March 5th marks the National Weekend of Unplugging. While Bloomer is a BIG fan of having consistent access to fast internet to meet all your work-from-home and entertainment needs, we also recognize the importance of disconnecting. Too much time online can be detrimental to our physical and mental health. Did you know that the average American spends approximately 7 hours on the internet daily?
Often, we spend more time on our screens than we realize. Here are some platforms that sneakily steal our hours:
- Social media: Facebook, TikTok, Insta…Americans spend about 2 hours per day on social media.
- Streaming: 3-5 hours. Per day. That’s a lot of Netflix.
- Gaming: The average gamer spends about 8 ½ hours per week gaming.
- Dating apps: A 2018 report found that millennials spent 10 hours per week on dating apps. That special someone better be worth it!
Between work, entertainment, and Facetiming family, the average adult spends about 12 hours per day in front of a screen. It’s time for us to take a break!
Why is unplugging good for us?
Physical/Lifestyle benefits:
- Moving your body. Chances are, the more time we’re on our screens, the less time we’re spending out and about exercising, going on walks, etc.
- Better sleep. *Cough cough. Read our blog. *Cough cough.
- Increased productivity. How often do we think “I should really start working on my _______” as we allow Netflix to automatically start the next episode?
Mental/Emotional benefits:
- Lessens feelings of loneliness. Ever go online and feel like everyone has a life but you? Not true, and not good for you.
- Cuts stress. Constantly being notified by emails or social media can cause our brain to go into overload mode.
- Reduces anxiety and depression. Studies are showing that the rates of teenage anxiety and depression have skyrocketed with the increase of time spent of social media. Comparison truly is the thief of joy.
- Disables addiction. Spending time on social media is addictive. Notifications, likes, etc. release dopamine, so we keep going back for more and more.
Take the weekend to unplug. Get back those hours your screens are stealing from you. Enjoy a game night with family or friends with your phone in another room. Go for a walk. Cook a yummy meal. Parents, if you have Bloomer’s managed Wi-Fi service, you can set limits on your children’s screen time and monitor how they are using your network with the Command IQ app.
Life is full of little choices. Choose to unplug this weekend.
Sources:
https://www.digitalmarketing.org/blog/how-much-time-does-the-average-person-spend-on-social-media
https://www.statista.com/statistics/819483/time-spent-streaming-video/
https://silvermaples.org/benefits-of-unplugging-from-technology/
Digital 2022 Global Overview Report
