What is a Digital Detox?
Parkland Health expert encourages disconnecting from your phone to reconnect with yourself
It can be as addictive as any substance, and it’s usually within arm’s reach: your cellphone.
With ever-changing technology, what once required a wired dial-up connection and a bulky desktop computer can now be done from anywhere on a device about the size of your palm.
While having instant access to friends and loved ones can be convenient and beneficial, a mental health expert at Parkland Health offers caution on the overuse of social media.
Research has found that social media can support mental health through connection and community, but it can also contribute to anxiety, depression and low self-esteem when used excessively or passively.
Carolina Pena, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Mental Health Therapist at Parkland Health, is encouraging people to reevaluate their social media use during Mental Health Awareness Month this May and suggests trying a “digital detox.”
What is a digital detox?
A digital detox involves disconnecting from devices or social media for a specific amount of time. But it doesn’t have to be extreme to be effective, Pena notes, adding that it can look different for everyone, and it starts with some self-reflection.
“The first step is to admit you need a detox and start where it feels right for you,” she said. “Either delete an account or limit the time of the app. If you feel you need to take a bigger step, just delete the app for a couple of days. Put your phone away or just limit the hours of when you are using it.”
Digital habits start at home
Children often mirror what they see at home. So, if a parent gets home and immediately picks up their phone, it’s more than likely that kids will follow suit and grab an electronic device as well.
Pena suggests setting healthy boundaries, like device-free mealtimes.
“I'm very old-fashioned. At my dinner table, there is no phone. That’s the time we talk. We connect,” she said. “It's about spending some quality time with either family, friends or even with yourself.”
Use social media with intention, not to escape
Social media can be a valuable tool to stay connected with friends and loved ones, wherever they may be. But the key is understanding your intentions: Are you logging on to connect? Or are you logging on to escape from your daily life? Do you find that you’re comparing yourself to others online?
“Social media is great. It works in so many ways. Let's just be smart about what we're following. Follow accounts and do it for things that motivate you, not that put you down,” Pena said.
“Sometimes, we connect to social media to disconnect from the world, when it's so much better to disconnect by actually connecting with real people,” she added. “I have so much more fun when I’m meeting with a friend for coffee than when I'm on social media, doom-scrolling. At the end, I have that contact. I talked to someone. We laugh. We connect.”
Where to get help
For those dealing with a digital addiction, Pena says you’re not alone. Don’t be afraid to seek professional help.
The Parkland Behavioral Health Clinic offers a range of mental health services provided by psychiatrists, behavioral health providers, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses and psychologists.
For more support and resources on managing anxiety, the Here for Texas Mental Health Navigation Line is a free helpline offering guidance, information, resources and support for mental health and addiction. Whether you are seeking resources for yourself or for someone else, call the free helpline at 972-525-8181 Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“I don’t mean to scare anyone. Social media and the digital world are great. We need it,” said Pena. “It's helpful if we balance it with the rest of our daily life.”
For information about services available at Parkland, visit www.parklandhealth.org.
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