Big benefits to 'disappear'

Imagine no e-mail, no mobile phone. Imagine being able to turn off all your communication devices and 'disappear' during the weekend.

The so-called 'disappear' act does not mean one becomes invisible and makes it difficult to be found. It is where one jumps out of his familiar environment, gets away from electronic gadgets and does something good for themselves.

It can be simple things like a weekend getaway, joining an interest class, or playing board games with strangers. These are some of the most popular ways for people to 'disappear'.

'Daily routine in the office has made me feel like a machine,' Chen Guiling, who has worked as a lawyer for the past three years, said.

'Every day, I walk along the same path, meet the same people and do the same thing.' Chen likes to 'disappear' during the weekend. Usually he will take a one-day trip around the Guangdong province.

'The first thing I do is turn off my mobile phone as I don't want people disturbing me when I am relaxing,' he said. He finds when he is in a place where few people know him he can really enjoy the local food and experience various cultures.

He Na works in a hospital and only takes a break every two weeks. She values her weekends much more now and tries to make good use of them.

'I often choose a cafe and join in a game with strangers, you tend to feel more at ease when you are with people you don't know,' she said.

Peng Peng, a researcher at Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences, said we have been fettered by modern technology.

'Many people find it hard to ignore their mobile phone and turn off their computers. Technology makes our life constrained.' Peng said. 'People want to 'disappear' because they hope to have some rest and self-reassurance. It is an important means to relaxation.'