From the bright colors, to the chirps and beeps, to the constant streams of information- our mobile devices are designed to do more than just keep us connected. They were designed to make us addicted.

Jen Fisher, national managing director for Well-being at Deloitte LLP and co-author of Positive technology Designing work environments for digital well-being is familiar with the undeniable allure of digital technology. While she has studied the topic in-depth, she admits that her best insights into building better digital habits comes from her own struggle to manage the constant lure of her digital technology.

When did you start to realize that you may be too consumed by digital technology?

I think in the back of my mind, I was aware for a long time that I was becoming too addicted to my mobile phone. I travel a lot for work, so I am constantly using it on the road to stay connected with colleagues and call into meetings, and I am also very active on social media so I am constantly sharing pictures, news, and updates on everything related to well-being. Checking my phone and engaging with it (instead of others) just became second nature for me. It wasn’t until a friend who I was having dinner with one night called me out on the fact that I was constantly checking my phone when I was supposed to be talking with her! And it’s not that others hadn’t pointed it out before then, but it was after that dinner that I really started to realize that it was a constant distraction – and it was winning – when I was trying to connect with friends and family in-person.

Physical disconnection seems to be a common outcome of digital addiction, are there other ways that digital reliance affects our well-being?

Definitely. Aside from its effect on our relationships, it can have a detrimental impact on our sleep. Not only are we constantly checking our phones when we should be winding down to prepare our bodies for bedtime, but the blue light emitted from screens reduces the melatonin required for good sleep.

Additionally, it can negatively effect our mental and emotional well-being. You have probably heard the term FOMO (fear of missing out) on social media; we are constantly exposed to curated content that only shows the positives, which can create feelings of being excluded or even inadequacy by comparison.

So how can we build a healthier relationship with digital technology?

Technology has integrated into our lives at such an exponential rate that we are only now recognizing some of the negative impacts. So I think it all starts with awareness. Our digital habits have become so automatic that we often don’t even realize how much we are checking our phones. In fact, we can leverage our digital technologies to help us become more aware. For instance, you can set reminders on your calendar to alert you to take a digital break during the day. The key is sticking to them and not automatically hitting ignore.

Also, creating digital-free times or zones can help you create buffers around your digital use. I make my bedroom a no-phone zone so that I am not tempted to check my email or social feeds when it’s time to sleep. Sometimes when I feel my bad habits creeping up, I do a week-long digital detox to reset myself.

Recently, a group of friends and I decided to take a break from social media, so we each had our spouses change our passwords from Monday-Friday, giving it back to us on the weekend. At first, it was really hard, but then I started to realize how much more time I had in my day to read, journal, meditate and self-reflect. We kept a group text open to support each other and to create accountability.

What is your best hack for breaking digital addiction?

Grayscale has changed my life! By removing the color from my phone (which is a mobile device setting that you can activate) I have found that I am less interested in constantly checking my phone, looking at pictures, or scrolling through social feeds. It really does make your mobile device the ‘tool’ it was intended to be vs all consuming. It seems so simple but it can have such a big impact on your digital habits.

I also love to hear what works for other people, so if you have a hack for managing digital addiction, tweet me at @JenFish23. Just make sure you take a digital break afterwards! 

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Author(s)

  • Jen Fisher

    𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 + 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 | 𝖡𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗌𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖠𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋 | 𝖳𝖤𝖣𝗑 𝖲𝗉𝖾𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗋 | 𝖧𝗈𝗌𝗍 #𝖶𝗈𝗋𝗄𝖶𝖾𝗅l | 𝖳𝗁𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖤𝖽𝗂𝗍𝗈𝗋

    Jen Fisher is a leading voice on the intersection of work, well-being, and purpose. Her mission is to help leaders move from the legacy mindset that well-being is solely the responsibility of the individual to the forward-thinking idea of human sustainability, which supports the long-term, collective well-being of individuals, organizations, climate, and society.  

    She’s the co-author of the bestselling, award-winning book, Work Better Together: How to Cultivate Strong Relationships to Maximize Well-Being and Boost Bottom Lines, the Human Sustainability Editor-at-Large for Thrive Global, and the host of the WorkWell podcast series.

    As the first chief well-being officer of a professional services organization, Jen built and led the creation and execution of a pioneering holistic and inclusive well-being strategy that has received recognition from leading business media brands and associations.

    Jen is a frequent writer on issues impacting the workplace today, including the importance of mental health and social connection to workforce resilience, happiness, and productivity. Her work has been featured in CNBC, CNN, Fast Company, Fortune, Inc, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Harvard Business Review, among others.

    She’s a sought-after speaker and has been featured at events including TEDx, World Happiness Summit, Out & Equal Workplace Summit, Acumen Global Gathering, WorkHuman, The Atlantic Pursuit of Happiness event, and more. She’s also lectured at top universities across the country, including Harvard, Wake Forest, Duke, and George Mason.

    Jen is passionate about sharing her breast cancer and burnout recovery journeys to help others. She’s also a healthy lifestyle enthusiast, self-care champion, exercise fanatic, sleep advocate, and book nerd! Jen lives in Miami with her husband, Albert, and dog, Fiona.

    You can find her on LinkedIn or on Twitter and Instagram @JenFish23. You can also receive her personal insights and reflections by subscribing to her newsletter, "Thoughts on Being Well" @jenfisher.substack.com.