By Karen Axelton

You’ve heard of detox, but the trend for 2011 just might be “de-tech.” JWT Intelligence recently named de-teching one of its “10 Trends for 2011.” De-teching means unplugging from the constant stream of input, links and information that’s coming to us from all sides. In this fascinating interview with Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, JWT Intelligence explores why people are craving a break from technology–and why it’s so hard to take one.

Carr, who has studied the Internet’s effect on human learning and thinking in depth, shares his own struggles to de-tech and what he gained and lost. He also discusses why the Web is so addictive, whether technology affects different age groups in different ways and why “natural” doesn’t necessarily mean “better.”

If you’re like most small business owners, this is one of the few weeks in the year when you actually have a moment to breathe. So take the time to read what Carr has to say. Warning: This interview is much, much longer than 140 characters, so it may take you a while to focus enough to get through it. But if you do, you’ll be rewarded with some good ideas about how unplugging–even a little bit–can spark more creativity, calmness and focus. And those can’t help but be good things for your business.