Recognising that technology is very much part of the world we live in and the many benefits that it can bring us. It is also important to understand the impact that this can have on other areas of our lives that we may not realise.
By being aware of how much time we spend online and using social media and the impacts this has gives us the opportunity to readdress that balance and begin to feel more control about our screen time.
Technology has enabled us to do things in seconds that once could take us days. We can reach people on the other side of the world with the click of a button. Particularly during this time when meeting in person was limited, technology and social networks have enabled us to maintain these.
It was great to see the different ways that people connected with virtual quizzes, online training and regular video calls. It felt at sometimes we made more effort that we had done previously as we could catch up on our friends through their social feeds.
As we are spending more time online (an average of one day, two hours on social media) it is important to recognise the impact that this may be having on our lives? are we happy that we have the right balance with how much time we spend on technology and do we understand the true impact it is having?
We are a generation that is more connected than any other, we can reach our friends and family with the touch of a button however YMCA Back on track reports 77% of young people saying they have lonelier and more isolated during lockdown. There is said to be a wider implication on out mental health and our ability to be happy and content with our lives with the feeling of inadequacy when comparing our lives to others.
We understand that completely removing all traces of our social media may be a bit extreme and recognise the benefits that technology and social media has brought to our lives. But if you feel that you would like to spend less time on your screen here are some small steps that may help you achieve that.
- Understand how much time you spend on apps, smartphones now have the ability to tell you how long you are online for, by understanding how much time you spend might actually surprise you, especially when this adds up to days and weeks over a given period
- Remove the notification from apps that could distract you, by continually being reminded about updates you can be reaching for your phone without realising your are doing it.
- Remove your phone from your bedroom or keep it from a distance from where you sleep. Spending time on our phone can disrupt our sleep and can remove the temptation of picking it up as soon as you wake up.
- Agree a set amount of time that you will use your phone for and set a reminder or a timer for that. Smartphone now offers that ability to place a limit on certain apps that can remind you when you reach that limit.
For further information or resources that could help you on your digital detox can be found here
