Unplugged for a day: A 24-hour digital detox journey

Abstract

Background:

Today, people are living in a digital world where they spend most of their time with electronic devices such as smartphones and computers and are not aware of the influence of the digital world in their life.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to explore digital detox experience of people when they were asked to shut off the digital devices from their life for one day.

Materials and Methods:

The study’s findings were based on semistructured interviews with participants who were willing for “a data off” experience. This study included a thematic analysis of the content of interviews from participants.

Results:

Data gathered on the basis of these interviews were personal experiences shared by individuals who were abstinent from using digital devices for one day. A total of 2 major themes, discomforts, and benefits were emerged from the primary themes. The primary themes such as psychological difficulties, physical Vicissitudes, and social disquiets together produced the major theme of discomfort. Sense of belonging, mood enhancers, organized life, and health promoting activities contributed to the major theme benefits.

Conclusion:

From this study, it can be concluded that digital detox experience is an eye opener for people about how they behave when there is no access to the world of internet. Although they need to struggle to maintain the data off activity, it certainly helped them to understand the way they can actively engage in more fruitful and productive activities which enhances their quality of life.

Internet plays an integral part in human life as it helped in making the life of individuals much easier. Internet enhanced entrepreneurial activities, improved accessibility of information for research and education, altered social, political and cultural communication using digital networks, and also became a large source of entertainment. As the usage got more pronounced it also led to digital distractions, trustworthiness of information, and privacy issues.[1] Easy availability of internet also led to irrational use of this and produced deteriorating effect on the lives of people especially young adults as they are more exposed to cyber bullying, online scams, electronic gambling, cyber racism, internet addiction etc.[2] Neurological consequences were also observed in people related to internet addiction, gaming, language development, and emotional signal processing.[3] Prolonged internet use adversely affected the mental health and wellbeing of individuals. Researches on this area assumes that as the internet usage has a negative impact on overall life of a person because of the daily usage, partial or complete withdrawal from internet can produce significant improvement in various mental health domain, social relationships, and self-control. Reviews also suggest that digital detox also improved work performance,[4] positive communication skills, control over the usage of digital technologies,[5] and decreased perceived loneliness.[6] However, some studies show controversial results.[7,8] Although there are inconsistencies in the findings regarding the effect of digital detox experience, it is considered as one of the methods used by deaddiction and counselling clinics to get a control over the excess use of internet.

Internet detox/Digital detox: Fasting is a time when a person abstains from using electronic devices like computers or smartphones, which is thought to be an opportunity to relieve stress or concentrate on social contact in the real world.[9] Disengaging oneself from social media platforms and abstaining oneself from digital technologies is not an easy task as the people are depending internet more and more for their everyday activities. To get a clear understanding about the internet fasting and its effect, the study attempted to identify the experience of individuals when they abstain from internet for a day. The research mainly focused on the psychophysiological changes of people who agree for a digital detox experience and the way they spend their day without digital interruption.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

This exploratory study has used the qualitative-descriptive approach. The researcher intended to know about the experience of individuals without the Internet to comprehend what life would be like for people without it. The investigator advertised about the study through social media as well as personally contacted people. Those who were interested were given detailed description and instructions about the study and were interviewed directly or through google meet. They were enquired about the experience of a digital fasting that involved being offline for 24 hours.

Purposeful sampling methods[10] were used to gather information-rich cases, primarily criterion sampling. Criterion sampling refers to picking cases that meet some prespecified criterion. The inclusion criteria for this study were Internet users, above 18 years of age, users of mobile applications, accounts on any social media platform, and a minimum average screen time of more than four hours. Individuals with medical conditions requiring constant online monitoring or access, individuals with jobs mandate uninterrupted digital device usage, users having online learning or exams during the study period, and users with prior digital detox experience were excluded from the study.

Sample size was not predetermined, and it was depended on the completion of data collection without the emergence of any new information. Thus, data saturation[11] determined the participant count, and in this study, it was attained by the 55^th interview. Interview reports were gathered from 55 participants: male (N = 25) and female (N = 30) adult web users from different districts of Kerala.

Based on the initial interviews, a semistructured interview schedule was prepared by the investigator. This included questions regarding the feelings, difficulties, realizations they had during their “data off” activity. Interview also focused on the alternatives they have used to deal daily online time and how they compared their online and offline days. The statements regarding Internet fasting/digital detox experiences (24 hours) were collected by interviewing the participants. The participants who were expressed interest in the study were described about the study and explained the purpose and relevance of the study. A major number of people refused to participate in the study as they were not interested in switching off their mobile data for a day. A filled informed consent form was taken either directly or through google form from the participants who were expressed their willingness to participate in the study and their privacy and confidentiality were well maintained. Participants are requested to switch off their internet a day (24 hours) in their homes, offices, outside, etc.,—“Data off Activity”. They were allowed to call or receive phone calls when emergency situations arise. They were also given clear instructions that they can spend their days as they wish except involving in activities using internet. They were allowed to clarify their doubts and queries with the investigator. On the next day after the day of “data off” activity, they were interviewed about the previous day’s experience.

