Unplug: people urged to put down devices
Digital Wellness, a Sewickley-based company, is encouraging Pittsburgh-area residents to celebrate unPLUG Pittsburgh, a component of the National Day of Unplugging, which is scheduled for sundown March 9 to sundown March 10.
Holly Maust, owner of Digital Wellness and a certified life coach and digital detox expert, is partnering with local businesses that are offering free or discounted services in exchange for customers putting down their devices. Events will take place March 10.
“Technology is a wonderful thing, but like anything else, when you abuse it, your physical and mental well-being starts to suffer,” Maust said. “The implications of being on your phone or devices too much can be increased stress, anxiety, trouble sleeping and lack of concentration. We need unPLUG Pittsburgh to encourage people to put down their devices and get back to living.”
To do this, Maust has partnered with several local businesses, including gyms, wellness centers, salons and retail shops, which are offering various perks to customers who put down their devices. Participating businesses include The Health Club at Southpointe; Mecka Fitness, Mt. Lebanon; CrossFit Mt. Lebanon; Angry Mike’s Gym, Robinson Township; Ascend in Lawrenceville; Haute Sauna Studio, North Hills; Copacetic Beauty Lounge, North Hills; and Copacetic Skin & Soul, North Hills.
“My goal is to make unPLUG Pittsburgh a movement where there would be regular events,” said Maust, a former digital marketer who logged several hours a day behind the screen, resulting in weight gain, increased stress and anxiety. “We need to learn how to get back to taking charge of our lives, rather than allowing our devices to control us. By partnering with these local businesses, we are encouraging people to not only put away their devices, but to go do something for themselves that will have positive effects on their lives.”
The National Day of Unplugging offers a 24-hour respite from text messages, push notifications and smartphone games. Created by the global nonprofit Reboot, the day will demonstrate the positive impact that a 24-hour digital power-down can have on individuals, families and entire communities, giving people a collective break and reset on their use of technology.
“The average person spends more than four hours a day on their phone and devices,” Maust said. “So many go to sleep and wake up with their smartphones right beside them, and according to a 2016 study, people swiped, tapped or clicked their phones more than 2,600 times each day. Adults between ages 18 and 24 sent and received an average of 128 texts a day, and these numbers continue to rise each year. It’s alarming and scary.”
Digital Wellness offers a host of digital detox programs and wellness workshops designed to address a multitude of issues faced in today’s technology-driven world.
For more information about unPLUG Pittsburgh, visit www.unPLUGPittsburgh.com.