World Unplug Day has come and gone, and if we’re honest, we either completely missed the brief… or we were so brilliantly unplugged that the email simply passed us by.
Either scenario feels plausible.
Because while the idea of a digital detox is everywhere right now (switch off, step away from screens, reconnect with the real world) the reality is that most of us are still very much online.
In fact, new research suggests nearly two-thirds of Brits (63%) have never taken a digital detox, and more than a third say they wouldn’t want to. Only 37% say they’ve ever taken a break from the internet, with just 16% doing it regularly.
Which, if you’re reading this on your phone while also half-watching television and replying to a WhatsApp message, probably feels about right.
The survey also revealed that almost half of Brits (45%) would struggle to go without internet access for more than 12 hours, and younger generations are especially connected. Around three in five Gen Z and Millennials say they spend more time online than offline, although they’re also the most likely to admit they probably scroll a little too much.
That said, our relationship with the internet isn’t entirely toxic. Many people say it genuinely makes life easier, from everyday admin to staying connected with friends and family, which might explain why the idea of switching off entirely feels a little unrealistic.
Stephen Warburton from Zen Internet, which commissioned the research, put it neatly: while there’s plenty of talk about digital detoxing, the internet now plays such a central role in everyday life that disconnecting completely isn’t always practical.
And perhaps that’s the truth of it.
Most of us aren’t looking to disappear offline for a week in the woods with only a notebook and a scented candle. We just want a bit of balance, fewer doomscrolling evenings, maybe a slightly more phone-free Sunday morning.
So while we may have technically missed World Unplug Day, perhaps the real goal isn’t going completely offline.
It’s simply remembering, every now and then, to put the phone down.
Even if it’s only for the length of a cup of tea.
