Digital Wellbeing | Annette White-Klososky | TEDxUCO

Summary

The speaker candidly discusses their personal struggle with an unhealthy relationship with technology, which led to negative impacts on their personal and professional life. They share their journey towards digital wellness through the Digital Wellness Institute, where they became certified. The essence of digital well-being is the balanced use of technology without it disrupting one's peace or focus. The speaker highlights alarming statistics about the effects of excessive screen time on mental health and productivity, and offers practical tips for creating digital boundaries and maintaining a healthy relationship with technology. They emphasize the importance of being intentional with technology use, setting boundaries, and being aware of one's triggers and needs. The talk concludes with a challenge to the audience to examine their own relationship with screens and consider making changes for a healthier digital life.

Takeaways

• 📱 The speaker fell in love with their screens, which became a toxic relationship affecting personal and family life.
• 💔 Technology addiction can lead to a decrease in focus, inner peace, and can interfere with personal relationships.
• 🌟 Digital well-being is about balancing the use of technology without it impeding one's balance or peace.
• ⚖️ Intentionality is crucial in using technology; it's about focusing on accomplishing goals rather than aimless scrolling.
• 📉 Research from the Digital Wellness Institute shows alarming statistics about employee fear of unplugging, dissatisfaction, and the impact on productivity.
• 💰 There's a significant economic cost to mental health issues in the workplace, with billions spent on lost productivity.
• 📈 The pressure to be constantly connected and productive is increasing with advancements in technology like AI and virtual reality.
• 🧠 The prefrontal cortex, responsible for focus and decision-making, can become fatigued from overuse of technology, leading to memory loss and inability to focus.
• 🚫 Setting boundaries with technology is essential for maintaining balance and well-being.
• 🔄 It's important to be aware of one's triggers and needs, such as sleep or a change of scenery, to avoid numbing behaviors like excessive screen time.
• 📉 The modern work culture often lacks digital boundaries, leading to a constant expectation of availability and increased stress.

Q & A

What is digital well-being?

Digital well-being is the balance of being able to use technology, applications, programs, and AI without impeding or restricting your balance or peace. It involves having intention for what you're doing, maintaining focus, and ensuring that you're accomplishing the goals you're trying to achieve.

What is the Digital Wellness Institute?

The Digital Wellness Institute is an organization that the speaker went through a program with and became certified. It focuses on awareness and healing related to digital well-being, helping individuals understand and manage their relationship with technology.

Why did the speaker feel the need to address digital well-being?

The speaker felt the need to address digital well-being because of their personal experience with technology addiction, which impacted their inner peace, ability to focus, and personal relationships. They recognized the negative effects on mental health and productivity and wanted to help others avoid similar issues.

What are some statistics mentioned in the transcript regarding the impact of technology on employees?

Some statistics mentioned include: 30% of employees fear unplugging, 40% feel unfulfilled due to lack of work-life balance, 90% of organizations find personal device use distracting, and $44 billion is spent on lost productivity due to employee mental health issues.

How has screen time in the workplace increased?

Screen time in the workplace has increased from 8.1 hours to 11.1 hours, indicating a longer connection to work and a lack of separation between work and personal life.

What is the role of the prefrontal cortex in relation to technology use?

The prefrontal cortex is involved in distractability, perseveration, and impulsive behaviors. Excessive use of technology can lead to fatigue in this area of the brain, resulting in memory loss, difficulty focusing, and an inability to read emotional sensitivities.

What is the speaker's advice for creating a digital diet?

The speaker suggests being intentional about what you consume and when, and how much, similar to how one would create a diet for eating. This involves setting boundaries and being mindful of the time spent on screens and the activities performed on them.

What are some tips the speaker provides for improving digital well-being?

Tips include generating versus stimulating, designating devices for specific purposes, traveling slow to be present, setting expectation margins, having mindful meetings, practicing mindful communication, and being aware of personal state to avoid numbing behaviors.

How does the speaker suggest using technology to improve productivity?

The speaker suggests using technology to complete tasks more efficiently, but also emphasizes the importance of reaping the rewards of that increased productivity, rather than just expecting more work.

What is the importance of setting boundaries when it comes to technology use?

Setting boundaries is key to achieving balance and well-being. Without boundaries, one can become overwhelmed and lose focus, leading to decreased productivity and potential mental health issues.

How does the speaker propose to make technology use more intentional?

