One-off workshop: Digital detox

David Porter
Thursday, December 7, 2023

David Porter outlines a workshop based on the concept of a forced digital detox, with an aim to create devised drama with your students.

Adobe Stock / Tierney

How long could you endure a digital detox for? What about your students? Should anyone have to endure a period of abstinence from the internet, messaging, texts, social media, data and gaming? Some teenagers are forced to.

This one-off session is designed to use the idea of a forced fortnight's detox as a stimulus for devised drama. Done so by a parent on health grounds, the central character will instead receive lots of fresh air, exercise, wholesome food and tough love.

Objectives

  • To consider and use digital detox as a particular stimulus for devised drama.
  • To collaborate with others and explore life through a handful of characters.
  • To create five short scenes (including one narrated or using still images) to share with peers.

Warm-up: (5 mins)

In groups of two or three: one is addicted to chocolate, the other(s) enjoy depriving him/her of it by taunting and mocking. What is the outcome?

Teacher-led discussion: (5 mins)

Ask if any student needs a digital detox? How would they know? Do they know anybody who has had one? Someone may need one if they are preoccupied, distracted and obsessed with digital connectivity to an extent that it becomes more real to them than the ‘real’ world they live in.

Briefly discuss addictions in general, such as alcohol, drugs, tobacco, pornography, sport, gambling and all things digital. Be mindful here that these topics may be sensitive for some students, so approach the topic of addiction with caution.

Discuss the warm-up and ask if it was credible that someone would go crazy if deprived of their chocolate fix? Is it feasible that a teenager would be so addicted to their phone that he/she must go to a detox camp to fix it?

Set up devising: (15 mins)

In groups of five or six, ask students to set up five very short scenes, not creating characters in depth but making a workable story of forced detox treatment on a teenager. (See table, below.)

Scene prompts

Situation: What happens?
1. A mixed generational family where the adults are fed up with a teenager's digital obsession. One parent is alcohol dependent, grandparent is addicted to bingo. A big row takes place. One parent has arranged for teen to go on a detox boot camp for 2 weeks! The teen accuses the adults of hypocrisy. The younger sibling is happy.
2. Rather than spending two weeks in their room the teenager agrees and arrives at camp unhappy and angry. The central character meets other kids in same position. Some have smuggled in their phones and get caught.
3. Still image sequence or narrated scene of time passing slowly and painfully. The teen experiences sports, cold showers, long discussions and healthy compulsory meals.
4. The teen is ‘cured’. They thank the staff and look forward to going home. Packing their bags, the character understands the power the internet had over them as they assess the change in their approach to social media.
5. The young person returns home and is welcomed by their family. They suggest going for a walk together outside. The teen goes into their room and turns on their computer. We are left to wonder if they will use their digital devices moderately moving forward.

Devising time: (15 mins)

Time is short so they must work fast. Check all students are involved in some way, even if it's videoing the group pieces.

Sharing time: (15 mins)

See as many groups as time allows or ask each group to choose only one of their scenes to show.

Reviews and recap: (5 mins)

Ask a student to comment constructively on his/her own presented piece, and then on the work of others. Add your own thoughts on how effective exploring the theme was through five short scenes.

Resources