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One in three Australians (34%) have attempted a digital detox, with a 39% overall success rate among those who try. Millennials lead with 21% successfully detoxing and feeling better, while Gen Z faces a stark paradox: they attempt detoxes at the highest rate (57%, four times more than Baby Boomers) but achieve the lowest success rate at just 28%. Regional Australians succeed 51% of the time despite attempting detoxes less frequently (29%), while NSW residents show the worst disconnect between effort and results (41% attempt, only 32% succeed).
New research reveals that Australians attempting a digital detox have a 39% chance of success, with those who succeed reporting feeling better for disconnecting from their devices and social media platforms.
The nationally representative survey of more than 1,000 Australian employees found that one in three Australians (34%) have attempted a digital detox, meaning four in 10 who try will succeed and feel the benefits.
Millennials prove it works, Gen Z know they need it but can't break free
Millennials are leading the charge, with 21% having successfully detoxed and felt the benefits. But Gen Z's experience tells a starkly different story.
Despite being the most likely generation to attempt a detox (57% have tried), Gen Z achieve the lowest success rate at just 28%. They're attempting digital detoxes at more than four times the rate of Baby Boomers, yet struggle far more than any other generation to follow through. Nearly one in five Australians (19%) who attempt a detox find it impossible and give up quickly.
The contrast is brutal: while Gen X and Baby Boomers achieve 44% and 43% success rates respectively, Gen Z can barely break 30%.
- 39% Overall success rate for Australians attempting digital detox
- 34% Australians who have attempted a digital detox
- 19% Australians who attempt a detox but give up quickly
- Gen Z 57% attempt, 28% succeed
- Millennials 21% successfully detoxed
- Regional Australia 29% attempt, 51% succeed
Regional Australians find disconnecting easier
Location plays a surprising role in detox success. Regional Australians attempt detoxes less often (29%), but achieve a 51% success rate when they do, dwarfing the national average (39%). NSW residents show the starkest contradiction, being the most likely to try (41%) but recording the lowest success rate at just 32%.
The Gen Z paradox reveals a troubling digital dependency crisis among young Australians. While they recognise the need to disconnect at four times the rate of older generations, their 28% success rate suggests smartphone and social media addiction is significantly harder to break for those raised with constant connectivity. This has serious implications for mental health, productivity, and wellbeing among Australia's youngest workforce and students. Regional Australians' 51% success rate suggests physical distance from urban digital intensity makes disconnection easier, potentially offering a blueprint for those struggling in cities. For employers and educators, the data indicates Gen Z workers and students may need structured support and accountability to successfully reduce screen time, as willpower alone clearly isn't working for seven in 10 who attempt it.
