I tried a digital detox – it made me scared for my life

I’d swapped my smartphone for a dumbphone after deciding enough was enough (Picture: Lauren Jeffries)

Looking over my shoulder, I surveyed my surroundings. My hands had become clammy, and my heart was racing.

It was a Saturday night in Bristol – and I’d somehow found myself alone, lost and walking through a dark back street. 

I was far enough away from the main roads that I was completely surrounded by silence; and I was sure I could hear footsteps coming from behind me, getting closer. Louder. 

‘Why did I take this route?’, I thought to myself, desperately. I was vulnerable, and anyone dodgy who happened to walk down this same street could see that as an opportunity. 

I was sure I’d walked this way before, but it was unrecognisable. I ...