The speaker proposes being more intentional by setting clear goals for technology use, designating specific devices for specific tasks, and creating a digital diet that involves mindful and focused interactions with technology.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Struggling with Digital Dependency

The speaker opens up about a personal struggle with an unhealthy relationship with technology, which was initially fulfilling but eventually became toxic, affecting personal relationships and focus. After recognizing the problem, they sought help from the Digital Wellness Institute, went through their program, and became certified. This experience led them to help others. The definition of digital well-being is introduced as the balance between using technology and maintaining personal peace and focus. The speaker emphasizes the importance of intentional use of technology and being aware of one's digital habits.

05:02

📈 The Impact of Technology on Work-Life Balance

The speaker discusses the alarming statistics from the Digital Wellness Institute's research, highlighting employees' fear of unplugging, dissatisfaction due to lack of work-life balance, and the perception of personal device use as a distraction. It is noted that organizations often do not have clear digital boundaries, leading to a culture of constant expectation and increased productivity without proper balance. The cost of lost productivity due to these issues is highlighted, along with the rise in anxiety, depression, and workplace suicides, underscoring the urgency to address these concerns.

10:03

🧠 Understanding the Brain's Struggle with Technology

The focus shifts to the impact of technology on the brain, particularly the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for distractability, perseverance, and impulsive behaviors. The speaker recommends the book 'Frontal Fatigue' for a deeper understanding of how our brains are not designed for constant interaction with machines. The overuse of this part of the brain can lead to fatigue, memory loss, and an inability to focus or read emotional cues. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and being intentional with technology use to maintain balance and well-being.

15:04

🛠️ Practical Tips for Digital Well-being

The speaker provides practical tips for achieving digital well-being, including generating versus stimulating, designating devices for specific purposes, slowing down during travel to be present, setting expectations for work and technology use, and mindful communication. They advocate for being intentional about when and how technology is used, such as using different rooms for different activities to signal a change in focus. The speaker also encourages self-reflection on personal needs and numbing behaviors, suggesting that small changes in awareness and habits can lead to significant improvements in digital well-being.

Keywords

💡Digital Well-being

Digital well-being refers to the balance between using technology and maintaining one's mental and emotional health. It is about having the ability to use technology intentionally without it negatively impacting personal relationships or focus. In the video, the speaker discusses their journey towards digital well-being after recognizing the negative effects of excessive screen time on their life.

💡Digital Wellness Institute

The Digital Wellness Institute is an organization that the speaker found and went through their program to become certified. It represents a resource for learning about and improving one's relationship with technology. The institute is mentioned as a starting point for the speaker's awareness and healing process regarding their screen addiction.

💡Screen Time

Screen time is the total amount of time spent looking at or interacting with screens, such as those on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and TVs. The video discusses how excessive screen time can lead to negative consequences, such as anxiety, depression, and a decrease in productivity. The speaker provides statistics on increased screen time in the workplace and its effects on mental health.

💡Intentionality

Intentionality is the act of being deliberate and purposeful in one's actions. In the context of the video, it relates to how individuals use technology. The speaker emphasizes the importance of being intentional with technology use to ensure it serves its purpose without causing harm. For example, the speaker talks about creating a 'digital diet' to be more intentional about screen time.

💡Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is the equilibrium between an individual's work responsibilities and personal life. The video highlights that many employees feel unsatisfied due to a lack of work-life balance, often exacerbated by the constant connectivity technology provides. The speaker suggests that digital boundaries are essential for achieving this balance.

💡Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal cortex is a part of the brain involved in high-order cognitive functions such as decision-making, focus, and emotional regulation. The video discusses how excessive screen time can lead to prefrontal cortex fatigue, resulting in issues like memory loss and an inability to focus. The speaker recommends the book 'Frontal Fatigue' for further understanding of this topic.

💡Numbing Behavior

Numbing behavior refers to activities that are engaged in to distract oneself from negative feelings or stress. In the video, the speaker describes how they used screen time as a numbing behavior, which led to a decrease in their well-being. The speaker suggests being aware of such behaviors and finding healthier ways to address the underlying needs.

💡Digital Boundaries

Digital boundaries are limits set on the use of digital devices and online activities to maintain a healthy balance. The video emphasizes the importance of setting digital boundaries to prevent technology from interfering with personal relationships and mental health. An example given is an organization that prompts employees before sending emails outside of work hours.

