Going back in the year 1995, I am describing a moment from an alcohol and drug rehabilitation centre. A young boy in his early 20’s has been admitted and is shaking uncontrollably.
He is trembling and whole body shuddering. In the lobby, he starts throwing up and tossing the furniture up and down. This clearly indicates his stage of withdrawal.
But what did he consume to reach up to this level? Cocaine? Heroin? According to his parents’ internet was his addiction. It is difficult to digest the fact. Right?
But, let’s analyse ourselves. I bet we check our phones once in 15 minutes, work on the laptop for continuous 8-9 hours, keep a track on Facebook and many other such habits.
With these “symptoms”, as we call them now, it is very common in 2020 to have teenagers and young adults suffering from these symptoms and being potential patients for such rehabilitation centres.
According to a study, such people are now being referred to as Smartphone zombies as their urge to use the internet and technology is out of control.
In this era of digitalisation, when not even a second go without using technology, this addiction has become omnipresent.
There are many camps run by the government, facilitating the withdrawal for people facing this addiction issue. These camps encourage and host many retreats, talent shows, exploring creativity, yoga sessions and many more things.
All these camps have specific protocols and are common to all. Before entering these camps, you have to surrender all your gadgets and devices to be able to benefit from these programs and involve honestly.
One of the companies works with the motto “Disconnect to reconnect” in facilitating these camps. But considering our lifestyle and the existing work culture is it possible to walk a mile without our gadgets.
Another point of consideration is, are we willing to move without technology and then pay a hefty amount of money to get rid of this technology in the worst scenarios?
Going ahead with technology seems complicated as we are living in a tech world. But keeping control of your technology use and still be updated about the latest trends and development is possible.
With a few everyday tips mentioned below, it is possible to strike a balance in your work life and personal life:
- Turn Off Notifications
This is just a click away and can be easily implementable in everyday life. You can turn off the push notifications since they are a little less useful and rarely necessary.
It attracts you to pick up your phone and not to leave it that soon. The same thing applies to your laptop as well. You can turn off the notifications and work in peace.
As per an anxiety expert, these push notifications force you subconsciously to open up that particular application irrespective of the importance of the message.
Once you open up the application, the job is done. You surfed that application even when you did not want to.
To avoid such situations, it is advisable to retrieve your emails and messages and keep a control on your use of technology.
- Shut down Unused Apps
Obviously, everybody knows about this tip. But the fact is, most of us do not completely log out of the program or any application. We do not shut down the program altogether.
There is a reason why this tip has been mentioned. As per a study, the time taken to reopen the application, i.e. 10-15 seconds are sufficient to make you realise that checking the application for something is entirely unnecessary.
The repeated login may take a lot of time, but it will eventually save you from unnecessary surfing the application again and again. You will be encouraged to open only when it is required.
- Use password
The technology is advancing every second. It sways away from the mind of an individual at a subconscious level, making it an addiction.
Just the screen light seems to grab your attention without reason. Due to the advancement in technology, nobody is saved from it.
Even newborn are attracted to the flashing light of your mobiles and laptops. To get a little less distracted, you can regularly shut down your mobiles and laptops to get black screen in front of you.
This helps your mind to focus on one thing and not getting distracted repeatedly. Another way is to use passwords to reactive your device.
As mentioned in the previous tip, the time taken (10-15 seconds) in reactivating the device often helps you consider the importance of turning on the device again.
Stay updated and peaceful
These days technology is advancing very fast, and every day we have a new updated version of the previous one. Many people like to stay updated with the technology, but some can afford while some cannot.
So there are loan options for such people. Many banks and direct lenders offer loan facilities to such people. These loan facilities include car loans, loans for unemployed, home loan, healthcare etc.
These loans are unsecured personal loans that are offered irrespective of the bad credit history of people. Obviously, there are specific terms and conditions attached to it.
We all like to stay updated, be it fashion, knowledge, technology or any other field. But many studies confirm that excessive use of technology sooner or later leads to psychological problems like insomnia or severe anxiety leading to depression.
The benefit of following these tips may not be instant, but gradually, you will feel a change in your habits and calmness level. These habit changes will lead to more efficiency and productivity in whatever you do.
So, let us have conscious control of our use of technology to lead a healthy and happy life.
