Digital Detox - An infographic by the team at holidaycottages.co.uk
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How much do you rely on your digital devices on holiday? We recently polled 2,000 people to find out about their holiday habits when it comes to technology and have devised the following survival guide to help you survive a digital detox so whether your taking a cosy mountain getaway in Wales to a coastal retreat in Cornwall you will manage to unwind and not think about your phone!
Wi-Fi over bed size
When booking holiday accommodation Wi-Fi is a higher priority than the size of a bed with over 47% of respondents choosing this compared to 43% of respondents who said that the size of a bed was their highest priority. Remember that the point of enjoying a holiday is to relax, so bear this in mind when booking your accommodation. Besides, if you can’t bear to be without your emails or social media, you’ll still feel more comfortable checking in with everything among more luxurious surroundings.
Attached to your mobile?
Over 43% of respondents said that they were quite reliant on their mobile phones. When on holiday most people use their mobile phone as a camera with over 59% of respondents saying this. Secondly over 27% of respondents said that they would use their phone for GPS to aid directions and 26% said they would actually turn their phone off. Over 30% of respondents said that they never use a paper map to navigate when driving. For the ultimate digital detox, follow the example set by the 26% of people that turn their mobile phones off while they’re on holiday. If you want to take pictures to capture memories, try using a disposable camera to keep physical copies of the photos – how often do you look at snaps on your phone anyway? Also, try using a map for the ultimate sense of adventure during your getaway.
iPad for entertainment
Over 31% of respondents said that they use an iPad to distract their children on long journeys, while over 35% of respondents said they use music and just over 30% of respondents distract their children with a book. Long journeys can be stressful, which can often lead to frustration among all those traveling even without a chorus of “Are we there yet?” We recommend leaving with plenty of time and make time for rest stops, a short walk can do wonders for combating stress. Make the journey more fun for everyone by ditching the technology and playing games such as “I spy” to pass the time and feel connected. You can download our Roadside Bingo game here.
So many devices!
Over 83% of respondents take up to five digital devices with them when they go on holiday. We'd recommend leaving a few of these at home so that you're not tempted to let them interrupt your holiday. Savour time exploring the area and escaping the shackles of technological devices.
Essential items
Over 76% of respondents said that the most important technological device to take on holiday would be their mobile phone. Interestingly more people chose mobile phone than an essential item such as an electric toothbrush. Taking a mobile phone on your holiday is important just in case you need it in an emergency, but we’d recommend avoiding it if you wish to relax. This will avoid getting sucked in to the mundanity of constant social media posts or checking your emails.
Depressed over technology
Over 31% of respondents said that it was quite likely that if they didn’t take their favourite electrical device on holiday with them it would put a dampener on their holiday. Don’t let this spoil your holiday, instead, embrace your new found freedom. You will enjoy your holiday more and come back more refreshed if you are able to focus on relaxing instead of your device.
Withdrawls?
Over 53% of respondents said that they could last more than 2 days without their mobile phone on holiday. Whereas over 14% of respondents said that the longest they could last without checking their mobile phone would be 1-5 Hours. However, when asked how often they check their phones on holiday, over 29% of respondents said that they check their mobile phone every few hours. During your holiday, find other activities to fill your time rather than checking your devices. Go for walks or bike rides and explore your surroundings. Alternatively plan your time beforehand by scoping out the best places to visit such as local attractions, and restaurants and you could even create an itinerary. This will enable you to make the most of your time on holiday, reduce stress, and promote relaxation. It will also help you forget about your phone.
Work on holiday
32% of respondents said that they check their work emails whilst on holiday. Ask yourself, is what is happening in the office really that important while you’re supposed to be taking a break? Place trust in your colleagues and instead of worrying delegate the tasks that need to be completed while you’re away so that you can unwind and come back more refreshed and productive. If you need any more reasons not to do this, it has been reported by the NHS that checking emails while on holiday can significantly reduce wellbeing. For this reason alone we’d definitely recommend picking up a book instead.
Social overload
Over 17% of respondents said that when on holiday they are worried about not having data or Wi-Fi to update their social media channels. Furthermore, over 24% of respondents said that when on holiday they would be willing to extend their data plan on a mobile device if they were not able to access Wi-Fi. Over 38% of respondents aged 18-24 years old said that they visited a location or holiday destination just to get a good picture. Forget about holiday spam on social media while on holiday, instead savour the time that you’re away and upload pictures when you get back home. This will help you enjoy the time away more instead of worrying about how many ‘likes’ your post got. Also, increasing your data plan while you’re away, especially abroad, will cost you in the long run and could turn out to make your holiday more expensive than you had initially anticipated.
Try a digital detox on your next break and enjoy a new found sense of freedom. We believe that this will help you make the most out of your holiday as well as encouraging relaxation and productivity.