Gen Z will never survive without the internet. We shouldn’t strive to
In the middle of my usual doomscrolling routine, I ironically learned of an app that turns any device into a dumbphone. What this means is it replaces our colorful icons and irritating notification badges with a minimalist design so dull, it drives down our screen time.
This life hack is part of a long list of solutions we’ve contemplated trying: Virtual gardens that plant a flower for each half-hour spent in focus mode, wellness retreats that rewire our attention spans over a weekend, and the resurgence of flip phones.
Though their intentions are good, I think the idea of an internet-free existence is an illusion. Believe me, I’ve tried almost all the recommendations and failed miserably.
James Dominic Flores, MA faculty at Far Eastern University’s psychology department, compares our brain to a personal computer: infinite tabs or apps running and not enough memory to handle these efficiently. “Our brain can only pay attention to so many things at once: physical sensations and information in our feeling and thinking dimensions can overload our senses,” he tells PhilSTAR L!fe.
Our constant state of overwhelm is exacerbated by our always-on culture: the unspoken social expectation to reply, reshare, and react to any piece of information immediately. When someone doesn’t acknowledge our message or express their thoughts on an emerging issue, the assumption is that they saw it and simply didn’t care.
With this, it’s easy to see why digital detoxes are now in vogue. Psychologists peddle their obvious mental and emotional benefits; cultural critics, on the other hand, tout them as the future of social capital. In a not-so-faraway future, we will learn of what’s hot and happening by being at the right place with the right people—not by seeing some post go viral.
Yet, our lives are so inextricably intertwined with the online that it’s just impossible to stay away for any meaningful amount of time.
“Going off the grid is difficult these days because these comforts have been so ingrained in our culture that it feels like they are necessities, so much so that internet access is included in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals,” Flores shares.
In a personal essay published on Business Insider, William Haigen recounts the 12 months he ditched his smartphone. Sure, the first few weeks caused him to “[feel] more focused, productive, creative, and healthier all around,” but living in a world where everyone remains tethered to the web was a “nightmare.” Constantly getting lost, having no modes of payment, and failing to communicate with his friends ultimately became a burden to others, despite the joys it brought him.
As a freelancer working multiple remote jobs, it’s not a stretch to say I need the internet to live. I stare at a screen for a shameful 18 hours daily to communicate with my colleagues, submit requirements, and keep abreast of the cultural trends I critique weekly… and of course, watch Reels to keep me sane.
“Similar careers include streamers, influencers, and those who work in the marketing space. Going off the grid may actually cause them stress and anxiety,” Flores says.
On a macro scale, deliberate disconnection feels out of touch when staying informed takes a single scroll. One of our main assets as Gen Z is our ability to immerse ourselves in issues far from our reality and mobilize movements from the comfort of our own homes.
It’s how most of us, including myself, were radicalized in the first place: whether our turning point was the Black Lives Matter movement, former president Duterte’s war on drugs, or the genocide in Gaza. To shut down our laptops and close our eyes to the world’s injustices is to insulate ourselves in our bubble of privilege. Truly, it’s a luxury only a few can afford.
So while there are documented benefits to detachment, the goal isn’t to eliminate the internet—it’s to make our online experiences more intentional instead. Flores makes a poignant comparison: “If you are drowning, it’s best to move towards safe ground and get out of it. But we must remember that we still need water to survive as part of our everyday necessities.”
Some ways I practice curation are by choosing to get my news directly from websites, rather than exposing myself to toxic comment sections; setting aside certain times to reply to messages, instead of always being available; and even physically putting my laptop away after work.
But perhaps the most helpful tip I can give is to admit that we’ll always be in a stream of toxic sludge: disinformation spearheaded by paid trolls, unrealistic standards of how we should look and be like, and general negativity towards the most innocent non-issues. Fortunately, we are in control of what we allow to affect us.