Trine Syvertsen, professor of media studies at the University of Oslo, on digital detox during the covid-19 crisis

The public is not tired of it, journalists are struggling to keep up to date: information on the coronavirus seems to be the only subject that matters at the moment. Can we really afford to take screen breaks at a time like this?

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The coronavirus is undoubtedly the most important topic at the moment. Audiences seem unable to put down their smartphones for fear of missing the latest update, and journalists may feel unable to take screen breaks from their work as they try to keep up.

The last thing on our minds right now is deactivating our social media accounts, or at least restricting their use. But while we sit in isolation, a digital detox could be the way to feel less overwhelmed by world events.

In this week’s podcast, we talk about Trine Syvertsenprofessor of media studies at the University of Oslo, about his new book “Digital Detox: the policy of disconnectionwhich will be published next week. She offers practical examples from her research on what motivates people to disconnect from the digital world, how this is possible and what prevents people from truly disconnecting.

Whether you’re guilty of checking your work email on your day off or just glued to your news app, Syvertsen tells you when it’s time to self-regulate your digital habits.

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