Living In A World Of Screens

Living in A World of Screens…..How much screen time

Today we are living in a world of screens. In the past, we used to enjoy the moments we found interesting, moments we actually lived in…be it a sunrise or a sunset. When we went to hill-stations for holidays, we enjoyed nature and stored all those beautiful moments in our memory. But what is it like now? As soon as you see something which you find captivating, you just try to capture it on your smartphone. Automatically your hand slips into your pocket and the next moment you are trying to take a nice shot, saving it for later. You are not trying to enjoy the lively view in front of you…but trying to find from which angle will the picture be perfect. Am I right or wrong?

All of us are trying to live in the memories of our friends and loved ones instead of our own moments. Clicking pictures and posting on social media has now become second nature for all of us.

We are all connected globally due to technology, which is not a bad thing at all, but it is intruding in our personal lives slowly and changing the norms of our society.

Some of you will wonder how I can say that !! All of us know how children are being exposed to smartphones and TVs nowadays. This has changed how kids interact socially.

Not long back we used to see kids playing outside and enjoying each other’s company. That is a rare view now as kids prefer to text friends rather than going out to play. If that is not enough, they claim to have a better time over video calls than having real interactions with friends. Research is done by the University of California, Los Angeles, found that kids are spending time in front of the screen like never before, which may be affecting their ability to empathize and recognize other people’s emotions.

In the 2020 pandemic, all school and college-going kids were studying from home and classes were being conducted online. We all are also working from home and spending most of our time in front of our laptops. When office hours are over, we are on our smartphones or watching TV. It seems like we cannot take our eyes off the ” SCREENS”. Is there even a single person in your home who gets more attention from you than your “SCREENS”? I think the answer is a big “NO”

Throughout the last year, people of all ages spent significantly more time living through screens not by choice but because of global conditions pushed by the pandemic. For some, it has turned into an addiction to screens. Most of the countries have not opened schools and people are still working from home. I agree that it’s a necessity now but where it is not, we should avoid it. From adults to kids everyone is on social media all the time checking messages and posts…

We should take advantage of the latest technology but not at the cost of our relations and social life. The enjoyment of going out with friends and family cannot be compared to sitting in front of all kinds of screens.

Screens are not all good or bad, but it depends on what they are being used for. If it is being used for studying or work from home etc it is totally fine, but it should not be replaced by the kind of social and emotional learning that anyone can get in person.

I am more concerned about children who are overexposed to the things they should not be at a tender age. I agree we have to teach our children how to utilize technology to their advantage rather than limit it because it’s not going away. But knowing how and where to put a full stop is necessary.

We have always talked about work-life balance, now is the time to talk about on-screen off-screen balance. On-screen activities are limitless so we must look for off-screen activities which we can indulge in. Doing a couple of things that don’t need devices is good for our brain and physical health.  For example going for a walk, meditation or praying, taking a shower, playing an instrument, listening to the music of your choice or a podcast, and even cooking or reading a book.

Putting in some extra effort will not do any harm. For example, scrolling down a social media site is easier than going for a walk but the latter is likely to have a much better effect on your mental health.

Taking regular breaks in between your work hours and remembering that you’re more than a head sitting in a body will help combat stress from screens.

So Start Living Real Life Rather Than Scrolling Your Life Through Mindlessly.

None of the blogs or opinions expressed within is meant as advice to you or anybody else on any matter, including but not limited to, personal finance, health, or other matters of life. If you need advice, speak to a professional!