4 ways to battle online fatigue

Here’s what a normal online day was like for me (and, I would assume, for many others):

6:30 a.m.: Wake, check my inbox and Facebook feed. Read some news online.

7:30 a.m.: Leave for the office, using Spotify on the bus, checking Twitter and news throughout the journey.

9 a.m.: Start work. Spend the entire day connected, sending emails, checking Twitter, etc. until 5:30pm.

6 p.m.: Bus journey home. Despite the fact I’ve been looking at a screen for pretty much 12 hours straight, I do a bit of reading on the iPad or check Twitter.

8 p.m.: Routinely check phone every now and again.

This is insane; it means most of our day is consumed with being online. We are already seeing the effects of this connection addiction. A study from the University of Winchester revealed that users suffered “withdrawal symptoms” when forced to give up Facebook and Twitter for just one week. Reports of “nomophobia”—defined as the fear of being out of contact with someone via mobile phone—are increasingly apparent.