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Amanda: Thank you very much.
Presenter: So, Amanda, you work for a fashion magazine in London, right? I guess your work
means you need to be online a lot.
Amanda: Oh, yes. Apart from the hundreds of emails I get every day, I'm always browsing
fashion websites, as well as online videos. I also need to be very active online, especially on
Twitter and Instagram – sharing what we're doing in the magazine, interacting with designers,
photographers, influencers … it never stops, literally. Then of course there's my friends and
family to keep in touch with online too, and for me, my work grew out of my passion, so
friends and work colleagues aren't two totally separate groups of people and it all gets a bit
messy online sometimes. I think I'm online for at least 12 hours a day.
Presenter: So, how did you get the idea for a digital detox?
Amanda: I read a book about it, called Log Off: How to Stay Connected after Disconnecting.
The author's name is Blake Snow. That book gave me some really good advice and made me
think about trying to change some of my digital habits. I started with removing distraction.
Presenter: What do you mean by that?
Amanda: That means turning off alerts, buzzes, alarms or notifications of any kind. I had
notifications set up for everything, and it meant I was always being forced to look at my
phone. Removing all of them except for important contacts helped me focus immediately. The
book also made a really good point, that we should ask ourselves 'Why?' every time we take
out our phone. I realised that most of the times I looked at my phone were because I was trying
to avoid or ignore something else happening right in front of me. It was an automatic habit.
Presenter: I have to confess, that happens to me too. But what else are you going to do when
you're standing in line at the bank or waiting for your train?
Amanda: OK, yes, I'm the first to admit that it's great for helping time go by. But speaking
personally, I found I wasn't just checking my phone to kill time when I was alone. I was also
doing it with friends or family around.
Presenter: Hmmm … right. Well, so far, this does not sound too drastic. Turning off
notifications and becoming aware of when we use our devices. That sounds easy.
Amanda: Yes, it's the first step. Once we begin to realize just how much of a grip our devices
have on us, then we're ready to really take the next step. First, my partner and I did a weekend
with absolutely no screens. She found it easier than I did. For me, it was a little bit scary at
first but it turned out to be a pretty rewarding experience.
Presenter: A whole weekend, huh? I don't know if I could ...
Amanda: I think everyone has to do this at their own pace. If a weekend feels too much,
maybe just try for an evening. Then work your way up to more. I guarantee, once you've tried
it, you'll want to try it again. We're going to try for a whole week in the summer.
Presenter: OK, let's pause there then and see what our listeners have to say. You can call us
here directly, or send us a message on any of our social media channels ... oops, should I be
saying that? Anyway, more after the break.
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