A perspective on ‘Why we need Digital Welness’
Digital wellness - comprises two words digital and wellness. As per Merriam Webster “wellness 🧘 is - the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal”.
Digital wellness is the state of being in good health while staying connected to the digital world.
Android and iPhones heralded a new generation of smartphones 📱which could do almost everything and also call people. Plethora of apps to catch our attention and keep us hooked. Gaming was possible only on consoles 🕹🎮, desktops 🖥 or portable gaming devices and now all that a smartphone can do.
The advancement and portability of devices📱 meant we could carry them everywhere, EVERYWHERE. This ‘mobility’ of technology keeps us constantly hooked to our devices.
But, the devices come in with a lot of benefits too. To name a few:
Digital Banking helped us go cashless. There is no need of carrying cash anymore and all transactions can be done using just a phone!
Digital Documents are almost accepted everywhere now. All you need is a scanned PDF copy of documents 📄 and no need of carrying a physical print. Helping in reducing carbon footprint
Millions of songs 🎵 can be browsed and heard in an app now taking away the need to keep lots of CDs 💿 to access music.
We are always surrounded by screens trying to grab our attention. Phones 📱, watches ⌚, TVs 📺 and even refrigerators are smart now. With IoT(Internet of Things) every device is connected now and collecting data, all sorts of data. In a lot of ways, it is good and automates a lot of things in life.
The downside, this deluge of information on screen is turning us into living zombies. Anatomically we are meant to be looking up more not down all the time. Constant peering at screen takes a lot of toll on our neck and spine and also eyes.
The side effects of overusing devices:
More screens demand more attention. And at a time we do one task the best. Divided attention across screens takes a toll on our productivity.
Poor sleep 😴 : Looking at a notification or just browsing on ones phone in their bed 🛏 starts a never ending loop of scroll and disturbs ones sleep cycle.
Stunted Imagination 💭: The unending stimulation courtesy of the apps and games takes away the need to learn to use imagination to amuse themselves away from young people.
Less interaction with people : We need interaction with fellow humans to feel not only happy but also to feel close which has significantly reduced now.
Increased suicide risk: A recent scientific study found that the risk of suicide increased with the excess use of smartphones in teenagers.
Dopamine rush is addictive. The apps give us that and one keeps looking for a quick fix after a rush wanes away.
Whatsappitis: The term was first used in The Lancet, a medical journal in 2014 where a 34 year old patient complained of wrist pain caused by overuse of messaging apps.
The list is not final and the ‘excess’ use of device will add more.
It is quite evident that access to digital world is a necessity nowadays. The side effects of overusing such devices in the long run is quite alarming. It becomes necessary to learn to balance our life in such a way that we do not feel overwhelmed with overuse.
When automobile was invented walking long distances became a thing of the past and to keep ourselves fit we implemented ways to use automobiles only for long commutes and for smaller distances started walking and cycling to keep ourselves fit.
When smartphones entered our lives we embraced the ease with which all things could be done and overlooked the part where we will be constantly glued to it. Being in touch throughout the day with any kind of gadget has its harms, both physical and psychological.
Digital Wellness 🧘 is not about becoming ‘Anti-Tech’. It’s about being ‘Healthy-Tech’ & encourages you to use it to get the best out of it without it taking the best out of you 🙂. On a closing note, today we cannot afford to cut off from the digital world but what we can do best is to decide what we want to let in. When we can Opt-Out of notifications & use our technology more mindfully by adopting digital wellness tools, thus we can can very well decide when and where not to use a device so that we are able to thrive in the Digital World.
-Apubra Kumar & Rijul Arora
