Digital detox to help users ‘unplug’

The number of people suffering from mental fatigue as a result of technological overload is growing on a daily basis, according to the founder of a new digital detox initiative.

William Meara, co-founder of the Unplug programme, said people are no longer managing technology — technology is managing them.

“If you look around any public transport it’s nothing but people glued to their phones or laptops,” said Mr Meara. “You even see people out on dates and they’re just looking at their phones. There’s no such thing as a nine to five workday anymore. We’re on 24/7 and everyone expects us to be. We’re moving towards a strange world where intimacy is becoming a luxury.”