Every few months, a mate of mine goes on about his latest “digital detox.” You know the drill—he’s going to give up screens for a week or maybe even a whole weekend. Turns his phone off, leaves the laptop shut, and sometimes even runs off to the bush to be alone with his thoughts. The man comes back singing the virtues of life without tech, as if he’s just had an epiphany on par with splitting the atom. But here’s the kicker: Is he really detoxing, or is this just a trendy bit of self-delusion?

Let me throw an analogy your way: Imagine declaring you’re going on a food detox. For two days, you eat nothing but kale and quinoa. You wave goodbye to burgers and pizzas like they’re the enemy. But come Monday, you’re back in the queue at the local chippy. Did you really change your eating habits, or just temporarily distract yourself? Is it a detox or just a diet pause? And perhaps more importantly, does a break even do anything?

Myth 1) “Digital detoxes reset your brain.” Dispelled) What your brain needs isn’t a detox—it’s balance. If broccoli makes you superhuman, then sure, detox away. But let’s be honest; you gain control by learning to live with moderation, not by extreme abstinence. It’s not the screens that are the problem; it’s our incessant need to fill every spare moment with noise and notifications. The problem is us, not the tech.

Myth 2) “You’ll rediscover the joys of real life.” Dispelled) You already know what’s out there. Chirping birds? Check. Trees swaying with the wind? Yep. But none of that inherently becomes more joyful because you spent 48 hours without checking Instagram. If anything, temporary abstention just makes you binge harder when you plug back in. It’s like leaving the keg party early and then downing shots as soon as you’re back.

So what’s the solution? Rather than ripping tech out of your life like a bad tooth, embrace it wisely. Learn to schedule tech-free time within your daily life without making it a “detox.” Just like you wouldn’t boast about having a salad for lunch, let’s stop glorifying tech breaks. Go on, use your phone—but perhaps just a tad less frequently. Maybe then, you’ll discover how to use tech as a tool rather than a crutch.

Your phone doesn’t own you, mate. And the sooner we stop treating digital detoxes like they’re some sort of panacea, the sooner we might find a real balance. So next time you feel overwhelmed, don’t detox; just take a step back and adjust your settings. Simple as that.