Log off, reboot: Why a break from modern technology is good for your health

By Aleza Freeman

Does your artificially lit, windowless work cubicle feel like a suffocating vortex from which you will never escape? Do you feel trapped and alone in your home office? Are you unable to drag yourself away from the glow of your personal laptop?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, congratulations! You may be suffering from a new, modern day affliction called Nature Deficit.

Let there be (natural) light

According to a Newsweek article by Dr. Andrew Weil, the author of the book Spontaneous Happiness, many people in the modern age are suffering from a Nature Deficit. We spend so much time indoors, immersing ourselves almost obsessively in technology that we are actually putting ourselves at risk for depression.

This Nature Deficit doesn't only apply to modern workspaces. It is also rampant at home: Parents burying their faces in their smartphone Facebook app; Children playing video games all day, instead of going outside to play.

Dark days ahead

The consequences of our technology obsession range from an increase in obesity to outright murder. In late 2010, a mother in Jacksonville, Fla. plead guilty to shaking her infant to death because the child interrupted her game of Farmville.

When society starts taking better care of its virtual internet farms than its living, breathing inhabitants, I think it's safe to say there's a problem. Perhaps, our dependence on modern technology has gone too far (I realize this is said with a slight tinge of hypocrisy since I'm sitting in front of a computer as I write this).

Call in Sick

In the interest of our health, I think it's time that we assess the amount of time we spend absorbed in a virtual life. I'm not proposing we abandon modern technology all together or go as far as becoming Amish. But let's at least take a step back. Take a break. Take a walk.

Since scientific studies show modern technology is making us sick, why not "Call in Sick" to modern technology? You would call in sick to work if you had a nasty flu, right? Once a week, turn off your smartphone - unplug your computer - show the 21st Century it isn't the boss of you.

You know it isn't impossible. If you're in your 30s or older, you can probably remember the time before the internet. A time when conversations happened in person, not via a text message. Crazy how that worked.

The Technology Sabbath

Writer Mark Glaser calls his weekly sabbatical from the digital world a "Technology Sabbath," an homage to the traditional Jewish Sabbath. And, as he writes in an article for the PBS publication Media Shift, he's not alone:

"The concept of a 'Technology Sabbath' is becoming more widespread, both in religious circles and among bloggers and media people who are overwhelmed with the always-on nature of the broadband Internet and smartphones ... instant messaging, social networking and services such as Twitter..."

But how can I live without Angry Birds?

I don't doubt that you will miss your favorite smart phone app at first, but I bet once you get busy doing something other than playing Angry Birds for hours on end, you won't even miss it. You may even end up deleting the app to free up some space on your phone for some other mindless diversion, like Words With Friends. Ummm, yeah, wait, that wasn't the point...

The point is there are lots of things you can do that don't involve technology. Grab coffee with a friend. Give your kid a piggy back ride. Do some gardening. Go swimming. Take a road trip. Play softball at the park. Start a band.

I think Weil makes a valid point when he says modern technology is a fertile ground for a low mood (especially if you are prone to depression).

I encourage you to log off and "reboot" every now and then for the sake of your own health and that of your family. It's a brave new world out there. And the possibilities for life are endless!