In one of our workshops on prevention of media addiction, a student reported that he could hardly concentrate on his homework in the afternoon. Constantly whirring messages from friends, popping up new social media notifications or attracting short videos. He had the feeling that he always had to be available – and it is precisely this feeling that he stops him from really focusing.
These examples symbolize the “digital burnout” phenomenon. We live in a society in which the digital almost all areas of our everyday life penetrates – from professional requirements to school communication and leisure activities. It is often not noticeable how much this non-stop online presence can burden us.
Florian Buschmann, founder of the “offline hero”, is committed to the prevention of media addiction. Once affected himself, he knows about the dangers. Every year he and his team conduct over 300 events with more than 10,000 participants in schools. The “offline heroes” are committed to media literacy, media addiction prevention and the correct way of dealing with AI. You know: the future begins with our children.
First sign of digital overload
Digital overload is not always evident at first glance, but there are warning signals that we should take seriously:
1. Concentration problems
Anyone who constantly absorbs new stimuli – whether through incoming messages or endless feeds – has difficulty staying on one thing. The brain gets used to short, quick impulses and reacts restlessly as soon as no notifications arrive. This often leads to superficiality and frustration, especially with homework.
2. Stress
“I have to answer quickly, otherwise I will miss something!” – This pressure can grow subliminally and finally lead to permanent tension. If you do not manage to regulate permanent digital stress, in the long term inner unrest and irritability threaten.
3. Sleep disorders
If the smartphone is also within reach at night and lights up with every small message, it is difficult to calm down. The blue light of the displays also influences the natural sleep-wake rhythm. Those who do not consciously take digital breaks suffer from poorer sleep quality and feel limp during the day.
Why “Always On” is not a desirable motto
Young people in particular, who are often also networked in school groups or on social media around the clock, have the feeling that they always have to react. This “Always on” credo can quickly lead to a downward spiral: the more you ““ ”here, the greater the pressure not to miss any entertainment.
The brain hardly gets resting phases in which it can recover. Added to this is the expectations of others: whoever is available around the clock is considered unreliable if you treat yourself to a break.
In the consequence, not only school performance – because homework or learning is disturbed – but also the mental well -being. Permanent digital stress increases the risk of depression and burnout, even at a young age.
Practical approaches for digital breaks and healthy media consumption
How can you escape this suction? Some approaches have proven themselves in our workshops:
1. Analyze the screen time
Many smartphones offer a function to record daily screen time or individual app uses. Use this data as the basis for discussions – we are often surprised at how high your own media consumption really is. This can be derived from this sensible limits.
2. Set up offline islands
Homework or learning phases work best when the cell phone is consistently packed away. A simple rule: During the learning time, the smartphone or tablet are out of reach. This is the only way to deal with the task undisturbed.
3. Hobbies instead of endless scrolls
Anyone who regularly pursues analog leisure activities – sport, music, art or games with friends – refueling energy and distance. By consciously creative or active offline, the brain learns to get involved and enjoy the moment.
4. Conscious communication
Not every message has to be answered immediately. Set fixed times or intervals in which chats and emails are checked. These “digital breaks” help to deal with messages more relaxed and reduce the feeling of constant obligation.
Invitation to the parents' consultation hour
In families in particular, it is important that we jointly develop awareness of healthy use of digital media – so that children and adolescents can concentrate their school tasks concentrated and do not lose themselves in digital fire.
We cordially invite all parents to our parents' consultation. There we can discuss how you support your child and also keep an overview ourselves. Together we find strategies to prevent digital burnout and use the advantages of modern technologies. We look forward to seeing you!
