The document discusses the importance of taking breaks from the digital world and excessive technology use. It notes that the average American spends 8 hours per day staring at screens. Excessive technology use is linked to loneliness, low moods, and loss of real-life friends. While technology has benefits, finding a proper balance is important. The document provides strategies for limiting technology overuse like using social media to facilitate real-life interactions rather than replace them. There are also benefits to escaping the digital world such as increased energy, happiness, productivity, meaningful social connections, and physical health. Ultimately, balancing technology usage reaps important rewards.

1. Finding an Escape from the Digital
World: It’s Importance & Why You Should
Try It Soon
By: Thomas Wall
Image: Indy
Kethdy On Flickr

2. The average American spends about 8 hours a
day staring at a screen. More time spent on any
other activity.
Image: Robert on Flickr

3. “Texting has become like blinking…
2/3 of Americans report
feeling their phone
vibrate when in fact,
nothing is happening.
Image: Kamyar Adl on
Flickr

4. Excessive web use is linked to loneliness, low
moods, and the loss of real-life friends
Image: Waheed Akhtar
on Flickr

5. It is clear that too much time spent in front of technology can
have very harmful effects, but at the same time, tools like the
internet have allowed individuals to achieve great things.
It is clear that
finding a proper
balance
between
engagement
and
disengagement
from the digital
world should be
the goal of
individuals in
today’s world.
Image: Hans Splinter on Flickr

6. The problem with finding that balance, is that many of
us find that we are stuck (or drowning) in our habits
of using the internet, most notably social media. The
following few slides will go through some strategies to
help individuals break out of their overuse of
technology, using social media as an example.
Image: Jesse Muller of Flickr

7. 1. Use social media as a means to and end,
not the other way around
To increase your real-life interactions, and limit your social media
time, focus on using social media to be an organizer of your other
social events. This allows social media to be the facilitator of your
actual social life, rather than social media actually becoming your
social life.
Image: Paul Walsh on Flickr

8. 2. Create time boundaries, and stick to
them!
If you find that
you are
constantly
signing in and
out of various
social media
outlets, you
should consider
setting
boundaries.
Just like you
don’t need to
constantly ask a
friend how he
or she is doing,
you don’t need
to do the same
on social media.
Set daily times, such as first thing in the
morning and last thing before bed; to help
control the amount of time spent surfing on
social media. Image: Judy van der Velden on Flickr

9. 3. Try Something New!
Ultimately, time spent on social media, like anything else, is time we
can’t get back. To reduce the time spent on social media, finding a new
hobby or activity to fill some time with is a great step. More activities
give people one less excuse to spend more time in front of their screens.
Image:IyntallyonFlickr

10. Now that it
has been
established
that too much
technology use
can create
significant
problems for
people; and
after offering
some
strategies to
limit
technology
use, the
question
becomes… Image: Highways Agency on Flickr

11. ...What are the specific benefits of finding an
escape from the digital world?
Image: Hartwig HKD on Flickr

12. Image: Sean Venn on Flickr
1. More Energy
Research has shown that too much time spent without a break from
technology makes it harder to get a good night’s sleep. Leaving workers
disengaged at work the next day.

13. Image: Doug Wheller on Flickr
2. More
Happiness
“…over-engaging in websites that serve to replace normal function might
be linked to psychological disorders like depression”

14. Image: Steve Jurvetson on Flickr
3. Increased
Productivity
Less time spent in the digital
world means more time spent
doing other activities, ultimately
making individuals for
productive.

15. Image: Denish C on Flickr
4. A More Meaningful Social Life
By ‘unplugging’ from technology, individuals are better able to pay better
attention to their social lives as they exist in the real world. It is important to
maintain a balance between maintaining a social life both online and offline.

16. Image: Cajetan Barretto on Flickr
5. Increased
Physical Health
Research has shown that there is a correlation between
time spent online and obesity. A break from technology
is good for your health!

17. Image: theilr on Flickr
Ultimately, effective and
healthy technology usage
comes back to finding a
right balance.
As outlined there are many
very important benefits
associated with taking some
time to unplug and rewind,
however it is noted that for
most people in today’s
digital world, a certain level
of digital involvement is
required.

18. Image: Mervi Eskelinen on Flickr
No matter, how much you believe you depend on
technology in your life, everyone benefits from some
time off.

19. Image: Nikos Koutoulas on Flickr
In closing, I’d like to leave you with one immediate
action point. The sooner you try and balance
technology usage in your life, the faster you will see the
benefits!

20. Image: Objet Bloguant Non Identifie on Flickr
Sources:
“Too Much Time Online Makes You Moodier, Lonelier and
Obsessed”
Psychologytoday.com
“Is the Internet Making Us Crazy? What the New Research
Says”
Newsweek.com
“World of Psychology” Internet Addiction and Depression
Psychcentral.com
“Smartphones Make You Tired and Unproductive, Study
Says”
Wallstreetjournal.com
“The Pointlessness of Unplugging”
Newyorker.com
“There is Absolutely a Point to Unplugging”
Huffingtonpost.com
“How Facebook Makes Us Unhappy”
Newyorker.com