Digital Detox Practices Against Digital Addiction In The New Media

While new media offers opportunities that simplify our lives, it also poses the risk of making us dependent on digital technologies. Problematic use of digital technologies can lead to digital addiction, which in turn can result in physical, mental, and social problems. In this study, internet addiction, social media addiction, gaming addiction, and smartphone addiction were examined within the scope of digital addiction. Additionally, digital detox methods that individuals can implement based on their own willpower and resources were explored. In this study, which employed both quantitative and qualitative research techniques, the addiction levels of 141 out of 240 undergraduate students enrolled in the Radio, Television, and Cinema Department of Mersin University's Faculty of Communication for the 2021-2022 spring semester were measured through an online survey. In the second stage, focus group interviews were conducted with 23 students, categorized into three separate groups based on their addiction levels, to discuss their views on both digital addiction and digital detox practices. The interviews revealed that a majority of the students experienced withdrawal symptoms, indicative of digital addiction, and manifested this in their behavior. While 43% of the participants in the focus group interviews stated that they had never heard of the concept of digital detox, 57% indicated that they had. It was observed that the participants lacked sufficient knowledge about digital detox and only resorted to digital detox methods individually when they felt the need. Despite recognizing the necessity of digital detox, the participants also expressed that implementing it is challenging.