The disconnection adventure

Present but elsewhere

Deciding not to use social networks, the internet or one's cell phone anymore can have consequences on social and professional life. Indeed, it becomes rare to communicate or give news without using social networks or the Internet. By going offline, it is difficult to stay informed and there are few opportunities that do not require the use of emails or information available only online.

From this perspective, it is tempting to think that it seems impossible: going offline would be synonymous with isolation. But this is to forget that social networks often isolate as much as they bring people together; people are becoming more and more social, more connected to the moment and less inclined towards real social, human and humanizing relationships. 81% of French people admit to using their smartphone during a family meal or a coffee with friends.

The boundary between private and professional life has become more blurred or even porous: by leaving his or her cell phone on or checking emails from a distance, a professional or employee risks working on weekends or during vacations. 65% of people post photos or statuses on social media up to three times a day while on vacation, and 42% prefer to share those moments online than with their spouse, according to a survey conducted by condom brand Durex.

It is increasingly common to see people present in the same space but prefacing it with whasting instead of dialogue. The urge to log on to Facebook has even become far stronger than the urge to have sex or smoke, says University of Chicago researcher Wilhem Hofmann in the Los Angeles Times. In another U.S. opinion survey, a majority of participants said they would rather not have sex for three months than not use their smartphones for a week.

Continued and enhanced exitation

Beyond these effects on social life, social networks also affect our health. Those who regularly visit the internet have a greater probability of becoming ill or developing eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia[2] according to a study conducted by the University of Exeter in England.

Immune stress generated by periods of connection and disconnection varies levels of cortisol, an infection-fighting hormone. Addiction to social networks late at night affects the quality of sleep by delaying the establishment of a calm environment, conducive to sleep. Yet sleep is crucial for human well-being

The effects of social networks on health are widespread, and new pathologies are developing as a result of the uses and evolution of technological practices. To connect is to accept to be exposed to these flaws in one way or another. To be connected is also to accept to deprive oneself of it, to do without it, in order to enjoy the moment, to live more fully or to be more productive. Life is sometimes more beautiful in slow motion.

A bold but shrewd and wise gamble to live life to the fullest.

This perilous leap to a connected life has been taken by a few people over periods ranging from a few days to a few years. Some, like American computer science professor Cal Newport, have even never owned a social network profile. Through his personal experience, he invites us in this TED video, to leave social networks in order to be more productive and compassionate than we ever imagined. His bestseller, Deep Work, presents techniques for achieving maximum focus by abstaining from social networks.

The Canadian inventor Ann Makosinski, on the other hand, although so present on social networks, does not use a smartphone. An act that seems impossible especially when you learn that she is an 18 year old digital native. She shares her experience and motivation in this video.

Finally, Lior Frenkel, founder of Undigitize.me, a company that works on smartphone addiction, recommends that we rethink our practices and uses on social networks in order to avoid the trap of intoxication or becoming digital zombies.

These few examples have only one purpose: to show that it is possible to connect and live without social networks. Of course, it is difficult but not impossible. You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs. You just have to want to be able to, but you also have to know why.

The benefits of a disconnected life.

In this interesting study[3], Panayiota Tsatsou, tries to understand why some Greek users don’Panayiota Tsatsou, tries to understand why some Greek users do not adopt the internet in their daily life and develop a culture of resistance to the use of social networks. The concern for improving human relations, as well as the reason for the lack of use, dominate the discourse of the non-users. Antonia, one of the interviewees, 33 years old, says that she prefers to spend her free time with her family.

In fact, getting connected from social networks allows us to better learn the moment, to have time to devote ourselves fully to social, family or fun activities such as tourism, or visit activity centers. During the vacations, traveling while connected allows for a greater sensory experience, to be more attentive to one's environment, to face-to-face exchanges, outside of any digital disturbance.

Connecting can be an opportunity to engage in meditation, that quest for balance and inner peace. To empty one's mind in order to return physically and emotionally to the moment goes against what is valued in our culture: performance, productiveness, competition… », explains[4] psychotherapist Frérape;ric Fanget.

In the professional context, to connect partially from new technologies is to take a breath and distance in order not to be invaded by an overflow of information, to escape the urgency, and to avoid managerial pressure, explains Francis Jauréguiberry. For this sociologist, getting connected allows to avoid entering the red zone of burn out and to undergo situations of unbearable information overload. »

And if you still think that social networks are unavoidable, you should know that some executives of Google, Yahoo!, Apple or even eBay put their children in the new technologies, by sending them to schools without computers and tablets. These would impair creativity and concentration Without being technophobic, the pleasures of living together are well worth avoiding the problems associated with excessive use of social networks.