Digital Detox and AI Dependency | Colin Corby

Digital detox expert Colin Corby joins The MiddleGround Mic to talk about digital detox, AI dependency, smartphone habits, burnout, and how to get control back from technology without throwing your phone away.Learn more about Colin Corby and his digital detox resources at thedigitaldetoxcoach.com.Colin is the founder of Technology Wellbeing Limited and creator of The Digital Detox Coach. In this conversation, he explains why digital detox can be as simple as short offline breaks, why phones keep us from fully resting, how AI can make people dependent, and why being present is becoming harder in an always-connected world.Joe and Colin also discuss phone addiction, screen time, kids and technology, loneliness, AI companions, and practical steps like the “Just One Thing” challenge and avoiding scrolling for the first 45 minutes of the day.Learn more about Colin at thedigitaldetoxcoach.com.CHAPTERS00:00 — Intro: Digital Detox and AI Dependency01:25 — What Digital Detox Actually Means04:16 — Why Phones Keep Us From Resting05:44 — Being Present With People Again07:32 — The Attention Business Model11:23 — What Tech Insiders Understand12:09 — AI Detox and Outsourcing Your Skills14:40 — Why AI Dependency Matters19:48 — Warning Signs of Digital Burnout22:11 — The Phone Test With Friends and Family24:56 — The Just One Thing Challenge27:09 — Stress, Burnout, and the Tipping Point30:01 — Why Environment Changes Habits32:40 — Accountability and Changing Habits33:12 — Loneliness, Technology, and AI Companions36:33 — Small Steps and the Marathon Mindset40:42 — Kids Growing Up With Smartphones43:54 — AI at Work and Why People Still Matter47:51 — When Mistakes Live Online Forever50:35 — Parents Have to Set the Example54:51 — Where to Find Colin Corby57:12 — The Five Day Digital Reset58:13 — Final Takeaway: You’re Not Weak, You’re OutgunnedSupport the show