💡Mindful Communication

Mindful communication involves being present, aware, and intentional in how one uses technology to communicate. The video suggests that if a meeting can be conducted asynchronously, it should be, to respect people's time and promote more focused interactions. This concept is tied to the broader theme of using technology in a way that enhances rather than detracts from one's life.

💡Personal Responsibility

Personal responsibility is the idea that individuals should take charge of their own well-being, including their relationship with technology. The speaker encourages viewers to be aware of their screen habits and to make changes if necessary. This concept is central to the video's message, as it suggests that each person has the power to improve their digital well-being.

💡Unplugging

Unplugging refers to the act of disconnecting from technology, particularly digital devices and the internet. The video discusses the fear many employees have of unplugging, worrying they will miss important messages or emails. The speaker argues for the importance of taking breaks from screens to maintain mental health and suggests strategies for doing so.

Highlights

The speaker fell in love with screens and technology, which led to a toxic relationship that affected personal and family life.

The Digital Wellness Institute's program helped the speaker become certified and start a journey of awareness and healing.

Digital well-being is about balancing the use of technology without impeding personal balance or peace.

The importance of having intention and focus when using technology to accomplish goals was emphasized.

The speaker discusses the concept of a 'digital diet', being intentional about screen time and consumption of digital content.

Research from the Digital Wellness Institute shows that 30% of employees fear unplugging, believing they will miss important messages.

40% of employees feel unfulfilled due to a lack of work-life balance and digital boundaries in their organizations.

90% of organizations find personal device use distracting and unproductive, yet accept after-hours work-related device use.

Depression and anxiety are on the rise, with $44 billion spent on lost productivity due to employee mental health issues.

Workplace suicides are increasingly reported, highlighting the need to address the pressures of constant connectivity and production demands.

The average screen time in the workplace has risen from 8.1 hours to 11.1 hours, indicating longer and more continuous workdays.

The need to untether from devices and reduce digital connection was stressed to improve mental and emotional well-being.

The impact of screen time on the prefrontal cortex, leading to distractability, perseveration, and impulsive behaviors, was discussed.

The concept of 'frontal fatigue' from the book 'Frontal Fatigue' was introduced, explaining how our brains are not designed for constant interaction with machines.

The speaker shared personal strategies for setting digital boundaries, such as designating different devices for different purposes.

Tips for maintaining balance include being present during travel, setting expectations for productivity gains, and mindful communication.

The importance of being intentional with technology use and setting personal boundaries for a healthier digital relationship was emphasized.

The speaker challenged the audience to examine their relationship with screens and consider whether it is healthy and impacting other areas of life.

