How The Digital World Blurred The Lines Between Work, Rest & Play

Despite it only entering our vernacular thanks to a 1959 Mars Bar advert, the concept of work, rest and play is nonetheless an important one.

Whether it’s the purpose and income provided by work, the essential recharge afforded through rest or the joy and excitement of play, these are essentially the three cornerstones of life.

Back in the late 1950’s, when the advert came out, work, rest and play would be duties fulfilled separately. Fast-forward almost 70 years and it’s, at times, hard to distinguish between the three during our daily lives. So, what happened?

Work Changed

In 1959, roughly 65% of the UK population had a manual job, compared to around 15% today. Back then, once the factory closed for the day or your shift down the mine was over, your work was complete.

Most of today’s jobs didn’t exist in the 1950s. Many roles can now be fulfilled anywhere with laptops and smartphones. Flexible working has replaced the traditional 9-5, with many companies now allowing employees to work from home (WFH), at least some, if not all, of the time.

Whereas the office worker in 1959 could clock off at 5 pm and not have to think about work until the following morning, this is not so straightforward for many of today’s employees. Whether it’s checking work emails, replying to messages on the company chat, or even finishing that last-minute project, dealing with work matters outside of specified hours has become normalised.

Worryingly, research from 2025 revealed that one in five Brits bring their work laptop on holiday. Reasons for this included fear of losing a client, feeling guilty about being offline, not having anyone to do their work while they were away, and hoping to get a promotion.

Rest Has Become Harder To Obtain

Our minds and bodies need to rest if we are to function properly as human beings. The problem is there are now so many distractions that are preventing us from getting rest. I’ve already mentioned how work has seeped into parts of the day in which rest would’ve been a priority, but there are other challenges too.

Spending your evening sat on your sofa scrolling on your phone might feel easy and may even seem like a restful period after a busy day, but it’s not actual rest. Your brain is still stimulated and is required to make lots of micro decisions, i.e. whether to watch a full video or continue to scroll, etc.

Sleep is also neglected in the digital age by scrolling, Netflix binges and computer games. Even if you go to bed at a reasonable time after using smartphones and laptops, research has shown that blue light from these devices disrupts your circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep. That’s not to mention all the digital distractions through WhatsApp notifications, etc.

Furthermore, for anyone who has dipped their toe into the online self-improvement sphere, hustle culture is celebrated vehemently. The consensus from many of these so-called gurus is that rest is for the weak and the grind should be taking place every waking minute.

We’re Less Present During Times Of Play Too

Social occasions, concerts, sporting events, holidays; these are all times when you can just cut loose and live in the moment. Well, at least they should be. I’ve already mentioned how work has even intruded on our sacred holidays due to our frictionless connectivity in the digital age. And it now appears the complete escapism from everyday life that we traditionally got from our “play time” is rapidly diminishing, but why?

The short answer is smartphones. You can be at your favourite band’s last ever gig but still be checking Facebook to see what your neighbour had for their tea. You can also be watching and filming the entire concert on a tiny screen despite the band being 20 metres away on the stage.

Are we ever truly present these days and immersed in the moment? I’m not sure. It seems that nothing really has our complete attention. You see couples sat opposite each other in restaurants glued to their phones. I remember Simon Sinek speaking about how just by placing your phone on the table you are indicating to everyone else there that they are not the most important thing to you at that moment. He has a point.

Why Having Defined Work, Rest & Play Periods Is Important

Never being able to detach yourself from work matters when you should be resting or spending quality time with friends and family can lead to burnout and mental exhaustion. Setting digital boundaries like switching off notifications and refusing to check emails outside of work hours is crucial to protecting your emotional and physical health.

Living in the moment instead of being distracted by the digital world or recording every single thing on your smartphone will ensure you have actual real-life memories of events and special occasions. Not allowing your devices to intrude too much on your times of play will allow you to develop genuine connections and appreciate the little things in life, which you may actually find are the important things.