04/09/2025
Have you ever questioned how many hours you spend on technology?
The latest global data shows adults now average 6 hours and 38 minutes online per day. That is a significant share of our waking life, and it has real implications for our wellbeing- affecting our focus, mood and sleep.
What is digital wellbeing?
In my coaching conversations, I often ask a simple question: "Is your tech use helping you feel focused, rested and connected, or is it getting in the way?"
Digital wellbeing is the practice of using technology in ways that protect our attention, sleep and relationships. It is not anti-tech, it is intentional tech.
Why it matters
Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation brings together international data showing that, from the early 2010s, a phone-based childhood coincided with sharp rises in adolescent anxiety, depression and self-harm. The same attention-capturing designs that affect young people also shape adult habits at work and at home, so clear digital boundaries matter across ages.
Two strategies to try this week
1. Protect sleep: Park the phone outside the bedroom and set a 60-minute digital wind-down.
2. Create focus windows: Choose one or two blocks each day where notifications are off and the phone is out of sight.
What is one change you will make this week to bring tech back under your control?
Pia Vassallo
