Increase in Electronic Device Usage Due to Remote Work Activation
Retro Boom Trend from the Era Before Smartphones
Digital Detox Training for New Employees
Recently in Japan, 'digital detox'?reducing the use of electronic devices such as smartphones?has emerged as a new trend. With the rise of remote work due to COVID-19, the time spent using electronic devices has sharply increased in Japan as well, prompting a movement to curb excessive use. Programs where office workers turn off their smartphones and meditate before going to work are attracting many participants, and companies are running digital detox training programs for new employees, creating an atmosphere where the digital detox trend is spreading throughout society.
On the 6th, Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the digital detox trend in Japan. This phenomenon arose as smartphone addiction became a social issue in Japan. According to a survey conducted by MMD Research Institute, which analyzes mobile data, in December last year, over 50% of people use their smartphones for more than three hours a day, and 5% responded that they use them for more than 10 hours.
Office workers are meditating at Hyangrimwon Temple located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. (Photo by Hyangrimwon Facebook)
Digital detox is gaining popularity mainly among office workers who frequently use smartphones. A temple located in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, operates a program where participants turn off their smartphones and meditate for one hour before going to work. The meditation sessions, held from 7 a.m., attract office workers of various ages ranging from their 30s to 60s without pause.
A participating office worker in their 30s said, “Once I hold my smartphone, I keep using it even if there’s nothing to search for, which wastes time,” and added, “Digital detox before work is a time to organize my thoughts and reflect on what I need to do during the day.”
Some companies have started providing digital detox training for new employees. This is intended to develop face-to-face communication skills instead of remote communication through social networking services (SNS). Anabuki Enterprise, which operates in the hotel and sports sectors, required all new employees to undergo digital detox training last year.
Digital detox package at Hotel Hoshinoya. Electronic devices are stored separately and locked with a padlock upon check-in. (Photo by Hoshinoya official website)
The hotel industry quickly targeted this demand. At Hoshino Resort Group’s hotel “Hoshinoya,” a package was introduced where guests leave their electronic devices at the front desk upon check-in. This package, which started in 2014, has gradually attracted more customers, and the number of locations offering it has increased to five. Instead of using electronic devices, guests can experience activities such as horseback riding and forest bathing.
In the case of hotels located in urban areas, some are intentionally promoting rooms where smartphone signals are weak as digital detox experience rooms.
Yomiuri added that professional baseball in Japan also played a role in this digital detox craze. Takahashi Kona, a popular pitcher for the Seibu Lions professional baseball team, said, “The time spent touching my smartphone was too long,” and instead of using his smartphone, he invested time with his family and in stretching exercises, achieving his personal best record last season.
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