Each interview lasted between 15 and 60 minutes. The interview was audio-recorded with the permission of participants. The researcher then made a verbatim transcription of them.

Data analysis

A six-stage approach of inductive thematic analysis was used to process data.[12] The coding process was conducted manually. The data were scrutinized several times to initiate the development of the primary themes or categories and to understand the text as a whole. The category or theme development process was performed in such a way that “higher-level categories” are derived from the aim of the evaluation and “lower-level categories” from in vivo coding.[13] This was followed by testing of the uncoded text and overlapping of categories. The process was finalized through a series of revisions of key themes and subthemes, including redefining, merging, and separating themes until satisfactory results are achieved. Investigator triangulation was used in which, where both researchers took part in the data analysis procedure, to create the final set of codes by comparing and adjusting their coding.

The Institutional Research Ethics Committee approved the study (No. PNC/2023/REC) on August 2, 2023. The study was carried out from August 2023 to November 2023.

RESULTS

The investigator interviewed and discussed with each participant about the one-day offline experience. Different kinds of responses were identified and analyzed. Significant statements were selected from 55 verbatim transcripts of Webbers (n = 55), and themes reflecting the psychophysiological changes during digital detox of web users were identified. Most of the participants reported that they have an intention to use the phone but resisted the urge to do. Some participants reported feeling of emptiness. Statements of the participants regarding this are as follows:

“Oh… I had frequent urges to grab my phone… but since I was participating in the study, I prevented myself from doing so.”

“I am a teacher and I have made it a habit to check my social media accounts during the breaks between my classes… but that day it felt like my mind was blank…”

Various emotions were expressed by participants such as anger, irritation, and sadness as they are unable to use their digital device. One of them replied that:

“Actually, I am not an addict. However, I get annoyed and agitated when I purposefully go offline… I feel a kind of impatience…”

Many of them reported physiological responses such as heaviness and tremors. One of the participants reported:

“Every day, at all times, I like to keep my mobile with me. But because of you, I didn’t take my phone … I didn’t even receive a single call today. Somewhat like drug addicts, I’ve experienced shivering sensations in my fingers and palms. I’ve even experienced a feeling of looseness in my palms”.

Thoughts regarding messages received in the phone and hopes regarding being online after 24 hours were also reported by the participants. Since the detox lasts only 24 hours, it reassured some participants and encouraged them to engage in the data off activity. The messages and phone calls received were not much as some of them expected. One of the replies was that:

“…Although I didn’t bring my phone, I often assumed that my phone would receive the messages. However, when I turned on my mobile data after 24 hours, I discovered that there weren’t many messages or notifications on my phone. I had only gotten two or three group messages. I realized a lot from this task…”

Researcher enquired about their perceived positive aspects of digital detox. They shared a variety of experienced benefits. They reported that they were surprised to see the changes in their daily routine and got adequate free time. Many of them said that they interacted well with neighbours, parents and partners which was not frequent in their daily life. They found pleasure in interacting with others and also observed positive responses from them. One of the participant’s responses was that:

“What can I say…. ah…my routine was like this- I’d wake up late in the morning, take a bath and have breakfast. Then I’d go to the office and come back home by evening. I’d have tea, spend my time on my phone, and take a short nap. Then, I’d have dinner with my family. I’d barely get enough time to talk to my parents. But yesterday, I talked a lot with them… I saw happiness in my mom’s and dad’s eyes…I felt very happy and content…”

Participants reported that they could spend quality time with their family members. They went outside with their family members and gave much attention and care to them. The response is as follows:

“I had planned several times to go for an outing with my family. Since it was a holiday and I didn’t have access to the internet, it felt like I was sitting idle. So, I decided to go out… I took family for a trip and we all felt refreshed. We decided to hold small trips like this once or twice a week, or once a month…”

One of participant said that she had a wonderful experience while taking care of her child. She reported that:

“I have a baby… I am a nursing mother… I like to check my social media accounts while feeding my baby. But today, as I decided to remain offline while nursing, I kissed my child, looked at her face, and caressed her head… I realized that I had missed many precious moments with her…”

Participants reported that as they are offline, they have enough time to do their work and could finish their works on time. Some of them got good sleep and woke up early.

Many participants opined that they spent their offline hours by engaging in many fruitful activities. Thus, investigator enquired about the way they spent their offline day. They reported that they could complete their pending works and could engage in activities they wished to do. Some kept themselves busy with certain tasks to avoid boredom without internet. They used their time for cleaning, child caring, exercising, painting, gardening, preparing spices, reading, writing, stitching, and praying. Some of them have gone for outing and family visit. Some of the responses are as follows:

“There are many corners in my room and home that I intended to clean days ago. As I have nothing to do, I cleaned and removed unwanted things and waste from my home. When my husband and children came back, they appreciated me seeing the well-kept home… (smiles)”

“Normally, after my office hours…I’d come to my room and watch comedy shows and trolls to laugh at and relax… but as my net is turned off today, I took my vehicle and went outside…to the beach… spent some time there… and asked two of my friends to come. We spent time there by talking and flying a kite, and we had dinner from one of my friend’s house.

