Our Growing Obsession With Glowing Screens

LONDON, UK—Glowing screens have mesmerised us. In the UK, people have become so obsessed with rectangular screens that many are seeking to go on a “digital detox” to escape being online, according to a new report.

An estimated 15 million adult Internet users are purposely going on technology-free holidays, revealed the media watchdog Ofcom in its annual communications market report published on August 4th. The average adult spends more time using media and communication services per day than they do sleeping, the report found. And now, 71 per cent of adults own a smartphone, up from 66 per cent last year. How is this digital diet affecting our lives?

The two things that are most affected are memory and concentration, said Dr Tara Swart, a leadership coach, neuroscientist, and former medical doctor. “They replace our need to remember, and because we get bombarded so much by information, the memory and concentration parts of our brains have been shrunk already,” she said.

It's important to make this time to disconnect.

— Ana Henneberke