In an interconnected world of smart devices, people are getting tired of staring at screens. A 2025 survey by the American Psychiatric Association found that 50 percent of adults “actively limited” their social media use, and 40 percent reduced their overall phone time. These behaviors reflect the growing popularity of a wellness trend known as digital detoxing — taking a break from smart devices and social media platforms for a set amount of time.
Digital Detoxing, Explained
A digital detox is a set period of time in which people intentionally take a break from using screen-based technologies, especially smart devices and social media. The goal is to minimize distractions, become more grounded in real-world experiences and develop a healthier long-term relationship with everyday devices.
But it can be difficult to determine when a digital detox is necessary, let alone how to implement one in the first place. We’re diving into the factors behind the decision to take a break from technology, the upsides of this practice and some tips and tools to get started.
What Is Digital Fatigue?
Digital fatigue refers to mental and physical exhaustion resulting from extensive exposure to devices like smartphones, tablets, laptops and TVs. While tech workers and students may have to engage with computers and other screen-based technologies for long periods, the pervasiveness of screens in everyday life means anyone can experience digital fatigue.
In response, more people are experimenting with digital detoxes to relieve themselves of tech’s effects. A digital detox is a set amount of time during which individuals stop using products that encourage screen time, specifically smart devices and social media. Whether this break lasts for a few hours or several weeks, the ultimate goal is to minimize distractions and become more grounded in the real world.
Why Do People Feel the Need for a Digital Detox?
Different factors are driving people to temporarily give up the devices they’ve come to depend on, including the following:
- Information Overload: The constant flow of messages, notifications, news updates and other communications can feel overwhelming at times, adding to a user’s mental workload and causing information overload.
- Sleep Deprivation: Phone and social media usage can bleed into regular sleep hours when platforms regularly share negative content designed to attract views, leading users to slip into doomscrolling.
- Physical Stress: Staring at screens for lengthy periods can cause physical aches and pains, including strained eyes and a phenomenon called “tech neck,” which occurs when users look down at screens for too long.
- Decreased Focus: Scrolling through social media or messages takes time away from everyday hobbies and activities. At the professional level, devices can distract employees from fulfilling their roles, lowering their productivity.
- Increased Isolation: Replacing in-person time with screen time can lead to feelings of isolation, especially in remote work environments. Users may even begin to develop unhealthy relationships with devices, impacting their real-world connections.
All these issues can contribute to a decline in mental health, especially among young people. According to a 2025 Pew survey, 45 percent of U.S. teens between 13 and 17 years old believe they spend too much time on social media, and more than 20 percent name social media as the main reason they’re concerned about teen mental health. Given the fears around excessive screen time, it’s more urgent than ever to figure out when a digital detox can be helpful.
How to Know If You Need a Detox
Digital fatigue manifests differently in everyone, but these are some general signs that could hint you may need a digital detox:
- You feel stressed or anxious when you can’t find your phone.
- You feel FOMO when you don’t check your phone or social media.
- You feel anxious, angry or sad after engaging with social media.
- You lose sleep because you can’t stop scrolling at night.
- You prefer virtual interactions instead of in-person ones.
- You allow screen time to extend beyond usual work hours.
If these behaviors describe your daily routine, taking a break from devices could be the best way to address them and any negative effects.
Benefits of a Digital Break
While temporarily staying away from devices and apps doesn’t impact everyone the same, it could raise one’s quality of life in the following ways:
- Stronger Mental Health: Reducing the stress and anxiety tied to keeping up with messages or checking social media can have a calming effect on one’s mental state.
- Enhanced Physical Health: Not constantly looking down at screens can lead to better posture and free up time for participating in physical activities.
- Greater Productivity: Cutting out notifications, social media feeds and other digital distractions creates more mental capacity to focus on hobbies and tasks.
- Improved Sleep: Avoiding social media means fewer opportunities to doomscroll and more time spent getting a good night’s rest.
- Higher-Quality Relationships: Without smart devices, people can stay in the moment and invest more in real-world relationships and connections.
How to Do a Digital Detox
There’s no right or wrong way to do a digital detox. That said, it’s crucial to establish well-defined boundaries around device use and clear goals for what you want to accomplish. Whether you want to stay off devices for an hour or cultivate healthier habits over the course of a month, these measures can help you get started:
Daily Micro Detox
A daily micro detox involves taking a short break from devices each day, typically for one to two hours. This approach can look like avoiding phone use in the early morning, staying away from devices during the lunch hour or powering down screens early before bedtime. Regardless of the time of day, here are a few tips for implementing a daily micro detox:
- Decide on the best time to block off one or two hours for a detox.
- Store devices in a separate location, ideally another room.
- Make sure notifications, vibrations and other sounds are turned off.
- Fill the hour with other activities like eating a meal or going for a walk.
- Set a timer if needed to ensure the break lasts long enough.
