In May 2025, we took part in the youth exchange “Digidetox: The Art Way”, which took place in a small Croatian village. Malino is located in the Brod-Posavina County (the equivalent of a Polish voivodeship), in the municipality of Oriovac. The aim of this youth exchange was to draw attention to the problem of digital technology addiction by encouraging participants to disconnect from constant distractions such as phones and undergo a digital detox.

Our journey to the venue took 13 hours. We traveled together with the Ukrainian group, which joined us in Lublin. The first part of the trip was a ride to Budapest on a bus we rented ourselves. Then we transferred to a bus hired by the exchange organizer and arrived at the destination in the evening.

After the long journey, we had dinner. All participants were accommodated in the eco-friendly Arteco center, which resembled a hobbit village. From the very first day, that’s what we called it.

The next day, we took part in integration activities, where our group had the chance to get to know participants from Ukraine, Hungary, and Croatia. We also talked about how we use digital tools in our daily lives and what we can do to be more present in the moment.

The popular traditional activity “secret friend” helped bring the group closer together. In the following days, participants implemented their own ideas for workshops, activities, and quizzes that helped everyone disconnect from digital technology.

The first days without a phone were of course very difficult, but after getting to know the participants, it became much easier because we could constantly talk and spend time together. – Olena Mosorova

The hardest moment of disconnecting from my phone was the beginning. It was tough to detach from daily life, to accept that everyone would manage without me. But over time, they learned to respect my time and take care of themselves without me. I was able to switch to offline mode and feel peace. – Weronika Maleśkiewicz

Polish group: Olena Mosorova, Weronika Maleśkiewicz, Ada Berbeć, Nikola Kobylarz, Agnieszka Juchno, Weronika Rotko, Andrzej Smyk (L).
The youth exchange was implemented by the Croatian organization LUMEN under the European Erasmus+ programme. The Heureka Generator Association was the Polish partner in the project.