Towards a "Slow Communication": The Habit of Regular Digital Disconnection as Component of Media Literacy

The increasing use of information and communications technology along with the spread of mobile devices with internet access seems to have contributed to the idea that the 'permanent connectivity' is a state not only technically feasible but also desirable. According to this "digital maximalism", the connectivity through screens is good and the more is one connected the better. However a growing list of authors alert for the damages that may result from permanent digital connection, either social, emotional or neurological. Far from advocating a technophobic attitude, the aim of this paper is to explain the proposal of a "slow communicatio". This proposal is based on the setting of periodical unplugged moments with the purpose of cultivating face to face communications and also for making those online connectivity moments more productive and enriching. This paper proposes some interesting habits for successful media consumption and concludes that regular practice of digital disconnection is a necessary element of digital literacy.