information being uploaded to social media and the rate at which we are exposed to new content and information can be overwhelming. By choosing to engage in real time face-to-face social interaction, rather than dedicating hours of our day to social media, we’re giving ourselves an emotional breather and decluttering our brains, allowing them to recharge by focussing on the truly enriching and important moments of social interaction. For more help on distancing yourself from your technology, take a look at our upcoming retreats.
View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

7 Realistic Digital Detox Resolutions for 2020

Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed the festive season and are looking forward to 2020 as much as we are. It’s not just a new year but a new decade! So, it’s a perfect time for rethinking any aspects of our lives that we’d really like to change. Why not include some digital detox resolutions this year too? We’re suggesting seven which are deceptively simple and will make a big difference to your physical and mental health as we enter the 2020s. Handily, digital detoxing will also help you with your other goals as you’ll have more time to go to the gym, more focus for that new language learning and be all-round more energised.

Let’s make the most of the new decade and use it to change our tech habits for the better!

7 Digital Detox Resolutions for a Healthier, Happier New Decade

#1 Finally get an alarm clock

Ever since the dawn of Time to Log Off we’ve been advocating the importance of alarm clocks. Our sleep is one of the most impacted areas of our life by screens. This is because we check them last thing at night and use them as alarms first thing in the morning. No wonder 47% of adults miss sleep due to internet usage! So if you haven’t got one by now, this year really is the time to make the leap. Take away the excuse of needing to wake-up to your phone and buy an alarm clock so you can leave your device outside your door and get your first good night’s sleep in years.

#2 Declutter notifications

We don’t need to tell you how easy it is to get swept up in text conversations or overwhelmed by a pressure to keep up with a group chat when you’re supposed to be doing something else. It’s detrimental to focus and stops us from being able to do our jobs properly. So, do a digital declutter and look through your apps – deciding which ones you really need notifications from. Do you need to know every time a distant ex-colleague posts on LinkedIn? Or when a family member posts on Facebook about their laundry? Start the decade by Marie-Kondo’ing your apps and only keep notifications from those that bring you joy – or those that help you keep your job!

#3 Leave the house without your phone

We’re not suggesting you never take your phone out ever again, but do you really need it to walk the dog, pop to the shops or take out the bins? We take our phones everywhere! This year we challenge you to try going out without your phone once a week and feel the relief you experience when you’re not available to anyone and can relax. It will help you exercise your navigation skills too.

#4 Introduce the ‘digital pause’ a mini digital detox every day

Getting a better balance with tech doesn’t mean that you ban yourself from looking at your phone for days. A helpful digital pause could be choosing not to check it while commuting, or until after breakfast, or once you have brushed your teeth at night. All of these micro moments off-screen will give you more time to focus on your other resolutions and to think without distraction – and you’ll feel better for it.

#5 Set boundaries for availability

After you’ve decluttered notifications and planned your digital pause, you might also want to set boundaries with people in your life about when you will be available. We’ve found ourselves in a 24/7 culture where it’s somehow totally OK to receive and respond to work emails past work hours, for friends to text at all time of night, and for  everyone to be seriously annoyed if you don’t answer immediately. For our own mental health sometimes we need to be inaccessible, at least for a little while. The easiest excuse to give for avoiding any kind of digital detox is to say you worry someone can’t get hold of you. So, set clear boundaries such as ‘I won’t respond to work emails on Sunday’ or ‘I don’t check WhatsApp until lunch’. People who need to contact you will find another way, and you’ll be able to take time off screens without stressing.

#6 Stop phubbing your friends

‘Phubbing’ is the term coined for looking at your phone when you are with other people, snubbing them for your screen. Frankly, it’s rude and we all find it annoying, especially after this holiday season, so try and lead by example this year and don’t take out your phone when you are with your friends! Perhaps it will lead to a conversation about screen use with other people in your life.

#7 Listen to our podcast!

Each episode of our digital detox podcast ‘It’s Complicated’ is filled with fascinating advice from people of all walks of life on how they manage their screen use. If you’re encountering a particular problem – such as that your career is online, or you’re dealing with online dating – turn to our podcast, our guests will have the answers!

We hope our seven suggestions for realistic digital detox resolutions will help you to achieve a better tech life balance balance this year – and a healthier and happier life all round. Good luck!

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

Our Top 10 digital detox blogs of 2019

In 2019 the world continued to debate the hot topics: climate change, democratic freedoms and, of course, digital addiction. With the evidence to back it up everyone from celebrities to businesses began to support the idea of digital detoxes and to give them a go. Record numbers of you came to our website to help manage your tech:life balance and we have given you the tools and advice to do so.

This year we launched a podcast interviewing scientists, experts, YouTubers and more about their relationship with their phone. Each and every one of us has a complicated relationship with screens and we hope to help you untangle that through our podcast, retreats and of course our articles. Here’s a little reminder of our 10 most popular posts from 2019:

 

10. Digital Detox Treat or Treat? Is Phone Addiction Just a Scary Story?

In this article, we debunked the idea that there isn’t enough science to back up a need for a digital detox. Some have compared them to juice cleanses, but through scientific consensus, we are starting to agree that excessive screen use can be problematic. We discovered that those at the top of Big Tech restrict their children’s screen use at home. In this article, we explain why we should take note.

