Digital Detox: Why Popular Advice Doesn’t Work — RBC Feature

Maria Nikolenko (HRD at KODE) examines on RBC why the idea of temporarily giving up gadgets fails to solve digital dependency—and can sometimes even make it worse.

The Core Paradox
Psychologists, coaches, and influencers often promote a simple idea: less screen time leads to less stress. However, the typical day of a digital economy worker tells a different story:
The morning begins not with coffee, but with a screen—notifications, news, work chats;
The entire workday unfolds in front of a monitor: emails, calls, dozens of open tabs;
Lunch is also screen-based—memes and task discussions;
The evening shifts to non-work tabs, educational videos, food delivery, streaming, and short videos before bed.
On average, a Russian spends around 8 hours per day in front of a screen. For those working online, this figure is even higher.

Digital Detox as an Industry
The concept seems straightforward: less screen time equals better rest. Around this idea, a rapidly growing market has emerged:
Detox apps: valued at $390 million in 2023, with projections reaching $19.44 billion by 2032. The irony is clear—smartphone dependency is being treated with apps on the same smartphone;
Detox retreats: offline camps where participants surrender their devices. Prices start at €500 for three nights. Searches for such experiences have grown by 50% over the past year.
However, after a week offline, individuals return to the same digital environment. This is not a solution, but a temporary escape.

Detox Is Not Accessible to Everyone
Constant connectivity is no longer a choice—it is a necessity for many:
Remote workers and freelancers depend economically on being online;
Full-time employees often work overtime and must remain reachable;
Gig economy workers (drivers, couriers, freelance designers) lose income when disconnected;
Essential services—delivery, shopping, communication—are increasingly tied to online access, making offline life less accessible.
The ability to disconnect at will is becoming a privilege, contributing to a new form of digital inequality.

AI Is Intensifying the Issue
With the rise of AI assistants, people increasingly turn to chatbots for advice and interaction. These tools simulate human communication, further increasing screen time.
Conclusion: A Gas Mask in a Polluted Environment
Former Google senior strategist James Williams aptly describes the issue:
“[Digital detox] is hard to call a solution for the same reason that wearing a gas mask a couple of times a week does not solve air pollution. It may temporarily mitigate certain effects at the individual level, but it is not a reliable solution to a systemic problem.”

What’s Next
The detox industry shifts what is fundamentally a systemic issue onto individuals. Systemic problems require systemic solutions.
At the same time, this does not mean inaction. The digital environment is shaped by those who build and use it—particularly IT professionals. The real question is not how to escape the digital world, but how to make it more human-centered.