Transcripts

so I was in an inappropriate

relationship it's a little bit hard for

me to talk about embarrassing but I fell

in love and it checked all the boxes

right we all have the boxes there was

humor total availability inspiration

smart but it turned

toxic and it really started to interfere

with personal relationships with my

family my ability to focus

there were just a lot of things that

really started to take a

turn and you'd probably know who I'm

talking

about I was in love with my

screens my cell phone my iPad my laptop

even my

TV and I knew that I had a problem and I

knew that it was impacting my inner

peace my ability to focus and I found an

organization called the digital Wellness

Institute and I went through their

program and became certified and I

started a journey of awareness and

really

healing and that's what kind of led me

to start helping other people so let's

start with the definition of what

digital well-being is it's that balance

of being able to use technology

applications programs

AIS but not impeding or really

restricting your balance or your peace

it's just that ability to have intention

for what you're doing and focus and

making sure that you're accomplishing

the goals that you're trying to

accomplish because I could sit and I'm

not going to tell you how long I could

sit and scroll aimlessly and then I'd be

like I'm watching monkeys throw

darts for a long time how many of you

have caught yourself watching these

random

videos wasting time and in what I I was

numbing it was a numbing behavior and

what I really needed to do was ask

myself what do I

need most of the time I need to go to

bed I need sleep maybe I need to eat

maybe I need to get up and just change

the scenery go out for a a walk and then

I can refocus I like to think about

creating a digital diet we're familiar

with how we do that with eating so it's

like what am I going to consume and when

and then how much like be very

intentional about what you're doing when

it comes to screens in your life so the

digital Wellness Institute that I

mentioned they have a Trends report and

they do a lot of research and it's it's

I'm only going to share a few things

with you but it's really alarming when

you start reading some of the research

that we're starting to have but

30% of employees fear unplugging because

they're going to miss that message that

email that they feel like they need to

respond to in some you know some time

fashion like it's a Sprint a race

there's 40% of employees that they just

really feel unfulfilled and dissatisfied

because their culture their

organizations they don't have a balance

a work life balance there's not digital

boundaries and they just expect more and

more and more and then 90% of

organizations this is the one that I

find interesting they they are annoying

and feel like when people use their

personal advice devices it's distracting

and that it lowers their productivity

they don't seem to mind when they're

using that 11 o'clock at night to answer

an email or first thing in the morning

it's fine to use your personal viic then

so there's just not really any kind of a

structure around what

organizations uh have in culture and

digital boundaries so depression $44

billion is being spent in Lost product

it providing services for employees

that's a lot of money it's a lot of

money we're not doing anything proactive

we're coming on the the tail inside of

that and then 30% of us adults have

symptoms of anxiety and depression that

is not talking about our youth those

numbers are staggering when you really

look at what's happening with um the

young people today and then we wonder

why we have these silent quiet

resignations they're really not that

quiet people are deciding to go do

something that gives them more purpose

more balance more fulfillment they're

being very intentional about what

they're doing and then I've been in the

workforce a long time and I've never had

to talk about workplace suicides but

that number is increasingly growing and

growing in the last three years we've

had four clients that have had workplace

suicides it's alarming so I hope I have

your attention and I hope you see that

this is something we really have to

address because the pressure we feel to

be on and produce is only going to get

worse web 3 AI virtual reality I mean

the technology is is just going to keep

coming so we have to have some kind of

personal responsibility to know and be

aware of where we're triggered and what

we need to do

2020 the in the workplace the screen

time was 8 .1 hours and it's risen to

11.1 hours that's screen time that's not

meetings that's not I'm in the you know

break room talking to people that's

that's not I'm giving speeches like this

that is when I'm in front of a screen so

our days are getting longer and longer

and we're being connected to work there

doesn't seem to be a separation whether

you work remote or not it seems to be

very very congested and then I think

just the need to reduce that digital

connection got to untether untether from

your devices I I will be honest when I

started doing this work um I looked like

I was addicted to something I was kind

of shake I didn't want to leave a device

or screen behind and it took me a little

bit to really

disconnect and really find kind of where

I could get centered so I'm going to

talk about the brain because I think

it's important and on this topic if you

have not read the book frontal fatigue I

would highly recommend it talks about

what is happening to our brain we were

not designed to interact with machines

all day long and screens so please

please read this book so the first thing

and I'm just going to talk about the uh

prefrontal cortex the prefrontal cortex

there's three things that it does it

helps us with distractability

perseveration and then the impulsive

behaviors that we have those are also

the behaviors that align with the

prefrontal cortex um uh disease and

dysfunction so we are just

fueling dysfunction with our brain by

connecting with these machines the other

thing that happens in our brains in that

prefrontal cortex area is it can get

stressed and it's kind of like a muscle

the more you use it the more it's

engaged the more it's stimulated it

becomes fatigued and when your brain's

fatigued and that's the only area of the

brain that gets fatigued but when your

brain gets fatigued that's when you have

memory loss you can't focus you're like

I just can't seem to focus what's going

on it's also where you're un unable to

read emotional sensitivities or read a

room really well because you you fatigue

that part of your brain and then also

just modern Neuroscience is really

starting to show that that prefrontal

cortex stress and fatigue is triggering

mental health issues and it's alarming

when you really start reading into that

so our brain's a big factor in what

we're in impacting now don't get me

wrong I love technology I love all the

