Almost 57% of Spaniards are considering doing a digital detox to connect with the offline world and improve their lives

3 Jul. (Portaltic/EP) –

56.5 percent of Spaniards have considered doing a digital detox, that is, disconnecting from screens and getting rid of social networks to improve their quality of life and mental health or to better approach the offline world in times of constant hyperconnectivity.

This is one of the revelations revealed by the ‘Study SPCial Generation on the digital disconnection habits of young Spaniards’for which SPC has teamed up with the founder of Pantallas Amigas and expert in safe and healthy use, Jorge Flores.

Together they have collaborated to analyze this reality and find out what people are like who identify with this new way of relating to technology through a study that has been carried out between 1,000 Spaniards between 18 and 35 years old.

One of the first conclusions reached is that daily use of the smartphone is around five hours a day, either to check their social media profiles or to connect with family and friends through messaging platforms, among other usage scenarios.

In this situation, 75.5 percent of Spaniards have seriously decided to use their mobile phone lessOf these, 28.8 percent admitted that they have never done it, 32.5 percent said they have done it but then started using it again, while 14.3 percent have managed to maintain this habit permanently.

According to SPC, it is social media that is leading young Spaniards to opt for the so-called digital detox, to the point that 56.6 percent of those surveyed have considered doing so and six out of ten know someone who has joined this trend.

In this sense, the company has insisted that “digital disconnection creates a trend,” in the words of SPC’s Marketing Director, Irene Manterola, who has pointed out that the most common reasons for considering or carrying out this practice are the reduction of time in front of screens, improve quality of life and mental health.

In fact, the study shows that, of the total number of people who have carried out a digital detox, 12.6 percent have done so to connect with the offline world, “in an attempt to have a greater presence in their daily lives, which is important for fostering healthy relationships,” Manterola said.

Digital detox is one of the options that users consider to have a better relationship with screens and 87 percent of those surveyed agree on this. As for the preferred options to promote a correct link between people and screens, there is the uninstalling social media apps (38%) and control the time of use through the alternatives provided by the smartphones themselves (37%). However, currently only 27.9% say they check this information on mobile devices.

In this sense, the company seeks to encourage a return to ‘dumbphones’ or non-smart phones, which offer a less complex user experience that allows users to stay connected through calls and messages.

In this sense, the analysis confirms that the use of these devices is “booming”, as 12.2 percent of the population has chosen to change their smartphone for a phone without internet and 19.5 percent of those surveyed know someone who has already done so.

For Flores, the use of these terminals is “an interesting option, because they allow people to choose when they want to be connected,” “So for adults it is an opportunity to regain that disconnection and be a positive example for children.”

In this sense, SPC has pointed out that Generation Z is made up of young people who are aware of the importance of mental health and emotional balance, which is why ‘dumbphones’ “are positioned as a perfect tool for older generations.” Young people discover the experience of living with fewer commitments and digital distractions, taking greater control of their time and their lives,” in the words of the founder of Pantallas Amigas.

SPC WILD

In response to this need for digital disconnection, the Spanish company has announced SPC WILD, a device without internet access that “responds to the growing demand for products that allow us to take a certain distance from hyperconnection,” as explained at the meeting.

The terminal offers up to 10 days of autonomy with 1 hour of daily conversation and has the basic features of a mobile phone: flashlight, camera, hands-free function, FM radio, phonebook with a capacity of 500 contacts, 4G connectivity and even the Snake 2000 game.

SPC has said that SPC WILD It will arrive throughout the summer in three different colors – green (Caribbean Green), pink (Power Pink) and black (Night Black) – and with retro inspiration.