It’s summer. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and you’re stuck inside scrolling on your smartphone looking at people having a great time outdoors. Sounds familiar? Well, you’re not alone.
The average American spends nearly four hours a day staring at computer, tablet and smartphone screens, and an additional four hours or so watching television, according to the financial news site MarketWatch. Medical researchers, cited in a Forbes article, recently concluded that the heaviest smartphone users exhibit “the greatest degree of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and isolation.” The antidote? “We need to devote time to ourselves, nourish our brains and engage in exercise,” as well as “reconnect with nature,” writes the author of the article, an emergency physician.
Needless to say, it’s hard to kick digital addiction (after all, your phone is designed to keep you constantly engaged). Thankfully, Sonoma County offers plenty of ways to stimulate your senses sans screens. If you want to take a break from your computer, tablet and phone, click through the gallery for tips on how to do a digital detox.