Despite deleting all apps, locking her smartphone in a cabinet and switching to an old-fashioned feature phone Hong Nhung could not kick her addiction to digital devices.
It took her a visit to a mountain retreat for a week to finally do it. "Everything started the day I realized my life completely depended on my phone and the Internet, which was leaving me exhausted," she says.
As someone working in communications, the 26-year-old Hanoian is greatly dependent on technology, needing to remain on top of trends and reply to messages day and night.
Outside of work, she had a habit of scrolling through entertainment apps. What would start as a five-minute break often turned into a three- or four-hour session. Short videos and content personalized based on her interests made it impossible for her to turn away.
Being stuck to her phone for 14-16 hours a day caused Nhung insomnia and loss of concentration. Negative and fake news on social media would wear her out too.
She plotted to get rid of the technology that was dominating her life. She put her phone away, only using her smartwatch for notifications, did housework and exercised to forget the habit of holding her smartphone. But her efforts were in vain. "I was irritable, restless and uneasy when my hands felt empty," she recalls.
Unable to "detox" on her own, she registered for a one-week retreat up a mountain this summer. For the first two days she was restless, had a headache and wanted to go home. But thanks to interactions with others, she gradually rediscovered the knack of personal connections.
Kim Ngan, 20, of Hanoi admits she "cannot put down the phone for more than five minutes, except when sleeping." Her life revolves around social media, games and dating apps.
Artificial intelligence has further dragged her deep into the spiral of tech dependency. She uses ChatGPT for everything: advice on assignments, day-to-day planning, and even as a confidant. After starting to use AI, she feels like she "doesn't need to think for herself."
Like Nhung, she too wants to escape the tentacles of technology, fearing that one day she might turn into a "zombie."
She has repeatedly deleted all phone apps to force herself to think and do things on her own as she used to, but every time the feeling of anxiety and fear of missing out would become unbearable, and she would get them back. The motivation for change only came when she realized she had lost all connection with her family.
She had shopped asking her parents for advice or sharing things with them for nearly a year. "I only called home once a week."
Nhung and Ngan's efforts are part of the "digital detox" trend that is popular among young people.
According to Nguyen Phuong Chi, who has a PhD in education from the University of Arizona in the U.S. and is the author of "A Book on Minimalism," digital detox is a period of actively stopping the use of social media, phones and email to break away from virtual life.
It is becoming increasingly popular as many young people are exhausted from a technology overload, he says.They are seeking out retreats, meditation courses and workshops that do not allow phone usage.
A survey by Ernst Young Vietnam in early 2025 found that 10-15% of urban Gen Z tend to use "dumb phones" (feature phones) to reduce dependency.
Yalda Uhls, psychologist and founding director of the Center for Scholars and Storytellers at the University of California, Los Angeles, notes that young people are well aware of their smartphone dependency and are trying to reduce it.
While they admittedly spend a lot of time on social media, they recognize it lacks depth, she says. Some even support the "appstinence" movement.
Dr. Tran Thi Hong Thu, head of Hong Thu Psychological Consultation and Therapy Office in Hanoi, lauds young people's efforts to "detox" from technology as a positive signal.
She emphasizes that the Internet itself is not bad, but its misuse is destroying concentration, memory and emotion.
The World Health Organization has recognized "Internet addiction disorder" as a mental health problem. "Studies in the U.S. and South Korea show that Internet addiction can cause the grey matter in the impulse control region to shrink, similar to those addicted to gambling," Thu says.
In Japan, over 1.5 million young people are in a state of "hikikomori" (acute social withdrawal) due to dependence on the online world.
Digital therapy clinics in the U.S., South Korea and Vietnam are filled with patients suffering from insomnia, anxiety disorders and depression after years of "living online."
Many people do not admit they are addicted, "but if you feel restless and empty after a day of not checking messages, it is a form of mental dependence," Thu says.
She says it is because young people have a need for recognition and seek quick positive emotions making them "addicted" to receiving a "like" or a comment. "The feeling of discontent when leaving the screen activates the brain's reward system, creating an addiction cycle exactly like drugs. Dopamine spikes and then drops, making you need another dose."
This is why Internet addiction is an emotional dysregulation disorder and not simply a habit.
Le Anh Tu, a lecturer at the University of Economics and Finance in Ho Chi Minh City, says digital platforms operate based on the "attention economy," and to maximize viewing time algorithms prioritize short, sensational content.
In this environment, content is often low-quality but prioritized if it triggers strong emotions like shock and mirth to attract views.
The consumption of such content reduces users' ability to concentrate and process complex information, he says. "The platforms themselves have studied preferences and recommend precisely the content users like, causing them to become addicted without even knowing it."
Dinh Ngoc Son, former deputy head of the Department of Radio and Television at the Academy of Journalism and Communication, fears AI will cause young people to gradually lose their capacity for critical and independent thinking and perceiving emotion.
"AI must be viewed as a supporting tool, not a mental crutch. The true value of humans still lies in emotions and experiences, something AI cannot replace."
Thu explains: "Behind Internet addiction is often a void: a lack of emotional attachment, a lack of life purpose, or a fear of failure in real life." When there is cooperation between the family and a therapist, most addicts show significant improvement, she says.
But she advises young people not to abandon the Internet entirely. She suggests limiting usage time and turning off unnecessary notifications, and dedicating at least one hour a day to screen-free activities such as reading or walking.
"Internet addiction is a mental health issue that requires serious treatment. If you have tried to separate yourself from it but still feel out of control, do not hesitate to seek help from a specialist."
After returning the retreat, Nhung is strict about turning off notifications outside of work hours and not using "useless" entertainment apps. "The restlessness is still there, but as I communicate with real people more, the feeling of emptiness is also decreasing," she says.
As for Ngan, she has started reading books and plans to buy a non-smart phone. She says: "I finished a book in just one day, the book that had been sitting on my shelf for the past five years. And I realized I have a lot of precious time for family and friends."