Four in 10 Australians pull off a digital detox. Gen Z try the most, and struggle the most

The New Year ritual is familiar. Delete a few apps. Promise yourself “no phone in bed.” Announce a detox. Then, three days later, you are somehow watching a 47-part series on a stranger’s kitchen renovation.

Digital detoxes sound simple. Reality is messier.

Some people do step away and feel better for it. Others try and bounce straight back. And a surprising group sits in between. They want the break, they attempt it, but they cannot hold the line.

So we wanted to measure it properly. Not with vibes. With numbers.

Airteam surveyed more than 1,000 Australians to understand who is attempting digital detoxes, who succeeds, and what patterns show up across generations and locations.

The headline is both hopeful and slightly brutal.

Four in 10 succeed. Gen Z can barely get there.

‍

A digital detox is common. Success is not guaranteed

First, this is not a niche behaviour.

• 34% of Australians have attempted a digital detox
• Among those who attempt one, 39% succeed and feel better for it
• 19% of those who try say it feels impossible and they give up quickly

That 39% success rate is the core stat.

‍

Digital detox success rate

1000 Australians: attempts vs outcomes

• Tried a detox: 34%
  • Succeeded and felt better: 39% of attempters
  • Gave up quickly: 19% of attempters
  • Other outcomes: remaining share of attempters

‍

Millennials show it can work. Gen Z show how hard it is

The most interesting part of the data is generational.

Millennials are the proof that detoxing can be done and can feel good.

• Millennials: 21% have successfully detoxed and felt the benefits

Gen Z is the paradox.

• Gen Z: 57% have attempted a detox
• Gen Z: 28% success rate

So Gen Z is trying more than anyone. But they are completing less than anyone.

Put differently. They are attempting detoxes at a rate that suggests high awareness and high pressure, while also showing the weakest ability to follow through.

That matters because Gen Z is the cohort most frequently discussed in the context of social media harms and mental health concerns. The data suggests the desire to disconnect is there: the capability to disconnect is the bottleneck.

‍

Detox attempts vs success by generation

• Gen Z
  • Attempted: 57%
  • Success rate: 28%
• Gen X
  • Success rate: 44%
• Baby Boomers
  • Success rate: 43%

The contrast is stark: Gen X and Boomers succeed at roughly four in nine. Gen Z is closer to one in four.

Our take is that this does not read as laziness: it reads as dependency, design, and social gravity.

Gen Z is the most socially networked generation through digital channels. For many, disconnecting is not just less content. It can feel like opting out of the room where life happens.

‍

Regional Australians disconnect less often. But when they do, they win

Location adds a twist.

Regional Australians are less likely to attempt a detox, but far more likely to succeed.

• Regional attempt rate: 29%
• Regional success rate: 51%

That is well above the national average of 39%.

There are a few plausible explanations. Less density of “always-on” social expectations. More routine that is offline by default. Fewer lifestyle patterns built around constant digital coordination.

Whatever the reason, the result is clear: when regional Australians try, they are more likely to follow through.

‍

The NSW contradiction

NSW is the outlier in the opposite direction.

• NSW is the most likely to try: 41%
• NSW has the lowest success rate: 32%

High intention. Low follow-through.

We’d be guessing if we said we knew why.

‍

What the data implies for New Year resolutions

If you are about to make a digital detox your resolution, the data offers a surprisingly useful framing.

• A detox is common. One in three people have tried.
• A detox can work. Four in 10 succeed and feel better for it.
• The highest risk group is the group that tries the most. Gen Z.

The lesson is not “don’t detox.” It is “treat it like behaviour change, not a declaration.”

Small boundaries beat grand gestures.

No phone at dinner. Screen-free Sundays. Social apps off the home screen. Notifications silenced by default. A clear end date rather than “forever.” Rules that reduce temptation, instead of relying on willpower alone.

The bigger picture is that digital habits are becoming less like preferences and more like dependencies. Especially for younger cohorts whose friendships, status, entertainment, and identity loops are deeply tied to platform participation.

If Gen Z is trying hard and failing often, that is not just a personal story: it is a design story.

‍

About the data

The data used in this analysis comes from a survey commissioned by Airteam, using a nationally representative sample of 1,000+ Australian employees, who were asked about digital detox attempts and outcomes.

‍

Survey results

Question: If you have ever attempted a "digital detox", what was your experience?

‍

‍

‍

‍