💥 Digital Dieting💥

Not so long ago computers were the size of a room or a building, and at the time, the main concerns they posed were that they would try to take over the earth. Now that they are small enough to carry in our pockets, there is a genuine danger of being addicted to our smartphones despite its benefit for accessing information fast, getting directions, contacting friends and family at the touch of a button, or locating emergency help immediately.

It's all too easy to find ourselves continuously looking at screens and idly scrolling through online junk for hours on end as the real world passes us by in this always-on and connected environment.

The reality of digital overload is sad. 📱

✔️ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬:

Few people contest the immense advantages of digital gadgets, which were made even more obvious by the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the fact that they can occasionally be a distraction. They enable us to run several errands and remain in touch with friends and family and even buying our groceries online. They have also made it possible for a great deal of us to keep working and receiving a paycheck.

❌ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬

The fear is developing that we spend more time online than is most likely advisable, in addition to the realization that many of us spend a lot of time watching a television screen. When you consider the fact that many of us may look at our smartphone or computer screens for most of the day, at work or at breaks, and then may continue to do so after work, even while eating or conversing with others, the health worry in this situation is increased.

Giving up our digital devices has been referred to as a "digital detox" and some professionals believe that this is a digital addiction. While smartphone addiction may not have the capability to destroy lives like drugs or gambling, it does have real-life consequences. It can harm your productivity, put a strain on your romantic relationships, create deadly distractions on the road, and a growing body of research that suggests it could result in mental health difficulties.

📈 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:

➢ There are 5.22 billion smartphone users in the world. This accounts for 66.6% of the global population

➢ The number of smartphone users increased by 1.8% from January 2020 to January 2021 which equates to 93 million new users

➢ There are 4.88 billion mobile phones around the world, of which 3.8 billion are smartphones

➢ As of February 2021, 54.46% of web users use smartphones to browse the internet

➢ 92.6% of users have also accessed the internet using a mobile device

➢ By 2025, 72% of web users will solely be using smartphones to surf the net

➢ On average, a person spends 6 hours and 54 minutes on the internet

➢ A smartphone user on average spends 3 hours and 39 minutes browsing the internet on mobile.

Even if you don't think you have a device addiction, it's still necessary to be aware of some potential negative effects, such as:

🖥️ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞

Similar to carpal tunnel syndrome of the eyes, repetitive eye motions, such as focusing and refocusing, glancing between a computer screen and a book or notes, can lead to CVS. This causes physical pressure on your eye muscles.

👀 𝐄𝐲𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬

For some reason, when staring at an electronic screen, people blink less than half as frequently, which results in dehydration, dryness, and eye strain. Flare, flickering, and contrast can all be problematic.

🔵 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

There is no actual risk of blindness or macular degeneration, despite the fact that the light from your electronic gadgets is bright and not intended for you to stare at directly (like the sun). The true risk is that it might interfere with your circadian cycle or sleep patterns, thereby raising your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 👫

Do you consider it impolite to look at your phone while having a conversation or eating with others? As humans, we all have a fundamental desire to 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝. In some situations, it could appear that you are 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, that you are only partially paying attention, or that what is on your 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥.

We can develop a habitual attachment to this technology and find it difficult to even put down for extended periods of time because so many people, even those who don't have to spend their days staring at a screen, carry a computer in their pockets. You check social media because you're bored. Then all of a sudden, you are drawn in, and the entire evening is lost. You only have your friends' mindless Instagram memes and Facebook food porn to show for it. Your personal relationships (friends, family) are no longer there 😓

👉 Pick set times of the day to check your social media accounts, much like you do with your work email. If you choose to receive social alerts on your phone, do so with caution. Do everyone a favour and quit posting highly personal material if you're one of those people that does it in an effort to elicit a response, pity, or anything else from your "friends." You already are who you are.

What would it mean to you to 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 for a day, a week, or a month? Digital detox or digital diet?

Many people talk of performing a "digital detox," in which they completely give up using technology for a period of time. That sounds intimidating to me. What long-term effects might be expected when most individuals simply cannot function without their mobile phones, computers, or other electronics in normal situations?

I advise skipping the cleanse. Instead, how about a digital diet? 💡

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐭? 🤷

Spending time away from connected electronic devices like your smartphone is part of maintaining a healthy digital diet. We still want you to take advantage of everything your phone and the digital world have to offer, so shunning these gadgets completely is not the answer. To balance your use of technology with other facets of your life, it could be helpful to establish limits on when and how you use it. You may remain connected digitally without constant use or interruption by adhering to a few straightforward principles. You might even develop better habits over time, which would ultimately make you happier and more effective.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭? 🤔

Constantly using electronic devices might harm your physical and emotional health. Constant smartphone use can, among other things, disturb your day, increase your workload and after-hours work, and result in sleep deprivation and bad posture. You may develop resilience by being aware of these hazards and controlling them, which will ultimately safeguard your health and wellness.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐭 🏆

➢ A sharper focus. One justification for the widespread use of mobile electronics is that accomplishing multiple things at once is made easier by them. Unfortunately, multitasking may be a fallacy, and the truth is that our inclination to quickly switch our attention from one work to another is a result of evolution. "Single tasking" may boost output, save time, and enhance interpersonal interactions.

