This is how SCREENS are affecting our day to day lives

How often do you check your phone in the day ?

If your answers are amongst these:

Not really given a thought! 

Well, I don’t think I use it much? 

Oh Come On I'm not an Addict!!

Let me tell you, I always thought likewise until I downloaded “screen time” to keep a check on my phone/social media usage. To my surprise, I realized that I have been overdoing it without a slightest hint.

As per one of the surveys done in 2012, extrapolating the results indicated that around 48 millions of Indians are screen addicts. This also translates that the percentage of screen addicts is higher than percentage of drug addicts or cardiac patients in India.

*Although I'm referring to cell phones often here but this entire excerpt applies to any other digital screen  like your  T.V, computer, laptop, Tab,i pad etc.

Trust me I know how tempting it is to keep checking how many likes you’ve received or to simply lighten up your mood with those memes or forwarded jokes or stay connected with your special friend or a group. I get carried away too. But lately deep inside I started feeling that probably I'm spending too much time rather wasting too much time on my phone and this feeling or guilt just got stronger day by day now that I had become more conscious. So, I made up my mind to start analyzing and take action in order to come out of this time wasting habit.

What pinches me most is, I'm not alone in this category majority of my friends and even my near and dear ones are slowly getting into this addiction even without their awareness. Okay, may be we are not an addict yet but still the amount of time that we have started indulging is huge and it is just increasing day by day which is enough to make us fall into the category soon.

You may be wondering, so how much is actually too much?? and how does it even matter?

If i'm connected to people who are distant i'm able to get things done quicker, connect with my loved ones staying abroad, i'm able to access information in seconds and many such benefits, so what's the harm?

Well there are 2 aspects to this

Quantity - How much time do you spend on your phone and when

Quality - What type of content are you accessing.

On an average people spend around 3-5 hours over phone daily.

Out of 24 hours, lets assume you take between 6-10 hours of sleep, so you are left with 14 hours. Lets deduct around 3-4 hours in routine activities like bathing, washroom time and meal times, leaves you with 10 hours pending or if you are a working person minimum of 8 hours that leaves you with just 2 hours. These can be deducted in travelling if your workplace is far.

Even if you are a home maker, cooking, cleaning, nap time keeps you on your toes, plus if you have kids, a big house or in-laws to look after the only me time you get is in your sleep.

So how do we manage to even spend these 3-5 hours on screen, if we do not even have that much of time?

Here is the real problem, whatever professional and social life you have is constantly interrupted by the screen usage, as a result your attention, performance, productivity and efficiency at work/home is affected and even your personal relations suffer at the same time.

We are so much attracted to these distraction machines, that we tend to simply pick up our phones, even when they do not beep or ring. Just to check whether our posts have been shared or liked or may be just for some break.

You may think, so what everyone does it?

But just because majority is following a certain trend, it may not necessarily be correct. 

Playing some time-consuming games yield no good rather only make you more addicted and distracted. Even Social media access to get a sneak peek of everyone’s update is no less than a wastage of time. There are far more dire consequences than just time wastage in such apps.

If you have a habit of checking your phone during your work hours, your productivity at work is affected due to distraction. Researchers believe that it Impacts focus and attention due to overexposure of brain to information.

No wonder the deadlines keep getting closer and your time limit seems very short.

EFFECTS OF SCREEN ADDICTION

From Posture, to mental health and behavioral issues:

Posture Issues- Sitting  for long periods of time in front of T.V, Laptop or watching your phone can cause bone,vision, neck, backache issues etc.

Problems in Behavior- Being on the screen can have a major impact on one’s behavior especially in kids. From lack of attention to poor socializing skills. Larger screen time causes structural changes in brain and kids are impacted more easily as their brain undergoes many changes in formative years.

Isolation- Enjoying one’s own company is good, but sitting for long hours in isolation with screens is not a good deal. Humans are social animals and its healthy for their brain to connect with people/nature /animals etc. instead of machines.You may be attending social gathering physically but if you are constantly glued to  your phone, it is no less than a sign of isolation.

It creates a cycle: Screen addiction-Isolation-Poor socializing-Avoiding real life incidences-sets unrealistic expectations-Lowers self confidence-increases anxiety levels- leads to depression and Loneliness.

Distancing from real life relationships- When was the last time you noticed a change in your spouse? Or complimented each other for something? Have you been noticing if your parents health has deteriorated within the last few years? Did you see, that size 24 dress doesn’t fit your child anymore?

May sound silly, but screen addiction has impacted our personal lives to the extent that we are more aware of whats happening in everyone else’s lives than ours. Again a new term has been coined for this behaviour as well “Phubbing”. It's defined as a practice of ignoring one's companion, in order to pay attention to one's mobile device. A lot of couples, friends and family members are losing out on  special bonding moments due to this behaviour.

