Digital detox - smartphone and laptop at the kitchen table

New year's resolutions - who's up for a digital detox in 2016?

8 Jan 2016

2 min read

Modern day New Year’s resolutions include cutting back on social media, playing Candy Crush less often, spending less time looking at smartphones - and taking fewer selfies, a study has found.

While age-old resolutions such as dieting and giving up cigarettes are still on the list of pledges for January, a dwindling number of smokers and year-round healthy-eating have seen a host of other resolutions become popular.

Now people are choosing a digital detox, with vows such as having fewer Facebook friends, sharing less on social media and not looking at a phone or tablet screen before bed among the top modern resolutions.

Other popular resolutions today include travelling more, watching less TV and calling people more often instead of sending a plain text.

Chris Mottershead, Managing Director, Thomas Cook UK, which commissioned the research to mark the launch of the ‘Beach Holiday Ready’ campaign, said: “There was a time when almost everyone’s resolutions would have been to give up smoking, drink less alcohol or to lose weight.

“But now, with the introduction of technology related vices, there are a wide range of resolutions being made every January.

“Not only does technology play a huge part in our lives, but these resolutions could also be easier to stick to than the more traditional ones of giving up smoking or drinking.

“Travel is also a popular feature with many wanting to see more of the world, go on more holidays and just generally travel more than they currently do.”

The poll, of 2,000 adults, found that going on a diet is the most popular New Year’s resolution, followed by going on mini-breaks and holidays, travelling more often and reading more books.

Drinking less alcohol came fifth, with giving up smoking, setting more time aside for a hobby or personal project, more time with family, cooking from scratch and spending less time on social media completing the top ten.

Printing out and framing more photographs is also on the list of popular resolutions, along with doing something to help a good cause, cutting down on screen-time generally and spending less time checking your phone.

Keeping up-to-date with politics, sharing less on social media and writing or updating a blog also feature.

As much as we love digital media, we whole-heartedly agree that everyone could benefit from a little more screen downtime.

So here's to a digital detox in 2016 - what are your digital resolutions?

Top digital resolutions for 2016

  • Spend less time on social media
  • Back up computer more often
  • Spend less time online
  • Stop looking at a screen before bed
  • Call more instead of text
  • Cut down on screen usage
  • Spend less time checking your phone
  • Take fewer selfies
  • Have at least one family activity a week not based on TV or screens
  • Have fewer social media friends / have a Facebook cull
  • Shop online less
  • Share less on social media
  • Stop looking at your phone when eating
  • Write a blog
  • Save more photos/docs in the ‘cloud’
  • Spend less time playing ‘Angry Birds’ or ‘Candy Crush’ type games
  • Update blog more often
  • Actually do some of the things you have pinned on Pinterest
  • Manage your social media profiles so they are ‘career friendly’
  • Complete/update your LinkedIn profile
  • Stop posting on social media after you have been drinking
  • Keep up to date with your tech updates, such as iOS updates
  • Stop using text speak or shortened words in conversation

#smartphones #technology #socialmedia #blogging

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