➢ Improved sleep. Any device that emits blue light should be avoided shortly before bedtime to prevent restless sleep. Researchers believe that switching off all electronics at least an hour before bedtime, keeping smartphones out of the bedroom entirely, and reading a real book before bed can all contribute to a more pleasant night's sleep. The majority of people claim to be happier after a week.

➢ More time. We spend on average 24 hours per week using our devices, and it's possible that a significant portion of that time is lost in trains of thought and side trips.

🧘🏾 𝑮𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝑫𝒊𝒆𝒕 𝑫𝒆𝒕𝒐𝒙

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐭:

➢ If you don't have a landline, you should get a smartphone, but try to keep it out of the bedroom and only use it for calls and critical texts. If possible, turn it off (or at least on silent) during meals and when you have visitors

➢ If you wake up in the morning using your smartphone or tablet, invest in a dedicated alarm clock that is non-digital

➢ While you're about it, purchase a vintage wristwatch. Again, ideally not computerized, or at the very least, without any fancy bells and whistles

➢ Grab a pen and notepad. Things you need to remember that you're used to tracking on your phone, write them down. Making lists and writing can both be soothing activities!

➢ Why not spend money on a boombox or other portable record player to listen to music?

You can think about investing in a dedicated camera for taking pictures; they are widely available at reasonable prices.

🛠️ 𝑻𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒕:

𝟏. 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐧𝐨-𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝𝐬 🚫

Depending on your particular needs, these 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒-𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑𝑠 will vary from person to person. Perhaps you choose to put away your electronics in the morning while you work out and start your day. Dinner time might be a device-free period so that you can spend that time interacting with your family. To relax and fall asleep without being distracted by Netflix and emails, you may put your electronics away an hour or two before bed. Make sure to adhere to all the times you choose. Otherwise, you won't develop the habit and won't receive any of the benefits.

𝟐. 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 🔕

Our digital screens present a dilemma in that they cause diversions. Your wrist may be constantly vibrating with notifications if you wear a smartwatch. If not, you're probably constantly checking your phone for the flashing light, vibration, or sound of a pending call, email, text message or other notification. A surplus of notifications might drive one crazy. Right now, go to your device's settings and 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 you don't need right away.

Let's imagine that, on average, you receive a new work email every ten minutes. You'll always be preoccupied if those notifications are pushed to your smartphone or smartwatch. Disable such notifications and make a point of manually checking your work email at regular intervals.

𝟑. 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 ⏳

Limit the time you spend on your smartphone.

Overuse can result in eye strain, "text neck," and repetitive strain injury (RSI). Try to utilise your laptop, ideally at a 𝑠𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒, if you need to be connected.

𝟒. 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 📞

To make extended calls, use a 𝑐𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑠𝑒𝑡.

Better call quality, no need to maintain an awkward posture, and no worries about having your phone crushed against your head.

𝟓. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 📳

When you're occupied, activate "𝐷𝑜 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏" mode.

The "𝐷𝑜 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏" mode can be set up and planned to meet your needs, limiting distractions and enabling you to better manage your time.

In the evening, put your phone in "𝑁𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑆ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡" mode.

Your ability to fall asleep may be hampered by phone light, which may also make you feel hungry. 

At night, switch your phone to "𝐴𝑖𝑟𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑒."

To aid in uninterrupted sleep, "𝐴𝑖𝑟𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑒" disables all communication

𝟔. 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 📵

When you have time off, go "𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑑."

Disconnecting completely can increase your resilience and let you concentrate on your personal life. You can temporarily conceal your work inbox if you need access to your personal emails

𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝑫𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑫𝒊𝒆𝒕 𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 🕒

You decide how long a digital diet should endure.

One author claims that every week, he and his family now observe a Tech Shabbat. Another takes a week off if they feel they need to "recharge". If necessary, they may engage in digital work-related activities.

Without making significant lifestyle adjustments, going on a prolonged digital fast is not only not necessarily desired but also not realistic. But just as most of us would benefit from consuming fewer foods that make us fat, so too would we gain from engaging in less digital activities.

🏆 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕

Increased quality of life and a decrease in stress and anxiety.

Your personal and professional lives, as well as your general welfare, may start to change if you get more rest, feel more productive, have more free time, and take care of your relationships.

Of course, it's critical to maintain reality, and each person's situation is unique. Therefore, consider how much time you could set aside each week to spend without a gadget. Start small and build up from there. What additional pastimes, pleasures, or healthy practices would you like to invest more time in? Time is, after all, our most valuable resource.

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