Once during a metro ride, I saw a woman working on a laptop on her lap, with a phone in her other hand all while listing to music on a separate phone.
This got me thinking about our constant interaction with technology and screens. We all are now not only physically attached but emotionally attached to our screens!
We are a generation that is driven by technology, it’s our means to socialise, and it’s our means to connect with the outside world. There are good things and then there are bad, we all have heard arguments but the key is BALANCE!
Here’s how you can balance your screen time to become a responsible digital citizen:
•First things first, start by being accountable and accepting you need to slim your screen time. Gather up all the motivation and courage you need because it is a lot of hard work to resist not touching your phone after a few seconds.use it is a lot of hard work to resist not touching your phone after a few seconds.
•Now let’s be realistic if you are already spending hours looking at the screen, start by making small goals instead of jumping right to three-four hours a day.
•No screens one hour after waking up and no screens one hour before going to sleep. Make this your virtue; it’s a matter of time when soon it becomes a good habit. Your bed should be a no-screen zone.
•Reduce social media apps from your phone, choose two apps to keep and delete the rest. No, I am not joking and no you won’t get sick without Facebook.
•Stop taking your phone with you everywhere, to the other room and, to the washroom spending 45 minutes there for no reason at all.
•Have a no-phone-zone, it’s a really good and empowering feeling having a place where you can spend time with your loved ones or may-be with yourself. There is no need for a gadget while having a meal or while you are spending time with family or friends.
•Use an alarm clock for an alarm clock, seeing a screen first thing in the morning is not a great start to your day. We usually get hooked up to our phone after turning the alarm off.
Now let’s come to why you should cut back your screen time. You will be shocked to read that recommended average screen time for an adult is two to three hours a day but average adults spend ten to fifteen hours looking at the screen.
Besides straining your eyes and hands, screen addiction has psychological effects as well. People start experiencing anxiety if they are kept away from their phones. Have you ever heard your phone ringing when it’s not? If yes then this shows how gadgets have affected us. Higher screen time increases the risk of diseases like obesity, diabetes, and sleep problems. Many studies have shown that overuse of screens can lead to loneliness and the risk of depression. Many a time working on a screen just decreases our productivity, we are distracted with social media, Netflix or online shopping.
We all should never forget that spending time with our loved ones is priceless and there’s no app for that.
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