“I can’t clearly tell how I spent the day yesterday… I slept… ah… I thought about my past… I lied down on the bare floor, staring at the ceiling. Since I live in an apartment here, I often think about my home… the plants there, my siblings, my childhood friends, and many other things… I even called two of my best friends. I also told my husband about my interest in planting a few plants in the balcony.

The Codes, Primary Themes, and Major Themes developed from Digital Detox Experience are combined and depicted in Table 1.

Table 1.

Digital Detox Experience – Codes, Primary Themes and Major Themes developed

Codes	Primary themes	Major themes
Anxiety Stress Lack of concentration Restlessness Panic Loneliness Disappointment Grief Anger Eagerness to be online	Psychological difficulties	Discomforts
Tremors Headache Disrupted sleep	Physical Vicissitudes
Laziness at work Irregular routine	Social disquiets
Improved child care Better relationship with the partner Better communication with parents Improved communication at school/workplace Better neighbourhood relations Family visit Visit friends	Sense of belonging	Benefits
Plan activities Do the activities on time	Punctuality/organized life
Relief Reading newspaper/book Exercise Watching T. V Gardening Leisure time Rest Good sleep Refreshment Calmness/Peace Eye relief	Health-promoting Activities
Other leisure activities	Mood enhancers

The major themes emerged from this digital detox experience are the discomforts and benefits of data off activity. Discomforts are produced in a biopsychosocial level. Although the digital detox experience produces certain discomforts for the person, it also produces benefits too. Discomforts were mainly in psychological, physical, and social level. People got anxious, stressed, and disappointed due to their inability to use gadgets. It also produced loneliness, grief, anger, and panic sensations. Some of them were unable to concentrate in anything. They felt an eagerness to get into online mode. The participants reported that they are unable to sleep and have tremors in hands and fingers and headache when they are not using internet. People also experienced laziness to do any works and found to have disrupted routine. All these unpleasant feelings and thoughts may lead an individual to resume the use of internet. But when they were determined to abstain from internet, they tried various methods to spend their time effectively. This helped them to organize their time, and it also led to improved mood. People identified that they can able to relate to their partners, friends, children, relatives, and neighbors in a better way and found that they were able to engage in so many activities that make them both physically and mentally healthy.

DISCUSSION

Every day, people spend countless hours online. Our well-being is being significantly impacted in a number of ways due to this. This study is evidenced by the discomforts participants experienced while internet is not available. People encounter challenges when there is no internet during data-off activity. Everyone agreed that their hand tended to check the phone.

The absence of technology lead to symptoms like agitation, unrest, sweating, nervousness, disorientation, and tachycardia.[14] People responded in maladaptive ways such as becoming irate, anxious, or depressed when anything happens wrong with digital means that prevent them from being online.[15] It also negatively affects productivity and goal-setting, which can result in poor job performance.

After abstaining from the internet for a day, the individuals reported much higher levels of happiness and considerably improved emotional and physical health. Connecting to the internet is the major reason for picking up their phone. Social information that social media users are exposed to encourages social comparison and social media-related envy.[16] It is important to note that, despite the fact that users may be interested in internet information, it does not actually make them feel happy.

Giving up social media for a week significantly improves well-being, mood, anxiety, depression, and sadness.[17] A slight enhancement in well-being after an absence from social media seems to be caused by changes in the quality of sleep.[18] It is also seen that people who use the internet excessively are seem to be depressed and have social inhibition and difficulty in making rapport with other people.[19] An article entitled “Digital Detox in India” indicated that digital detox resulted in good mental health, better interpersonal relationships, increased productivity, and good posture.[20] Quitting social media usage (SMU) made people think that they need to occupy their time with activities other than social media.[21] Despite the benefits of a digital detox, people believe that if it lasts for too long, it will make them uncomfortable and even maladaptive. This is also supported by the assumption that there is a possibility that other factors act as mediators in the relationship between Internet use and well-being.[22,23] It opens possibility for further research in this area.

Limitations

There are certain limitations for this study. The study’s findings are based on participants willing to undergo a digital detox, which might exclude highly internet-dependent individuals who avoided participation. Participants were exclusively from Kerala, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings to other regions or cultures and a single 24-hour detox period might not capture long-term psychophysiological effects or adaptive behaviors.

CONCLUSION

From the study, it is evident that when people deliberately control their internet usage, it produces various psychophysiological changes. Some people experience great difficulty to refrain from the internet. But when they decide to continue their digital detox journey, it provided a great insight for them. They found out that the activities they avoided because of their lack of time are very precious and are essential for their life. Understanding the value of human relationships, face to face interaction, and need for quality time for self and for others helped the individuals to rethink about rescheduling their life based on these factors.

Author’s contribution

Concept, design, literature search, data acquisition, Data analysis: BOMS

Data analysis, Manuscript preparation, manuscript editing and manuscript review: MSB

Data availability statement

Data can be made available on reasonable request

Ethical statement

This study was approved by the Institutional Research Ethics Committee with all participants providing informed consent and ensuring confidentiality throughout the research process. Ethical standards were upheld in line with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

Funding Statement

Nil.