Words by Charlie Price
We live in a modern society of constant technological progression and rapidly evolving social media cultures. As humans we are not naturally ÔÇÿprogrammedÔÇÖ to cooperate with such an increasingly virtual world, yet we are becoming ever more reliant on our personal technology for everyday activities and social survival in the 21st century.┬á
Nevertheless this can be immensely unhealthy behaviour and every once in a while, we all need what can be branded as a ÔÇÿdigital detox.ÔÇÖ
We have all heard of detoxes when it comes to diet culture or alcoholism, yet do we ever take a step back to consider the impacts of social media and modern technology on our health?
To take a digital detox would propose a ÔÇÿdopamine detox,ÔÇÖ which combats that addictive, ÔÇÿfalseÔÇÖ thrill of dopamine that immediate, short form social media provides.
A digital detox does not mean to give up social media forever – in fact a detox will simply benefit you by establishing your independence from technology in order to develop a better relationship with it, and learning to only use it when necessary or helpful, and not when it becomes a hindrance to our lifestyles.
There are many ways in which this can be accomplished and this article will help to configure some of the ways in which you can undergo a ÔÇÿdigital detox,ÔÇÖ or even help others to understand the benefits, whether that be a family member or friend who is struggling!
In order to begin the process of a digital detox it is vitally important to start small and build up gradually, an example of this could be to keep your personal devices out of the bedroom before bedtime or have designated ÔÇÿunpluggedÔÇÖ times during the day.
This first step is crucial in order to create personal boundaries, therefore establishing healthier habits in order to strive towards maintaining a healthy work-life balance, lifestyle and routine.
For the majority of us students, our workload is currently piling up for us and will be our top priority for the moment. Ideally, this means we all will want to be in the best place mentally as we possibly can be, but also physically. Making time for physical activities such as going for a picturesque stroll, or taking up a new gym class, or even taking an impromptu shopping trip to St Davids, are made substantially simpler when you are not hampered with the incessant pressure of social media.
This pressure will affect us all differently, but the common ground of increased stress, reduced productivity and a lack of focus is inevitable. 
Rebecca, a third year Cardiff Psychology student, explained that her encounter with the information overload of social media created additional stress in conjunction with her workload.
ÔÇ£I think I speak on behalf of all students when I say that social media has always been a consuming thing in our lives, not only timewise, but mentally it takes its toll too.ÔÇØ
ÔÇ£I thought I had to sacrifice things like going to the gym due to my workload, but actually I find myself mindlessly scrolling through TikTok sometimes instead. I think it’s important to reconsider priorities and a digital detox is a lovely place to begin.ÔÇØ
As well as reaping benefits for our physical health, the mental benefits of a digital detox is just as important, if not more so. We are all familiar with the expectations, stereotypes and lifestyle standards depicted to society online, and sometimes they can just become all too much.
A digital detox provides the liberation of escaping these mounting pressures and remembering that when comparison is the thief of joy, it becomes tough to be content with your online presence. 
An added difficulty we face online, especially as students, is fomo ÔÇô the fear of missing out.
While we are consistently scrolling through our social platforms, we are subjected to viewing our friends and peers posting snippets of their societyÔÇÖs social night, or even their trips to watch the local rugby games. Sometimes when you have chosen a quiet night in, seeing this can be challenging and create a level of hostility towards your connection with your social platforms.
Nonetheless, if you were to participate in a digital detox, deciding to only use your personal device for fundamental tasks such as making phone calls or checking the time, would firstly eliminate any chance of fomo, and secondly produce space and opportunity instead for self-reflection because with less constriction arises more freedom!
Perhaps, if once in a while we as society partook in a digital detox, we would all be converted by the benefits and not only gain improved mental clarity but make our lives more fulfilling as we will suddenly start to appreciate the smaller things in life that spark the tiny amount of daily dopamine that we need instead of screens!
Because truthfully, as far as research claims, you cannot go wrong, so why not give it a try?
Interviewee ÔÇô Rebecca Hendry, 09/11/23
