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View all search resultsLogging off, living more: Indonesia’s quiet shift to the ‘joy of missing out’
As screen time rises worldwide, some Indonesians are choosing a calmer relationship with their phones, embracing the “joy of missing out” to reclaim focus, presence and balance in daily life.
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Saltwater break: Visitors play along the shore at Lagoon Beach in Taman Impian Jaya Ancol, Jakarta, on Feb. 21, 2026. As screens dominate daily routines, many Indonesians are rediscovering simple pleasures away from the glow of their phones. Antara/Darryl Ramadhan ( Antara/Darryl Ramadhan)
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aluh Ambar Sasi, 38, a university lecturer in Salatiga, Central Java, often leaves her phone untouched during lectures, fieldwork and writing, sometimes long enough that her husband has to email her to get a reply on the messaging app WhatsApp.
Galuh mostly uses email, accessed through her laptop, for communication and responds to WhatsApp messages only from family members or close friends, as she finds her phone distracting.
In a digital age when people rely on their devices for news updates, social connections and entertainment, some are choosing to spend less time on their phones to have a more balanced life, including Galuh.
She mainly uses her phone for practical purposes, such as getting directions from a map application, making digital payments or taking notes.
"I rarely check my phone because I find that when I'm in one place, I'm not just focusing on myself, but also my mind and heart. And that requires focus," she said. "It feels strange, doesn't it, when you're talking to people and your eyes keep looking away?"
Amid various social media platforms, Galuh maintains only an X account, formerly known as Twitter, which she uses to follow current events. She prefers the platform for its text-based format, which she finds quieter than image- and video-heavy platforms.
She once had an Instagram account but deactivated it after feeling uncomfortable with how her life appeared online and how little it reflected who she really was.
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