Can you live without your mobile, or do you need a digital detox?
Teenagers spend more than 11 hours a day in front of screens. It destroys their eyes and social contacts. Sometimes, it is a good idea to turn off your mobiles and other devices. Can you imagine going one week without them? We mean Wi-Fi, internet, mobile phone, TV, and tablet. That is a digital detox week. Can you say good-bye to your iPhone for a week? It is an activity in English-speaking countries for 12-17 year olds. It happens at secondary schools and the teenagers are usually worried at first. After that, they find out that it is great to cut them off from technology for awhile.

There are many pluses of doing a digital detox:
You have more time for breakfast and getting ready for school: no Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter messaging with your friends.
Face-to-face contact is something that social media does not have. Talking to your friends in the class or telling your parents about your school day. You save money and the environment by not using technology. You are not stressed waiting for messages and answering them. You are relaxed and can enjoy the day without holding a phone in your hands.
You can go out for a walk with your dog, play with your pet, and go barbecuing in the woods, play hide-and-seek or other games with your friends. Board games are also something you can do when you switch your phone off for a week.
You have more time to do sports- football, gymnastics, cycling, anything. Go jogging in the morning without listening to music on a mobile phone. Look around you and join the other joggers. The same for hobbies like painting, dancing, and collecting small things like stamps, pictures, and stickers.

Do you think you can live without your mobile or other devices? Do this quiz and find out:
1. Your phone rings at night. What do you do?
    a. Answer it
    b. You are angry and do not answer it
    c. Your mobile is turned off
2. You are outside with a friend. They ask you to turn off your phone so that you can focus on talking to them. Do you?
    a. Feel nervous and leave soon.
    b. Agree and turn off your phone.
    c. You left your phone at home
3. You are at the concert of your favourite band. Where is your phone?
    a. In your hand, in the air taking pictures
    b. In your bag, everything can wait
    c. You have no idea. You’re listening to music and have no worries.

Results:
Mostly As: You panic if you do not have your phone. Look around you and enjoy the time with your family and friends. Do a digital detox.
Mostly Bs: You love your phone but you are also happy with your dearest companions. You will enjoy a digital detox.
Mostly Cs: You can live without your phone and probably have an old Nokia without internet. You would have no problem with a digital detox. Congratulations!

Katarína Čelková