It’s well-documented: our screens are cognitive prisons that pulverise our attention span, erode our mental health and spark polarised rage, all while exacerbating our carbon footprint. But can we free ourselves?
I’ve decided to try to live like it’s 1996, and go back to my pre-internet life, with a one-week digital detox—no computers or mobile phones. But before the big shut-off, I need to do a little preparation.
The Day Before
First, I need to explain the concept to my friends and family so they’re not wondering why I’ve suddenly fallen off the map. I set up an out-of-office reply: “I won’t have access to email until Sunday. If this is an emergency, call my landline at xxxx.”
Then I scribble a few useful phone numbers in a notebook—which will be my daily diary. I borrow my eight-year-old son’s watch (the last time I wore a watch, it was the 20th century), jot down my week’s appointments and map out routes. Next I find my long-abandoned landline phone and plug it in.
My digital detox hasn’t even begun and I’m already conscious of the fact that I underestimated my screen dependency. I feel nervous. I had envisioned the challenge as a soothing lull, but now, on the edge of the analogue abyss, I’m gripped by dull angst. I type these final words on my Mac, which I’ll put in the drawer along with my iPhone. I’ll shut the drawer and tape it closed. Once it’s sealed, there will
