NEWS COPY - WITH VIDEO
Millions of Americans are missing out on life’s most precious moments – because they’re too busy trying to capture them on their mobile phones, according to a new study.
Four in ten say they have not truly experienced the moments, such as a child’s first steps or graduation, because technology got in the way.
The poll of 1,500 US adults was conducted by IntrepidTravel.com, which recently launched a range of ‘digital detox’ tours for people wanting to wean themselves off their dependence on technology.
Americans admit they’re becoming addicted, with the average adult saying 16 hours is the longest he or she can be parted from their cell phone before feeling “miserable”.
Over a third (35 percent) confess they spend too much on their cell, laptop or tablet.
And 41 percent said they choose locations to visit or events to attend because the resulting photographs will enhance their social media profile.
The poll unearthed some bizarre case studies:
The woman who regularly went to sleep while using her iPad to bed and woke one morning to find it at the bottom of the bed. When she opened it, she discovered that her husband had rolled over onto it during the night, triggered ‘camera mode’ and accidentally shot a sequence of blurred pictures of his private parts
The man whose trip to the country with his family ended in farce when he twisted his ankle after walking into a COW while texting
A woman who went out on a yacht to spread her mom's ashes at sea spent so much time trying to get good pictures of floating flower petals that she missed the moment the ashes were scattered into the ocean.
Leigh Barnes, Managing Director of Intrepid Travel North America, which has been taking people on tours for over 25 years, said: "We have taken four of Intrepid Travel’s most popular tours and created one-off departures that are completely free from technology. This means no mobile phones, laptops, or cameras.
"On these trips in Ecuador, Thailand, Morocco or India, we want to give our travellers the chance to disconnect from their devices and connect with world. With the absence of technology people will really have a chance to connect with their fellow travellers, the local people and the destination itself.”
“Taking a Digital Detox trip has many proven health benefits including the development of deeper friendships, better sleep, improved memory and the ability to participate in more meaningful conversations.”
According to the research, 56 percent of Americans who acknowledge they have a problem are also willing to take steps to ‘kick’ their habit.
Quite apart from the psychological dependence on technology, many Americans have suffered physical injury because of it.
One in five has bumped into someone because they were so preoccupied with their hand-held device, and over one in ten has tripped or fallen while texting or walked into a pole or wall.
And to add insult to injury, millions of people regularly transgress social etiquette by texting in the theater during a movie (24 percent), during a wedding (16 percent), in church (12 percent), and even during sex (four percent).
Almost 74 percent admit their phone is never more than three feet away from them and they’ve even used it while having spa massage.
Even on a regular vacation, 47 percent said they couldn’t go without their cell, with the average user spending about two hours of their time away searching for a connection.
“We’ve become so obsessed with documenting all of life’s moments that we are forgetting to live them. Taking a Digital Detox is an important reminder that life is not meant to be lived through your cell phone”.
Top ten things Americans would give up for a month in place of cell service/Wi-Fi:
1. Wine/Alcohol
2. Junk Food
3. Gym/exercises/workout
4. Sweets
5. Going out
6. Coffee
7. Sex
8. Music
9. TV/Movies
10. Friends
http://www.intrepidtravel.com/digital-detox
