Is Going Offline The New Online?

Are you guilty?

Have you ever felt the sporadic buzzing in the leg when the phone is not even there in your pocket?

Have you found yourself checking your WhatsApp every 15 seconds because the message you sent is delivered and read but not replied?

You don’t remember the taste of your food but surely the click was perfect that got many views and unlimited comments!

Have you checked your Insta feed every 15 minutes to see what’s the update on the story you posted?

Keeping an eye on the new trends so that you are not left out on your content?

Have you played a podcast on your phone while you are in the subway but ended up moving between different apps as the messages kept buzzing?

Have you picked up your phone in the middle of your conversation with someone because you think a virtual world might have some messages waiting for you?

Have you ever started reading a book on the phone and end up swiping left to right… reading pages but understanding nothing because the constant urge to update the status of you reading a new thing was hovering your mind!

There will always be some sale going on in some part of the world, thanks to our local and global friends who keep us posted!  But that also means our virtual presence to order it away!!! Oh, the shopaholic nature!!!

You were just discussing your next vacation destination with a friend and the next thing you see is pop-ups on Facebook or sponsored posts offering you deals for your dream vacation spot? Because your phone overheard you!!!

Even if you are not the tech savvy kind the addictive games like candy crush can take up hours of your time and makes you feel zoned out mostly?

Your life needs to be broadcasted every second because you owe this to your followers!!!

Phewww!!! Most of us have done this.

But the question is are we living our real life instead of our virtual on

FOMO Vs JOMO?

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)is just not for physical absence at some place or an event. Its also not being there virtually in the digital world there. While the last year ubiquitous feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out) prevailed lives of most of the people in 2018. The feeling was there since forever but social media helped people understand and name what it was that they felt when they couldn’t be everywhere. The tout to cross post on the social media channels with every unasked detail of one’s life 24/7 had its own rush to it but was tiresome too for many of us.

Lately, JOMO (Joy of Missing Out)is the new buzzword where people unplug to recharge themselves for this social competitive world. And they are ok if they are missing out on something in their digital absence. Staying MIA (Missing in Action) to detox from the social media is the new norm that’s seen and heard.

Smart Apps for Detox:

New apps are out there to track your social media usage habits and control it. The apps can tell you how many times you picked up the phone, how much time you spent on a particular app and how can you change it by making small achievable targets. Apps like Flipd locks you out of the phone for a certain time. Another popular one Stayontask makes sure that you have completed the task rather than going off task and wandering on social media. Offtime , on the other hand, can block you from the distracting apps and increase productivity. Forest gives you challenges to test your ability to beat your addiction of social media. You grow plants when you focus and they wither away if you use social media.

Creative Ways of Self Control:

Social Media Cleansing is becoming as essential as cleansing your body over the period of time. Taking the control of time, you spend on Social media empowers you. Some call its “Unplugging”, “Offline” while others named it “Digital Detox”. People are trying to have a designated detox day in a week where they delete the apps and spend a day without it. Another way is rewarding themselves by earning a social media time if they achieve their daily goals of normal life e.g. walking 6000 steps means you are allowed to be on Instagram for 1 hour. The carrot and stick model for self-control is common in this case that means if you go overboard and use social media more than your allocated time than you are not allowed to use it for next 2 days or may be giving up on your coffee or your favorite pair of shoes.

Switching Back to Basic:

Trepidation caused by constant use of smart devices has made many people think of reclaiming their life back. How? By switching to Nokia Dumbphone. A phone that serves the purpose which is being connected when required by a call or a text and is not connected to the Internet. Sales of basic “Dumbphone” has increased over a past year when compared to sales of the smartphone. The reason is clear as people are looking for an option to disconnect and be more Mindful. As one of the researches that 78% OF Britishers believe that they can’t live without their phone. Recently in new year’s resolution, I have seen instagramers switching to old basic phones to reduce the addiction to smartphones. The Nokia 3310 has a new 2017 reboot version in the market to meet such needs.

Is Going Offline The New OnIine?

As we step into 2019 the binge of connectivity is going through the law of diminishing marginal returns for many. While our new generations are clinging to iPad as a toddler we are choosing to detox for a breather. A break from the pressures of being out there on the social media. A break from having no hammer on your head to share the minute details of your daily lives. To regain our sanity in real lives staying offline is becoming a new thing. But the question is going offline a new cool FAD? Or is it how the new patterns are being set for the upcoming generations?

On the contrary, if a consumer is taking a break from new social media the question for marketers is that would the traditional marketing philosophy kick in again?

What are your thoughts on this? Have you ever tried taking a break from social media?

If yes how was your experience?