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SALT LAKE CITY -- Some hotels and resorts around the country are using a new marketing ploy to get your business -- stay with us and we'll let you take a vacation from your digital devices.
A recent study shows nearly 80 percent of Americans struggle to disconnect, even on vacation. But a University of Utah professor suggests that taking a break from technology might actually be good for our overall mental health.
It's called digital detox. We have our computers at work; on our commute home, we have our smart phones in the palms of our hands; and when we get home, we have our flat screen TV, not to mention our iPads, e-Readers and computers at home. Well, at these hotels, when you check in your tech gadgets check out.
Some of us spend much of our time connected to electronic devices. These gadgets are doing exactly what they were designed to do, says University of Utah's Dr. David Strayer --- capture our attention.
"All the electronic gadgets that we have can be good, but too much of a good thing can not necessarily be good," he says.
He says all of these new tech gadgets are disruptive noise for our minds, in essence scrambling our brains and affecting our ability to develop healthy social skills. "It can start to deplete our attention. It starts to overload us," Strayer says.
He suggests we stop multi-tasking -- completely unplug for a while. Interact with nature; you know, go outside and do something.
Some resorts and hotels are among a growing number of vacation spots offering a break from technology. The Renaissance in Pittsburgh, PA; The Hotel Monaco, Chicago, IL; and The Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa in Wyoming are among those encouraging guests to unplug. All offer to lock up your phone so you won't feel guilty letting it go for a few days.
Strayer say digital detox tends to improve your overall mental health and has been linked to improving ADHD and depression. "You start to think more clearly. You become more creative."
A survey of more than 2,000 people found that 33-percent of us will hide from family and friends just to check email and update our Facebook status or slip in a Tweet. The number of people checking emails while on vacation is 68 percent, up 10 points from just a year ago.
A vacation without a cell phone might sound pretty primitive, but when Dr. Strayer actually studied people unplugged from technology, he found their brain functions were sharper. As he put it, our brains just aren't wired for all of that technology and multi-tasking.
E-mail: niyamba@ksl.com
