SLAVE TO THE ALGORITHM? HERE’S HOW TO FIND YOUR TECHQUILIBRIUM

There was more than one type of cold turkey on my social feeds this Christmas. Post after post announced people logging off to spend ‘quality time’ in the real world, or leaving platforms altogether. Meanwhile many of the rest of us feel in a state of flux; increasingly sick of the bottomless scroll, yet craving it more than ever. I think I’ve deleted and reinstalled Instagram more times over the past month than I’ve actually posted.

But there is another way. In her new book Screen Time, published last week, tech journalist Becca Caddy digs into the science on everything from mental health and body image to echo chambers and data security, explaining the good, the bad and the ugly of our tech habits through a filter of gentle pragmatism. Nomophobics (those who fear being detached from mobile phone connectivity) needn’t panic – it won’t make you want to throw your phone in the sea, so much as stroke it tenderly and promise to treat it better.

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“I want to offer an alternative point of view from the advice already out there about ‘digital detoxes’ and ‘breaking up with’ your devices,” Caddy tells me. “Hiding or downgrading your phone or deleting your apps might give you some short-term relief, but has the potential to lead to even more excessive use.”

Besides, it’s not all bad. “There’s a lot to cherish about what technology provides us with, and how it extends our ability to participate in and enjoy the world,” she says. “Reaching for your phone for distraction or connection is a welcome comfort – especially if this past year’s events have made you feel isolated.” Which comes as a relief to those of us who can’t stop doomscrolling on the toilet (guilty).

Swinging wildly between strict digital fasts and the dopamine binges that follow? Here's how to find a happy medium instead. 

Don’t just stop – swap

If you can’t face a full tech break, that’s OK. “The research points more toward focusing on filling your newsfeeds and time with what makes you feel good,” says Becca. “Removing things just leaves an empty space – you need to replace it with a different activity, something that feels better for you.”

Which could mean the old chestnuts: going for a walk, reading a book, having a bath...but it could also mean losing yourself in a mobile game, sending your best friend a rambling voicenote, or swapping your hate-follows for a feed full of happy seals. Since deleting my Twitter app I’ve reinstalled Pinterest, and the brain space that used to be filled with angry hot takes is now full of twirly candles. It’s not Proust, but I’ll take it.

Get engaged

Not in that sense - although a ring selfie is a surefire way to bring the likes in – but interact with content, rather than being a passive onlooker. While numerous studies have linked mindless scrolling with a decrease in overall well-being, it turns out the opposite is true if we get involved. “People are happier and less likely to feel the ill effects of time spent online when they play a more active role by commenting, liking, sharing, and messaging people,” explains Caddy. Your new motto? “Lurk less, heart more.”