AIS that are coming out I love every App

application there is I won't tell you

how many um things I have on my cell

phone that make my life a lot easier

there's so many good things it's about

the balance you have to be intentional

and you have to really know you and what

your awareness we're all different so

you really have to pay attention to that

and then 50% of our interruptions during

the day are self conflicted when I

started this work I would just pay

attention of how many times I picked up

my phone it was alarming by the way

hundreds of times in a day and then my

focus would go to whatever was on my

phone a not notification would come on

I'd have to go see what that is and it

you would be amazed of what you're what

what's happening if I picked my phone up

right now I could tell you all the news

I probably have some of my family

members that are texting me they

probably don't remember I'm here so you

have to really be intentional and really

set those boundaries and I'm going to

give you some some tips for that all

right I see some of you are having a

reaction because how many of us have had

the Panic of our cell phone battery

almost

dying I have asked complete strangers if

I can borrow their charger so that my

battery does not die now do I do that

for my my brain my emotional health my

physical health no I don't have quite s

the sense of urgency about that but when

it comes to my cell phone I will be

charged and and again I might even ask

you to borrow that so boundaries are the

key if you do not have boundaries you're

not going to have balance if you do not

have balance you're not going to have

well-being so I'm going to give you tips

this is kind of from my journey and um

and I'll start with generate versus

stimulate so you can multitask and have

a lot of stimulation and a lot of balls

in the air things moving but that does

not mean you're generating a result that

that you really are trying to

generate so ask yourself with all the

noise and all the action that's going on

is it generating the result that you

want and really be focused about what

that is the second thing is designate

devices so my cell phone as my daughter

likes to say I I use flip phone

capability I try not to do social and

get caught up in reading and doing a

bunch of stuff on my phone because it's

a black hole for me my iPad that's my

personal device that's where I read

things that I want to learn about might

be read reading a novel I do social

media that's kind of my personal device

and then my laptop is strictly for work

it really helps me be intentional with

what I'm doing travel slow it's a great

boundary I was the one that left my

office for the airport I had phone call

after phone call hey I have to let you

go when I get through security I'll call

you back call them back on the other

side of security in time to load the

plane and go I mean I'm also the one

that's driving and go where where am I

going what exit am I on because I'm

multitasking and doing so much so now

when I travel I don't listen to podcast

I try not to maybe sports radio I try

not to listen to things in my car I try

to be present what am I doing where am I

going who do I get to connect with oh

it's the first break I've had today and

that helps reset me and the next

expectation margin I talked about just a

little bit but when you use

technology to help you be more

productive reap the benefit of that so

if you were doing something for 4 hours

and you found a way to get that done in

two hours you gain two hours but what do

we do we just expect two more hours of

productivity on top of that we never

reap we never reap the reward of using

technology and at some point we break at

some point we'll break so mindful

meetings if you are in a meeting and you

can multitask you are not needed in that

meeting it's simple don't go to the

meeting just go do whatever is most

important that you're focusing on so if

we all did that I bet our meetings would

be a lot uh more Rich we would probably

find that we don't need to have as many

meetings that we have we might not even

need as many people the mindful

communication comes into if you're

having people in meetings that they just

need to know information do an

asynchronous meeting send out the

information give them a certain amount a

time to reply and engage let them

consume that when it fits into their day

instead of having a bunch of people sit

in a room and a waste of time

environment this is really really key so

this is setting up so you have intention

and focus so if I'm going to do social

media which my intention is to connect

with the people that I love and care

about I go into a different room to do

that it tells me I am intentionally

focused on social media and then it

dawned on me I'm sitting in a room by

myself to connect with people that I

care about like like that's what happens

in the awareness why am I not just

calling these people or sending a

message you know yes I still go to

social media I like to know if

somebody's had a grandbaby or somebody's

graduated but then I reach out

personally because then my intention

remember the generate and the stimulate

then what I'm doing actually generates

the result that I'm looking for so make

sure you're very intenal about where you

work and what you do personal state is

another one that's really important

maybe the most important and I talked

about the numbing behaviors so when you

find yourself doing the numbing scroll

the Doom scrolling you know and watching

monkeys at 11 o'clock at night ask

yourself what is it that I need that I'm

not giving myself most of the time it's

sleep maybe it's eat go out for a walk

go do something that changes your state

and then when you come back you're much

more engaged you are much more engaged

in what you're trying to do so the

personal responsibility is you

organizations have a responsibility

there's a lot of things they can do I

work with an organization that when you

try to send an email after hours a box

pops up and says are you sure you want

to interrupt them in their personal time

I can send this at 8:

a.m. I mean what a great testimony of

balance and valuing people people's

lives so it's your responsibility really

pay attention you can hear and know

everything but are you actually

integrating any of that awareness or

knowledge into your life start small

just start noticing how often you go to

a screen to numb because you because you

just need something that's mindless do

something mindless because when you're

on a screen it's not

mindless and then I just want to

challenge you leave leave you with a

challenge really examine your

relationship with your

screens is it healthy do you need to do

something

different has it impacted other

relationships in your

life are you not obtaining a result

because you're just numbing all day long

I really really challenge you to get

digitally well I I know you won't regret

it thank

you