Digital diet: they are more and more disconnected to recover their time

The devices are not abandoned, but used intelligently. new life beyond clicks and apps

When Rodrigo Bristot was broken, the same day, the

cellular

and the computer, he ran to a friend repairer and asked him to solve it quickly because it seemed impossible to get away from their devices and social networks. "At first, it was difficult because I totally depended on the screen, even to watch the time," he recalls. But as the days go by, something has changed.

"I gradually naturalized him and I came back to reading a book, writing or performing things that I had not done because the phone was taking me a lot of time, "says Bristot, 32. Although the Internet is a fundamental part of his life because he has an online store, he was so disconnected that it took him nearly a month to remove his repaired devices.

"I wanted to extend that sense of well-being by not waiting for messages or notifications, I clicked," he says. And then he changed some habits: "Now I have a cell phone without credit, I only use it with the wifi and I spend less time on the networks, I feel more relaxed and j & # 39; 39, have a better organizational capacity ".

The serenity, the relaxation and a greater experience of the present are repeated testimonies among those who, like Bristot, have modified their relationship with the omnipresent technology to avoid any crush and any abuse. A growing trend that already has a name: digital minimalism. It is not a question of giving up devices, but of using them intelligently and not neglecting the spaces that exist outside the online world.

"The technology is fabulous, the theme is that it does not absorb you, that it's not an instrument to disconnect ourselves, not to feel sadness, anger or to all the emotions that are hidden there, "says Fatima Hergenreder, neighbor of Caballito. years and works on the implementation of IT projects in companies.

Hergenreder practices a meditation system created by the Australian teacher Isha Judd and organizes periodic retreats from a few days to several months, during which she meditates about ten hours a day "to know each other and to exploit all the inner potential". There are no computers, televisions or cell phones. Technological detoxification is total.

What happens when we live disconnected? "There are a lot of sensations, the first thing is anxiety and the feeling that you miss something, after which it breaks down and giving you a lot of freedom and a great rest because you do not have access to information all the time, a lot of peace to observe the present moment, and you become different ", he summarizes.

Beyond pensions, Hergenreder tries to maintain a healthy link with technology in everyday life. Every day, when she wakes up, she has a quiet breakfast, she leaves with time to go to the end of the subway and get to work sitting, and she enjoys this trip to meditate. The mobile phone only looks at him when he starts his day's work: he does not use it in times shared with his family or friends and at night he silences him completely.

A study conducted last February by the Observatory of Social and Economic Trends of Siglo 21 University reveals that 12% of Argentineans very frequently use excessive use of information technologies. In addition, 27% are anxious when they do not have Internet and 25% "feel an internal impulse that forces them to use these technologies anywhere and anytime."

"There are people who are overwhelmed because they wait 24 hours for a message, instead of manipulating these instruments, they feel manipulated, then decide to disconnect because they feel that something is wrong with them. enslaved, "says Diana Sahovaler of Litvinoff, psychobadyst of the Argentinian Psychobadytical Association (APA) and author of the book
The hidden subject in virtual reality.

The problem is not technology, says Litvinoff's Sahovaler, but the use "for personal valorization" that we sometimes make of it. "We always depend on the appearance of the other, and today we are building a profile that matches the image we want to give." Suddenly, we are very concerned about the fact that we are to feed this illusory image, we live for photography and it creates confusion, "he says. And he says that every time he has more cases of patients who "realize the time it takes them to respond to messages or give likes and start setting boundaries or selecting".

Psychologist Laura Jurkowski, director of reConectarse, a center specializing in the treatment of addictions to new technologies, warns that "as screens are extremely useful for solving many problems, we forget to use other alternative tools which makes us even more dependent. "And at a time when, for whatever reason, we can not use them, there is a feeling of anxiety or being on a desert island with nothing," he adds. Therefore, he insists on "the responsibility to transmit to new generations the importance of using other tools and not to depend absolutely".

"It was saturated, I could not wait to see Instagram all the time and realized that I did it every ten minutes, it became almost an obligation to add people, to see my pictures or enjoy pleasant moments, "recalls Romina Zibelman. who is 34 years old and works in marketing.

That's why, two months ago, he closed his Facebook and Instagram accounts, platforms that he had been using for years. I do not miss them. "I wanted to get away from all that feeling that was causing me and the truth that I'm fine and that I'm going to stay like that," he says. He also restricted the phone to exclusively business use and silenced it between 22:00 and 09:00, disabling all notifications.

Since then, he sleeps better and no longer feels that the cell phone is a "leak" to other situations. Plus, when they get together with their friends, they have a lot of other questions to ask themselves: "We took for granted what we knew about networks, but that was the superficial part." We now have deeper conversations that were once considered acquired: we all knew the happy role of all, and at some point instead of getting closer, it got away. "

On the verge of leaving for Mexico, for a new six-week retreat, Hergenreder shares a similar reflection: "We are losing what we have before sharing it with a device." Sometimes I thought, "Why do I post this, share the heart or because I want to show that I'm having a good time? Sometimes you do everything for the outdoors, then you're on the beach, but you're not there to enjoy it, listen to the sea or feel the sand on your feet. "

Tips to remember When to moderate the use and how to achieve it

According to Laura Jurkowski, psychologist specializing in addiction to new technologies, it's time to pay attention "when the screens start to generate conflicts in certain areas of personal or professional life, if the person can not rest or concentrate well. , and if not to be able to use them, he experiences anxiety, anxiety or irritability ". Experts recommend some tips for moderating the use:

• Make a conscious recording of the everyday situations in which the devices are used and what they serve
• Pose free screen moments. For example, leave the cell phone aside for a family meal or do not take it out with friends
• Respect rest periods and silence the mobile phone during the night
• Reduce the use of notifications
• For parents: to provide children with alternative tools to solve situations other than mobile phone
• If you feel that the situation could not be confronted, consult a professional