If one of those trendy Instagram influencers stopped you on the street to ask you about your screen time, chances are you’d probably be more shocked than they would be.
The average Canadian spends 6 hours and 18 minutes using the internet daily, basically half a day on screen. That’s an alarming figure, but let’s be honest: it’s not entirely our fault. There’s no way of escaping if everything is literally on our phones. News, banking, education, groceries, dating, entertainment—every single aspect of our lives is now on that tiny screen, always glued to our side. It’s not looking terrific, is it? Besides dry eyes and headaches, we are also overstimulated and numb.
However, with all its cons, the digital world has irreplaceable pros that have changed our lives for the better or the worse, so we can’t get rid of it. What we can do is strike a balance and redefine our relationship with technology.
Where It All Went Wrong
Before jumping to the solutions, let’s try to understand where it all went wrong.
The digital world has become indispensable, so much so that it has made it to the list of life’s non-negotiable essentials. But at what cost?
The convenience of the digital costs us both physically and mentally. Physically, it can trigger eye, shoulder, and neck pain. Mentally, research has consistently shown a link between increased screen time and higher levels of depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. This cannot be taken lightly. Studies have revealed that adolescents who spend more than five hours a day on their phones are 70% more likely to indulge in suicidal thoughts. So, if change has to be made, we have to start right away.
The Core Issue: Brain Rot
Surely, you might have seen the memes for the Oxford Word of the Year. If you haven’t, you missed out on the most unexpected (pun intended) winner of the year 2024: ‘Brain Rot’.
The quality time we spend with our devices rather than our loved ones is leading to brain fog, low energy levels, anxiety, depression, and overall cognitive decline. So, those 3 hours that you just doomscrolled away? They are draining your motivation, reducing productivity, and even straining your relationships.
Where to Start?
First things first, take a step back and observe your digital consumption. When do you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media? When do you feel like turning to the internet for your needs? How long do you stay on your device? Understanding your usage pattern will help you decrease dependence and build a healthier relationship with technology.
Now, It’s Time to Take Some Baby Steps:
- Schedule Tech-Free Time: If you thrive on routine, this one might help you a lot. Take out some time from your daily routine when you won’t use digital devices and instead will engage in face-to-face or offline activities. Enjoy a meal with your family or go out for a walk. These small things will help you stay in touch with the offline world and help you regulate your tech fatigue.
- Weekly Digital Detox: This one is a must. Once a week, limit your digital consumption to strictly necessary. Only urgent calls and emergency events, and that’s about it. No social media, no emails, no meetings. Go to the park (yes, they still exist!) alone or with family and friends.
- Entertainment Beyond the Screen: While it’s incredibly convenient to have entertainment on your fingertips, setting boundaries is crucial. Whether you’re enjoying the latest Netflix original, scrolling through reels, browsing online games, or finding a great choice for an overall slots experience, don’t forget that there’s a world out there beyond the screens waiting to entertain you. Go for community readings, join book clubs, enjoy live music, or plan a picnic. (People still do these things, you know!)
- Create No-Tech Zones in Your Home: This might sound a little awkward, but once you create a space like this, you’ll know why it’s so important. Imagine having a place in your home where you and your loved ones will spend time with each other without any tech interference. A space that will allow you to physically distance yourself from the tech world and let you decompress at your own pace. No uninvited pings to catch you off guard, no emails to soil your mood. It’s just you and your loved ones. That doesn’t sound so awkward, does it?
- Mindful Digital Consumption: Mindfulness and digital consumption seem to be worlds apart, don’t they? However, being mindful is our only way out. The more time you spend online, the more important it becomes to be mindful of what you consume online and how it affects your inner world.
Bonus Mindful Consumption Tips:
- Set time limits for different apps.
- Honour your boundaries—your time is yours alone.
- Turn off your devices at least two hours before going to bed.
- Keep an eye on the kind of content being pushed your way.
- Constantly refresh your feed.
- Push out harmful and irrelevant content.
Conclusion
Living in a tech-driven world is all fun and games until it’s no longer serving you, but you are the one serving. At this point, we all know that the line is blurring, and if we don’t fix our ways, it will disappear entirely. Striking a balance is necessary for both our physical and mental well-being. Just the way a nutritious diet and a healthy lifestyle help us out in the long run, a healthy digital diet will help us take control of our digital habits.
By setting boundaries, being intentional, and making time for offline activities, we can build a healthier and more balanced relationship with the digital world.