The Digital Diet: The 4-step plan to break your tech addiction and regain balance in your life

++ Fukinsei: asymmetry or imbalance (Don’t get caught up in checking every e-mail all the time.) ++ Kanso: simplicity or elimination of clutter (Keep your favorite sites to a minimum, close down old accounts, and avoid carrying too many devices.) ++ Koko: austerity or bare essentials (Streamline your devices, services, and even contact list.) ++ Sh

The main problem with massive multitaskers, according to a Stanford University study from 2009, is that they’re terrible at filtering out the stuff that doesn’t matter.

or more hours a day using technology had a 17 percent to 44 percent higher risk of being overweight and a 10 percent to 61 percent higher risk of obesity.

The study’s authors found this group easily distracted and incapable of ignoring irrelevant information.

The only difference was that I wouldn’t be broadcasting my every move to 1,664 friends, most of whom I didn’t even know.

“Ironically, with all this, ‘We’re now more connected than ever with technology,’ I don’t think we’ve ever been farther apart.” —Drew Barrymore

“Chill out”—the next time your son or daughter comes to the dinner table with a smart phone or iPod or laptop, try putting it in the fridge during the entire meal. It won’t do any harm to the device. Then serve it as the final course, after the dessert.

The study found that children who spent three

increasing appetite for gadgets and the Web has made us lazy and less active.