And we can feel empathy and detect lies.Īll these skills have been honed for many thousand years.

We can diplomatically solve conflicts when they arrive and leave the situation better than when we entered it. We can peacefully live and work together in greater numbers than any other species on earth. Our species has thrived in large parts because of our superior social skills. Digital connections don’t come even close to replacing in-person interactions despite what it might feel like No wonder a constant exposure to this feeds into the anxiety of a whole generation.Ħ.

Mental health professionals have noticed a clear correlation between the arrival of smartphones with their instant access to social media and messaging apps and a big spike in the recorded cases of anxiety.Īnd it makes sense, doesn’t it? Time on social media or messaging apps creates a lot of comparisonitis, FOMO, and the need to uphold a certain persona. “Simply put, humans are not wired to be constantly wired.” – Cal Newport (Digital Minimalism)Īnother reason why mental solitude is so important is that being constantly connected has proven the afflict big parts of a whole generation with anxiety. “The sudden rise in anxiety-related problems coincided with the first incoming classes of students that were raised on smartphones and social media.” – Cal Newport (Digital Minimalism) “Solitude Deprivation A state in which you spend close to zero time alone with your own thoughts and free from input from other minds.” – Cal Newport (Digital Minimalism) Constant connection with the online world causes anxiety Quickly they lose interest and close the app in favor of spending their time more satisfyingly.ĥ. On the first day after the detox, they excitedly open up Instagram or Facebook only to aimlessly scroll and tap around a bit. So why try it if we are just going to fall back into our old habits afterward?įortunately, and somewhat surprisingly, many people realize that post-digital detox, they have slightly lost their taste for the social media they’ve been so obsessed with. Sometimes we can be discouraged from trying a digital detox because it feels as if we could never maintain enough self-discipline outside of detox to truly use our social media and phone less. “An interesting experience shared by some participants was that they eagerly returned to their optional technologies only to learn they had lost their taste for them.” – Cal Newport (Digital Minimalism) “minimalists don’t mind missing out on small things what worries them much more is diminishing the large things they already know for sure make a good life good.” – Cal Newport (Digital Minimalism) After the detox, many lose their taste for the platform they’d obsessed over

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