How to reduce how much time you’re spending staring at screens without hurting your career

I don’t know about you, but I usually cringe when I get my weekly Screen Time Report. Did I really spend that much time online? Turns out, I’m pretty average. According to DataReportal’s 2025 Global Overview Report, adults worldwide clock in about six hours and 38 minutes on digital devices each day. 

While being average is comforting, I know I could benefit from more time unplugged. Yet, the thought of a full digital detox feels scary. 

“It’s very hard to completely disconnect yourself,” says Cristiano Winckler, director of digital marketing for Somebody Digital, a digital marketing agency. “But anything in excess is going to have negative consequences. The question is, how can we still be present online, but not in a way that is going to cause anxiety?” 

Worries about being offline are common, and Winckler analyzed the most common perceived career risks according to Google Trend search data. He found three of the biggest concerns—and why we shouldn’t stress over them so much.

Being Inaccessible

People who work remotely often fear that a digital detox may portray them as inaccessible or out of the loop, says Winckler.

“For example, in our organization we have lots of different ways of communicating with each other,” he says. “We have emails, WhatsApp, and Slack. Some clients like to use Microsoft Teams. If you’re managing three to five clients, you have to communicate with them, plus your team members. People are afraid of being inaccessible.”

Instead of being tethered to message apps all day, get ahead of other people’s expectations. For example, let your team members know when you’ll be offline or are doing focused work. Winckler adds that organizations should implement policies that help their employees feel more confident placing boundaries around their time.

“You don’t have to be 100% available all the time,” he says. “People will feel more comfortable having conversations, and they will become more efficient in dealing with certain tasks than before.” 

Missing Networking Opportunities

Social media, such as LinkedIn, can be a valuable networking tool, and another common worry is that a digital detox could cost opportunities if they don’t act quickly enough. But that’s not the case, says Winckler.

“People need to understand they do not control how their posts are going to be presented,” he says. “I sometimes get comments from people on posts that I published several weeks ago because LinkedIn and other social media platforms don’t necessarily show that post to everybody on my network at the same time. They usually pace out the exposure.”’

Instead, Winckler recommends time-blocking an hour per week to go through your social media channels and interact and reply. “You can still keep that networking element, which is quite important, while still keeping a good balance,” he says.

Lagging Industry Awareness

In addition to networking opportunities, social media can serve as a real-time feed for industry trends and news. Implementing a digital detox may cause you to worry that you’ll fall behind on emerging practices and competitor updates.

“If you completely disconnect yourself from important channels, you will definitely miss market trends,” says Winckler. “Everything happens superfast in the digital world, and I would not recommend that you disconnect completely.”

Instead, utilize tools to curate content for you so you can spend less time staying current. For example, Winckler recommends using news alerts and filters. Or subscribe to channels and newsletters that package relevant information and events that happened last week in your field. 

“In the digital marketing world, for example, there are amazing channels on LinkedIn and other social media platforms that will summarize everything for you and will give you a snapshot of what you need to know,” he says. “You can consume what is relevant to you and spend more time on the topics that will have a direct impact on your career. It’s using technology in your favor.”

Finding Balance

You don’t need to go offline for long stretches of time to improve your relationship with the digital world. While it’s natural to be concerned about being inaccessible, missing network opportunities, and industry awareness, it’s also possible to create balance with boundaries, leveraging technology as a tool and not let it take over your life and habits, says Winckler. 

“That’s a true digital detox,” he says. “The benefits outweigh the concerns of not always being available by quite a margin. It can take time to establish, but you will see a positive impact. The goal is to be present online, but not in a way that is going to cause anxiety.” 

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