Would “Eat, Pray, Love” author Elizabeth Gilbert have fallen so deeply in love with Neapolitan pizza if she’d been taking photos of her pie to post on Instagram? What if Steinbeck had travelled with Charley and Waze? These days, iPhones, laptops, and tablets — not to mention fitness trackers and smartwatches — are ubiquitous, making it feel all but impossible to truly disconnect.
Digital detox trips are on the rise and how
“There used to be a distinction between home and away,” says Trine Syvertsen, whose 2020 book “Digital Detox: The Politics of Disconnecting,” examines the dissolution of that boundary. These days, Syvertsen adds, “people do all sorts of things to self-restrict their media use,” including turning off notifications or switching on airplane mode while on the ground. Proof of the interest in going phone-free can be found on Reddit, where forums like r/nosurf and r/PhonesAreBad host discussions on how to more effectively log off while on vacation.
Now, travellers can choose from a growing number of intentionally tech-free trips. Consider the start-up Italian travel agency Logout Livenow, which organises one- to five-day retreats in Sardinia on which guests lock away their phones in order to hike, kayak, practice yoga — and reconnect with themselves.