A Campaign for 'Digital Detox'; A Global Call to Break Mobile Phone Addiction

A group of NGOs and non-profit organizations has invited people around the world to dedicate a full month in February, starting from January 31, to reducing or completely avoiding mobile phone usage. The 'Global Solidarity Foundation,' which promotes the 'Phone-Free February' campaign, stated in a press release: 'Mobile phones help us accomplish many important tasks, but these devices are designed to keep us addicted.' The statement further adds that the highly addictive design of these communication tools has led us to check our phones an average of 221 times a day. Jacob Warren, a member of the Global Solidarity Foundation, also mentioned that this month is an opportunity to ask ourselves, 'What do we really need our mobile phones for?' The promoters of this campaign hope that if people spend some time without their mobile phones, they can understand the impact it has on their lives. Nowadays, consciously distancing oneself from mobile phones and social media for a specific period is referred to as 'digital detox.' Experts say that with each visit to social media, a molecule called dopamine is released in the body, to which our brain reacts similarly to drugs like cocaine. Dopamine plays a fundamental role in maintaining motivation for tasks in humans. Dr. Anna Lembke, a psychiatry professor at Stanford University and author of the book 'Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence,' states that the fluctuation of dopamine in the brains of early humans was an important evolutionary advancement to make the pursuit of basic needs, such as water, food, and shelter, pleasurable. Lembke adds, 'But this pleasure does not last long and quickly fades so that we are inclined to seek out our needs again.' In modern life, in a world where abundance far exceeds scarcity, our brains are exposed to sweets, social media, television, sex, drugs, and many other dopamine-triggering stimuli. However, according to Lembke, our brains have not evolved for such easy and abundant access to dopamine. This situation has made many individuals unable to enjoy ordinary things, and these things no longer just make us 'happy' but only allow us to feel normal. Lembke states that this is very similar to addiction, and quitting these stimuli, like quitting a drug for an addict, leads to symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, discomfort, and cravings. Therefore, if you wish to join the global campaign 'Phone-Free February' for the next month, know that this endeavor, like quitting well-known drugs, will not be easy but is worth it. Emily Hamendinger, a public health PhD and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado, stated that the effort to quit mobile phone addiction depends on the individual and the goals they want to achieve. She also recommended working on improving habits during this month; otherwise, if one is to return to previous behaviors after some time, 'they may need more detoxifications.'