Weekend Break
Sometimes a few hours isn’t enough to recover from digital fatigue, prompting a longer break. Working professionals may find tech-free weekends more convenient, foregoing devices for one or two days. But anyone can benefit from this technique by taking the steps below:
- Notify family, friends, co-workers and other connections beforehand.
- Make weekend plans around offline activities and in-person interactions.
- Store devices in a drawer, box or another location that’s harder to access.
- Use analog devices, paperback books, physical calendars and other low-tech tools.
Big Reset
For those experiencing the more serious effects of digital fatigue, an extended break from smart devices may be necessary. A big reset lasts anywhere from one week to one month and emphasizes longer-term habits that promote a healthier relationship with technology. It requires a deeper commitment that’s much more manageable when following these measures:
- Set concrete goals for the reset to track progress.
- Inform contacts about the detox and best ways to stay in touch.
- Disable all alerts and notifications to avoid auditory cues.
- Neutralize a device’s appearance by removing apps or turning on grayscale mode.
- Store devices in less accessible locations, like a higher shelf in the kitchen.
- Embrace analog alternatives and offline hobbies to spend time on.
Tools to Manage Digital Breaks
Societal pushback against smart devices has led to the rise of low-tech tech designed to support digital breaks. Below are popular tools that do everything from limiting specific apps to physically keeping phones out of reach.
Dumbphones
A “dumbphone” is a basic phone that only supports essential functions, mainly calling and texting. They often have physical keyboards and forego the apps, notifications and other features typically seen on smartphones. Here are several options to consider:
- Light Phones: Light phones let users personalize their dumbphones by choosing from a menu of features, including a calendar, directions, alarms, music and podcasts.
- Keyphones: Keyphones have either a keyboard or touchscreen and come with repairable parts and just 15 apps, removing social media, notifications and digital ads.
- Wisephones: Wisephones cut out the internet, email, social media and online games, but they do allow practical apps like Venmo, Spotify and WhatsApp.
- Gabb Phones: The Gabb phone is built with teens in mind. It removes social media, internet browsers and app stores, while enabling parental controls and GPS tracking.
App Blockers
As their name suggests, app blockers refer to software that restricts access to certain applications. They are often apps themselves, although they can be physical devices for stronger deterrence. Below are some examples of common app blockers:
- Freedom: Freedom can block specific apps, sites or the entire internet on phones, laptops and tablets. Scheduling, lock mode and ambience features support users as well.
- Opal: After users schedule which apps to block, Opal incentivizes them to abide by their choices with rewards and a score that measures rest, focus and sleep quality.
- AppBlock: AppBlock offers varying degrees of app limits, compiles data on screen time habits and stores schedules to remind users of offline commitments.
- Brick: Brick is a physical device that blocks and unblocks apps when users tap their phones against it, adding another layer to enforce digital breaks.
Lockboxes
Lockboxes are containers for storing away devices, employing a lock, code or timer to restrict access during a digital break. They serve as a physical barrier that makes it harder to cheat during a digital detox, as demonstrated by the following:
- Lockabox: Lockabox’s mid-sized and mini options are secured with a three-digit combination and built with medical-grade polycarbonate to resist damage.
- Mindsight: Mindsight’s lock box stores up to 4 devices, offers 3 lock modes and allows users to set a timed session between 1 minute and 30 days.
- Yondr: Yondr’s lock box blocks phone signals and comes with a physical key, but devices in storage can still be charged through a cord hole.
- kSafe: kSafe creates lock boxes in three different sizes for various devices — all of which can be locked for up to 10 days and can’t be overridden.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a digital detox?
A digital detox is a set period of time when someone avoids technology, mainly screen-based technology like social media and smart devices. It’s often done in response to mental and physical exhaustion from excessive exposure to screens. By taking a break, the hope is that people can control harmful habits and develop healthier relationships with smart devices.
How do I do a digital detox without hurting my career?
It’s very possible to have a successful career while implementing digital breaks. Whether it’s for a couple of hours, a couple of days or longer, professionals can follow these measures when undertaking a digital detox:
- Update family, friends and co-workers beforehand, and offer ways to stay in contact.
- Store devices in a separate location, such as another room or a drawer.
- Adopt analog alternatives like physical calendars, notebook planners and timers.
- Set strict boundaries around logging on and off to maintain work-life balance.
- Avoid devices in the early morning, during the lunch hour or right before bed.
- Consider weekend breaks from devices filled with offline activities to recharge.
What is a minimalist phone or “dumbphone”?
A “dumbphone” is a stripped-down phone with just basic functions, mostly calling and texting. It removes social media, notifications, app stores and other common smartphone features, so users can avoid digital distractions and use their phones only when necessary.
How long should a digital detox last?
There’s no correct length for a digital detox, as long as it’s effective in limiting screen time and helping people establish healthier relationships with technology. Digital detoxes can last anywhere from a few minutes to several weeks, depending on how long people want to take a break from their smart devices.