Online shopping, gaming and gambling- As if it wasn't enough to damage your body mind and relationships, screen addiction continues to add trouble for your budget as well. Your chances of shopping/gambling and spending online increases as your screen time increases. Even if you do not intend to spend. Have you ever noticed that items from your wishlist keeps popping up in ad form ads at every site you open, tempting you to make that purchase? Beware, your surfing and a lot more is being watched and tracked!!

Dopamine connection- Ever wondered why you feel like playing your favorite PUBG or candycrush again and again feels so good. All credit goes to our beloved hormone dopamine. It is the same hormone that is released when you are in love or when you take drugs. The hormone dopamine which is responsible for pleasure perception is released each time you play such games on your device and that's how we cant just get enough of it.

                                                                                         

Sleep disturbances - The blue light emitted from screens restrain the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep/wake cycle also called as circadian rhythm. Lesser melatonin makes it harder to fall asleep or stay awake, does affecting your sleep pattern. It is no more a secret, if i tell you how important a good night's sleep is for your overall well being.

Comparison leading to Depression

When on Social media, you start comparing your life with others, most of you are doing it unknowingly/subconsciously without your awareness. As a result majority of you set up high expectations of your lifestyle/career /relationships and ultimately fall into depression when it’s not fulfilled. What everyone fails to realize is that, what goes on social media is just one side of the story and not the whole picture. Those fancy party goers have also sick and overworked days. The guy who’s enjoying his official trip abroad is also having bashing from his boss almost daily. That lovie-dovie couple also have days of  endless fights, silent treatment and sleepless nights. 

But wait how come we never see it? No one would like to post the ugly truth of our lives. Who would do that?  So we choose to upload only the good part as if we are in some competition to see who gets the maximum likes for his pictures/her post/uploads.

Are you addicted? How do 1 Know?

Most people seeking help from professionals for secondary ailments like sleep disturbances, mood swings, anxiety, or depression fail to acknowledge that their primary sickness is Screen Addiction

SIGNS OF SCREEN ADDICTION

1)      Your screen time is affecting your relationship, education, career or job

2)      You feel restless/depressed/frustrated/angry without screen for a longer time

3)      You are always looking forward to spend time on screen

4)      You spend more time with virtual friends than real people in your life

5)      Your daily activities are getting affected due to your screen time.

6)      You find your spouse/friend/colleagues/boss nagging about your lack of attention due to your screen time

7)      Your quality/efficacy of work has been affected at home/office

*    Mobile dependency has given birth to a new  phobia, for when a person is unable to use their phone due to some reason, may be low battery,  no network or getting stolen. called as NOMOPHOBIA

Okay I'm Addicted or may be at the verge of it, what do i do now to overcome this, should we go back to our non smartphones?

Not exactly, moderation is the key to enjoy while you stay  detached

Digital Detox-

Start living life out of the screens:Ever observed a toddler? how happy on earth he/she is   and  finds joy in little things .Start paying attention around  and seek happiness in the little joys of life. After all why do we turn to these screens? because it gives us a sense of reward/happiness/joy. Similarly Living out of those screens can give you the same without any side effects.

Take a walk around the nearby park, listen to our favourite music, dance, sing, read a book, meet or talk to your bestie, play your favourite sport or simply spend some me time alone.

For those who think they don’t have  the time, let your spouse/friend confiscate your phone for one day and you will realize how much more time you are left with.

Don’t find it practical, or can’t stay without your phone even for one day ? download some app to check the actual amount you spend on your phones for a reality check!

Get along- Human interaction is extremely healthy for our mental health, so go all out there make new friends or hang out with the old/existing ones, spend some quality time and enjoy

24/7 availability to online friends can affect your relationships- Stop phubbing each other, whether it's your spouse, friends or parents. In the bargain of making new/virtual  relations don’t ignore the real ones.

Set expectations clear-

Message to online friends that you care but you can’t be always available and you need some personal space as well.

Turn off notifications- May be you’ve decided to give that quality time to your loved ones or finish that task without any break, but each time a notification beeps you get distracted? Simple, just turn off the notification. Not each message needs your immediate attention and state it clearly to your loved ones to either call you during an emergency or if anything is urgent.

Set a fixed time aside- Well you don’t need to give up using your smartphones or watching T.V/Laptop altogether but set a fixed time frame aside for such activities to balance and create a win win situation.

Self Discipline

You can also set rules for screen usage locations like where to use screens and which places its prohibited(for e.g. In car,  While dining, while walking or crossing on roads etc)

No phone day- just as your body needs detox once in a while, your ,mind needs digital detox as well.

Try spending an entire day where you do not use any mobile phones, laptops or tablets or T.V.

Talk to each other, do some household chores, pay attention to your child’s activities or simply sit down and chat or have a good laugh with your family.

Trust me you’ll feel a lot better and that’s how normally your life should be and not bound to machines all the time.

It isn't easy to come out of your comfort zone whether it is giving up your favorite food for health reasons or reduce your dependency on such gadgets for better mental health. At the end of the day we need to decide our priorities after weighing its pros and cons.

Stay alert and make the right choices,  don't let your smartphones or the smart gadgets outsmart you.