9. E SAFETY: What to Look Out for to Stay Safe Online

As we move forward in this digital era people are becoming more and more aware of the dangers of the online world, as shown in the popularity of this post. From ‘phishing’ to the MOMO challenge we explain the dangers the online world can pose, including those we create through our digital footprint!

 8. Did #FACEBOOKDOWN Prove We’re All Addicted to Social Media?

In 2019 Facebook and all its other services were shut down for 14 hours, unprecedented in the company’s history. This caused a major outcry which only proved the dependence we all have on social media and prompted us to ask how we can lessen this.

7. Digital Detox For a Better Life, on World Mental Health Day

This World Mental Health Day, we encouraged you to take steps to not only improve your own mental health but that of others. We suggested that you could delete some social media apps, and put your phone down when talking to people 1-2-1 amongst other things.

6. Tips for Dealing With Digital Distractions as a Student

This year many younger people began to search for ways to limit their screen use. In this post, we examined the causes of digital distraction for students and highlighted some potential ways to avoid it such as handwriting notes in lectures and turning off notifications. We also discussed the positives – such as the ability to get to know those on your course before you arrive!

5. #SUMMERUNPLUGGED Digital Detox Challenge 2019

This summer for the fourth year in a row, we challenged you to set some boundaries around screen use within your family. Whether you chose to buy an alarm clock and keep your phone outside your bedroom or just go outside to experience nature more, in this post we asked you to put down your phone for the summer and unplug with us.

4. The Youtubers Logging Off Social Media

In this post we asked why those who make their living off of social media, Youtubers, have chosen to take digital detoxes in droves this year. Inspired by a desire to have some time to themselves and to develop healthy routines these Youtubers made the conscious decision to limit their screen time and spoke highly of the benefits.

3. 18 Ideas from our Christmas Digital Detox Gift Guide

We shared 18 simple gift ideas this Christmas. In the spirit of giving, we suggested ideas such as a donation to a green charity, some relaxing bath oils, and walking tours which can entertain a family together and keep everyone off of their phones. We hope our ideas helped!

2. A Digital Detox Podcast To Help Tackle Your Phone Addiction

We’re delighted that the popularity of this post shows how well received our podcast launch was this last year. We have interviewed a wide range of people including Cal Newport, Johann Hari, Ben and Marina Fogle, and even the founder of the dating app ‘Hinge’.

1. Teens, Are You Addicted to or Embracing Technology?

Our most popular article this year shows the growing interest the younger generation have in their screen use. It’s not just parents who are concerned! We looked at the positives and negatives of screen use, from sleep to real human connection and ask whether teens need to set boundaries in order to improve these things or whether they are already doing pretty well.

 

We really enjoyed writing these articles for you in 2019 and are thrilled that you have engaged with them so enthusiastically. Look out for more episodes of our podcast, and even a retreat coming up in 2020 as well as more articles packed with research and tips on how to get a healthy balance with screens.

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

Give Your Presence, Not Presents, This Year

Christmas is coming! Across social media we can see the lights being turned on, the first mince pie being eaten, and friends attending carol-concert after carol-concert. We are all expected to have, and display, the perfect holiday season. Our gifts must be meaningful, and, in a world where everyone will see them, they must also be Insta-worthy.  How much does this all add to our festive experience, or does it just remind us about all the ways in which we’re losing out..?

Whilst the Internet can make Christmas special and help us to connect with those we cannot physically be with, we must remember not to let the pressure to share online take away from the special time we could be spending with each other.

So this year, we urge you to put down your phone and to give your time and attention, your presence, as your present this year. Our annual #PresenceNotPresents digital detox challenge returns to help you remember what matters this festive season. Switch off your devices, and pay attention to your loved ones this holiday.

Let’s Make This Christmas About Presence Not Presents

Tip 1: Buy experiences

One of the biggest pressures of Christmas is getting everyone a present they will love. So, instead of trying to guess their size or if they have already read that book, why don’t you buy them an experience you can do together? By buying tickets to a show, or even a homemade voucher for dinner you can show how much you care about spending time with them!

Tip 2: Put the phone down

We have often evangelised the importance of taking some time away from your screen. Why not put all your phones in a drawer this Christmas so that you can focus on conversations with your family? You can tell others that you will be unavailable if you are worried about being unreachable – perhaps it will inspire them to do likewise!

Tip 3: Organise Analogue Activities

Christmas can often be overtaken by a posting frenzy with every moment overtaken by a need to capture it for social media. So, why don’t we take the time to go on a Christmas walk- phone free? You could have a board game tournament or decorate Christmas biscuits, all without the distraction of screens. Every time we take time out of the online bubble so spend time on analogue activities we create new memories that make each year special.

Tip 4: Volunteer

Christmas is a time to be grateful for what we have and to pass that good fortune along. Volunteering with your family could be a wonderful way to engage with your local community and a way to go beyond the mirage of social media and embrace the real people around us this Christmas.

Be a part of the digital detox movement as we enter 2020 by reminding your loved ones of how much they mean to you by actions, not just words, and by putting down your phone to invest time into them. Remember, it is your presence not presents that should matter this Christmas!

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com