Last seen headed for the hills for bit of peace

SOUTH Africans are in desperate need of regular digital detox because they spend up to five hours a day online on their tablets, phones or computers.

And to escape this overconnected lifestyle — revealed in a study by Singapore-based We Are Social in January — more people are holidaying at off-the-grid destinations.

“It doesn’t surprise me people are doing this,” said tourism expert Martin van Niekerk. “We live such busy and overloaded lives that rest has come to mean not being connected.”

The study found that South Africans spend just under five hours a day on the internet using computers or tablets. Three more are spent on smartphones, although these activities often happen simultaneously.

Some 26.8 million South Africans are online — and about 13 million of them are active social media users.

But many are choosing to escape by taking digital timeouts.

Durban couple Roxanne Mingard and Cameron McLean often head to their “rustic 1900s cabin” in the Drakensberg, where there is no electricity, TV or cellphones.

“It’s an escape from the craziness of urban living. We both work in pretty stressful environments, which . . . can completely drain your energy,” said McLean, an environmental consultant. Mingard, an entrepreneur, added: “Temporarily taking away that connectivity, reducing the decision-making pressure in a quiet, natural setting, allows you to stop, rest and enjoy what you have at that moment. It’s bliss.”

Digital experts say taking breaks from our screens is becoming essential. Toby Shapshak, editor of tech magazine Stuff, believes society is “besieged by our digital screens”.

“A digital detox is taking a break from these; from the never-ending stream of e-mail, tweets, WhatsApp messages and SMSes. It clears your head.”

Shapshak said it was vital to take regular breaks — something he calls a “digital shabbus”, after the word for the Jewish sabbath. “Every weekend I do a digital shabbus, where I try