The average person checks their phone 96 times daily. That's once every 10 minutes during waking hours. We scroll through hundreds of feet of content before breakfast. We're more connected than any generation in history, yet loneliness and anxiety are epidemic. Something isn't adding up.

Digital wellness—the practice of healthy technology use—has moved from fringe concept to necessity. Local IT consultant Omar Hassan has helped over 100 community members redesign their relationship with devices. His message is clear: technology isn't the enemy. Unconscious use is.

'Most people have never questioned their digital habits,' Omar explains. 'They adopted smartphones because everyone did. Downloaded apps because they were popular. Said yes to every notification. Years later, they feel overwhelmed but don't connect it to these choices. My job is making the invisible visible.'

He starts people with a simple exercise: track phone usage for one week without changing behavior. The results consistently shock people. 'They think they use their phone an hour daily. The data shows five. They believe social media is occasional. It's actually three hours. This gap between perception and reality is where work begins.'

Omar doesn't advocate extreme solutions—no phones, no social media, digital detoxes. 'That's not sustainable for most people. Instead, we design systems that create conscious choice rather than automatic reaction.' This looks different for everyone but follows common principles.

Digital wellness isn't about rejection of technology. It's about conscious relationship with it. —  Omar Hassan, IT Consultant

First: notification control. 'Every notification is someone else's priority interrupting yours,' Omar notes. People turn off nearly all notifications, checking apps on their schedule rather than on-demand. 'First few days feel like withdrawal. Then liberation.'

Second: physical boundaries. Phones stay out of bedrooms. No devices during meals. Designated no-phone hours. 'The presence of a smartphone reduces cognitive capacity even when it's off,' Omar explains. 'Creating physical separation creates mental space.'

Third: intentional social media. Rather than scrolling feeds passively, define purpose for each platform and use accordingly. Want connection? Message individuals directly. Want news? Follow specific sources. Want nothing? Delete the app. 'Passive scrolling creates empty calories for your attention.'

Fourth: analog alternatives. Physical books instead of screens before bed. Paper notebooks for thoughts. Face-to-face meetings when possible. 'We replaced tangible activities with digital equivalents without questioning whether something was lost. Often something was.'

The results Omar sees are striking. People report better sleep, improved focus, deeper relationships, less anxiety. They don't use their devices less necessarily—they use them more intentionally. 'It's like difference between eating whatever's in front of you versus making conscious food choices. Same action, different relationship.'

'Digital wellness isn't about rejection of technology,' Omar concludes. 'It's about conscious relationship with it. Technology should serve your life goals, not determine them. That shift—from passenger to driver—changes everything.'