A new survey reveals a striking paradox in our relationship with technology: despite recognizing the need to disconnect from their devices, most Americans repeatedly fail in their attempts to do so, highlighting the powerful grip of digital technology on daily life.

The study, conducted among 3,000 US residents about their experiences with digital detox attempts, provides unprecedented insights into the challenges of digital wellness in modern life.

Key Takeaways

Here’s a summary of the most interesting findings:

• Despite voluntarily choosing to disconnect, 72% fail to complete their digital detox.
• A state-by-state comparison shows that some states are doing better than others. South Carolina (-31%), Georgia (-21%), and Maryland (-19%) show the lowest failure rates compared to the national average, while Mississippi (+25%), Massachusetts (+22%), and Arizona (+21%) show the highest.
• 51% of detox attempts last just 2 days or less, with only 4% maintaining their detox for more than a month.
• People find it overwhelmingly difficult to disconnect. 78% report finding it "difficult" to do a digital detox, with 41% finding it "extremely difficult".
• Repeated attempts suggest that the "cold turkey" approach isn't working. 56% make multiple attempts per year, with 10% trying more than five times.
• Social media is both a motivator and an obstacle. 64% list "social media overuse" as a reason they did their digital detox, yet 51% relapse by checking social media.
• Besides social media, people list "watching too much streaming content" (39%), "online shopping" (34%), "compulsively checking the news" (34%), "excessive gaming" (30%), and "checking work emails outside of work hours" (25%) as reasons they did a digital detox.
• Young people (30-) and seniors (65+) have different reasons for doing a digital detox. 17% of young people list "following influencers that lead to comparisons" as a reason, while that number is 6% for seniors. 20% of young people list "Overindulging in self-help content" as a reason, while that number is 0% for seniors.
• The reasons people relapse at their digital detox attempt are much the same as the reasons they wanted to do an attempt in the first place. Besides social media, people list "watching too much streaming content" (32%), "online shopping" (26%), "compulsively checking the news" (29%), "excessive gaming" (36%), and "checking work emails outside of work hours" (29%) as activities that made them relapse.
• People try a lot of different strategies to help them complete their digital detox. The most popular strategies for completing a digital detox are to turn off all notifications (46%) and keep your phone in a separate room (41%).
• There are no noticeable differences in strategies applied for people who are successful in completing their digital detox and people who are not, except for one. People who are successful with their digital detox are 85% more likely to switch to a traditional phone, also known as a dumbphone, while doing their detox.
• The survey confirms that people struggle with smartphone addiction, with 43% self-identifying as being addicted to their smartphones.
• Young (30-) people struggle more with their addiction and seniors (65+) less. While 35% feel anxious without their phone, that number rises to 44% when asking young people and decreases to 23% when asking seniors.
• The phenomenon of "phantom vibrations" primarily affects young people. 16% have experienced phantom vibrations, but that number rises to 26% for young people, while only 3% of seniors have experienced it.
• There are remarkable benefits to be had by going through with a digital detox. 47% report reduced stress and anxiety, 46% sleep better at night, 43% feel more productive and 40% experience an overall improvement in mental health.

Why We Conducted This Study

Americans now check their phones an average of 144 times per day, highlighting an urgent need to understand digital wellness challenges. Research from the University of Pennsylvania shows that limiting social media use to 30 minutes daily can significantly improve mental well-being and decrease loneliness and depression.

Recent studies revealing that even the mere presence of a mobile device can lower empathy levels during conversations underscore the need to understand how people navigate digital boundaries in an increasingly connected world.

So whether it's compulsively following election updates, doom-scrolling through news feeds, or having an addiction to social media, we wanted to understand what would trigger people to do a digital detox, the challenges of doing one, how to be successful in completing one and whether it's even worth doing.