In most homes, there are more gadgets than family members. Tablets and smartphones are found in every room. There are chargers hanging from all sockets and more often than not, we find ourselves fighting for charging time because the battery is drained with overuse.
While smartphones and tablets allow anytime, anywhere access to information that you may need for your projects and schoolwork and are a boon on days when time is of essence, let’s be honest, that’s not only why we use these gadgets. Many of you are on social media. May of you use it to play video games. Many of you use it to chat with friends who you probably most every day.
The need to be connected and feel connected is very human indeed. But too much screen time is like eating too much junk food – it’s delightfully yummy, addictive and gives instant energy. But it’s absolutely unhealthy, robs you of essential nutrients and makes you weak and sick in the long run.
Screen time also guarantees the same effects. While it gives you instant results and instant everything at your fingertips, it drains you mentally and before you know it, you start showing signs of mental fatigue, your eyes feel weary all the time due to lack of sleep, and backache says hello due to bad posture. Are devices a boon or bane or both? How do we solve this problem of digital overuse?
The answer does not lie with howling at you all the time, ‘Put the phone away, now!’ They are not asking you to do put the devices aside for no reason. The answer lies in maintaining a fine balance between the digital world and the real world and in realising yourself how much is good enough.
The answer lies in a digital detox.
- To start with, keep a tab on how much time you spend on digital devices per day. If you get startled by the number, it’s time to time yourself. Get online only if it’s absolutely necessary.
- Think of alternative ways of doing things.
- Shun social media sites for some time, say a month. Call your friends instead of chatting or better still, meet them. What you don’t realise is that when you’re chatting, you are still alone. When you are posting and tweeting, you are still alone. Your interpersonal skills take a backseat. When you talk and meet in person, there is so much more to share and discover about each other!
- Bring out the good old board games and has board game evenings with your friends and family – Pictionary, Tabboo, Monopoly, Scrabble, Game of Life, Jenga, Uno – there are so many options for fun times!
- Go cycling or skating or swimming. Play basketball, football, cricket, badminton or any other outdoor game you prefer.
- Listen to music together.
- Read together.
- Get creative – write stories, dabble in art, create things out of waste.
There is so much more to do when we look beyond our gadgets. There is so much of life we miss while just clicking away.
Picture Credit : Google