Jace Chen Opinion Piece: The Importance of Digital Wellbeing

Smartphones and digital platforms have become an integral part of our day-to-day lives. They help us to be productive at work, manage chores in our personal lives, entertain ourselves, and keep connected to the people that matter to us. Yet there is also the danger that they can distract us from what’s important.

Many of us are familiar with the potential pitfalls. ‘Doomscrolling’ through negative news in your feeds. Struggling to sleep after spending too long looking at a smartphone screen in the dark. Have your smartphone constantly ping and vibrate when you’re trying to relax with your family. Or lost productivity due to distraction from games or social media.

This is why digital well-being is becoming such a hot topic. This concept refers to using personal technology in a mindful way that promotes mental, emotional, and physical health. It’s all about using technology in a way that enriches, rather than detracts from, quality of life.

Some aspects of digital wellbeing include managing screentime, setting boundaries for online interactions and reducing stresses associated with the online world, such as cyberbullying. Other components of digital wellbeing include using tech to foster healthy social connections and drive better working habits.

Digital wellbeing: Room for improvement in South Africa

It is an area where South Africa has room to improve. The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Saudi Arabia is blazing trails with its research into digital wellbeing. According to its Global Digital Wellbeing Index, South Africa ranks at 28^th out of 35 countries in terms of digital wellness.

According to the study, 52% of surveyed participants implemented measures for digital wellness, while nearly 57% were able to maintain a work-life balance. This suggests that there is scope for South Africa to cultivate an environment that motivates individuals to disconnect from the digital world.

While governments, NGOs and other institutions can provide education around positive technology use, digital wellbeing is ultimately each person’s own responsibility. The good news is that major technology companies have launched programmes and tools to help us get the most from their products.

The Android Digital Wellbeing tools and features from Google, for example, help you achieve balance in how you use your smartphone. These functions allow you to monitor your screen time, set daily limits on app usage, and take scheduled breaks. This helps you to be mindful in how you use your device.

Third-party apps like Flipd, DTox and Forest also help you to manage the time you spend on distracting apps while rewarding you through gamification for keeping away from your phone.  There are also many meditation and mindfulness apps like Headspace and Calm, which provide you with resources to manage stress and anxiety.

Tips for a healthy relationship with tech

These tools amount to a recognition among tech companies that they can play a positive role in shaping how their users interact with digital spaces. They equip everyone to develop their own sense of digital wellbeing.

Here are some ideas about how you can enjoy a healthier relationship with your smartphone:

• As we recently celebrated Heritage Month, remember how digital platforms can promote social cohesion. Social media and cultural content libraries on various platforms offer wonderful channels for meaningful engagement.
• Taking intentional breaks from screens is healthy. Unplugging during important moments, such as family dinner or while you’re preparing to sleep, can enhance focus and help you find balance.
• Take control of your experience using the tools available for your phone. You can use Digital Wellbeing to ‘pause’ apps when you should be working, sleeping or studying, for example. With Focus mode active, you can’t use these apps or receive notifications from them.
• If you’re finding an app or game too distracting or addictive, consider deleting it. Once you remove the temptation, you might find that you no longer miss it.

As smartphones and digital platforms become more central to everything we do, conversations about digital wellbeing become more important and urgent.

With the right focus and strategies in place, it’s entirely possible to achieve a harmonious balance that allows for both the enjoyment of digital innovations and the nurturing of personal wellbeing.

By Jace Chen, realme Country Manager for South Africa