Vacation without a phone

It may seem like the most obvious thing, but how many of us are ready to go on vacation as their parents have walked - without a phone, laptop or tablet? And that doesn't mean excluding just social media, but all the other amenities that technology offers - like navigation, for example. 

It turns out that disconnecting from technology is harder than it seems. We are so used to the convenience they offer us that we start to feel uncomfortable if we can't check exactly when the next bus is or which restaurant in the area has the best rating. It is the emotional aspect of such a "technological detox" that is studied in a study published in the Journal of Travel Research  [ref. 1]. 

The study is based on the concept that a person interacts with the technology, and that detachment from it leads to an emotional response, which is related to the lack of a facility that it would offer it. For example, we can say this: "Using Google maps to navigate gives me a sense of security when I get lost." This, broken down by the authors' concept, can be understood as this: "Using Google maps (technology) to navigate (ease) gives me (the person's) sense of security (emotional response) when I get lost."

The researchers selected 24 participants, each of whom was a regular user of digital technologies. The requirements for them are only to be willing to take a "technology-free" journey in which they do not use a phone, computer, tablet, navigation or even an audio player - generally to spend time without any screens, as well as to keep a diary of emotions before and after exclusion from the tech world. There are also no restrictions on destinations and are on a voluntary basis.

So, the analysis of the data obtained from the diaries and additional interviews with some of the participants reveals emotions such as anxiety and frustration before the very exclusion from technology and at the beginning of this experience. Some share concerns about how they will navigate a new place without having the help of navigation. Others are concerned about the lack of contact with their loved ones and families and that they will not understand if an emergency occurs at home or that they may fall into a dangerous situation and will not be able to seek help. For others, digital technology is a means of avoiding boredom at times, such as the time before falling asleep or waiting for the bus.

Despite the inconveniences and dependence that participants have built on technology, most of them share the peace of mind that occurs after the initial shock of the change. Being disconnected from the constant information flow pouring into us through social media and phones, many feel a sense of release and lightening. This "technological detoxification" has helped them realize the amount of new information they are forced to take on daily and the break from it is proving particularly refreshing. Also, the lack of technology has encouraged participants to communicate more with the people who actually surround them, to get to know the locals and to spend more and more time with the people with whom they have gone on this journey. 

Another interesting result of this study is that negative and positive emotions from detachment from the technological world appear at different times. In some people, separation becomes very easy, and in others there is a longer period of adaptation to this reality and even symptoms of "quitting".