Digital Fast

As an elder millennial who grew up with no internet or social media, I sometimes think “do I even want digital skills?” The homesteading trend has me wanting to disconnect and unplug. The statistics on the negative effects of screen time and social media usage are startling!

Let’s start our month of building our digital skills by preparing with a digital fast. A digital fast is a commitment to refrain from using screens and technology during a specific time period. This time can be intentionally repurposed to build community, spend time with loved ones, be creative, read, or simply think and reflect. The average American watches 4 hours of tv per day. 4 HOURS! That is a lot of time. We never seem to have time to work out, volunteer, or resist the patriarchy, but we have time to binge Severance or Yellow Jackets.

In 2022, I experimented with doing a once a week fast from my phone and tv, including podcasts and audio books. I put my phone in a drawer and checked it once a day for emails and text messages. I did this for only a month. During the fasting days, I found myself less anxious and more mindful. I also read books like the wind. I finished so many books on those days, and I was amazed and how much I enjoyed devouring novels and non-fiction books.

The holidays are a great time to be mindful about what you really want out of life, connect with family, and think about who you want to be as you form your New Year’s Resolutions or 2026 goals. What better time to incorporate a digital fast? I would love to take a month and go live on a farm with no screens at all, but I gotta pay these bills. So I will be doing a digital fast on Saturdays and journaling about the results for next year’s post on this subject.

My phone waiting for me in a drawer during my digital fast. It calls and tempts me!