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The Grey Sorcery of Modern Technology


                      As soon as I wake up, I turn off the alarm on my phone and start my very first session of mindless scrolling. The urge to refresh Instagram or open WhatsApp has become a reflexive behavior. I wonder when did social media become mandatory. It slowly crept into our daily existence using our fears and is now conditioning what we see and read thereby affecting our future perpetuity.

                           This untamed tangle of apps, notifications, emails, and photos is etching away our natural ability to focus completely on one task at a time. With ten tabs open at a time we are multitasking and putting our brains into hyperdrive. It is manipulating our moods and sleep-wake cycles. The uneasiness and feeling of alienation when you forget your phone at home is the best example of how the giant techs have pulled us so insistently into this cave of distractions.

                             Vibrant videos of brand collaborations and promotions are hammered unconsciously into our minds. Edited photographs of models and actors set unrealistic expectations leaving us drowning in doubts about our bodies. Every influencer has carefully sanitized the words they post on the internet. If only people spoke those same words and thought the same way as the project to be on the internet then the world would be a better place to live in. Every life event, milestone, and holiday celebration is usually followed by a mandatory photograph that was professionally taken and edited perfectly. People became the architects of their own personal brands acting out a role of imaginary success by the way they dressed and spoke.

                              Followers, Followers everywhere but not a single friend to meet. Let me ask you a question. How well do you know your neighbors? How often do you call your cousins? (Not texts) How many people call you on your birthday? (Again don’t count the text messages).  Think about it. This new world order dictates that you are dead or a boring person if you weren’t active online. But trust me on this -- your Time and Attention are far more precious than scrolling on your iPhone, playing games on the iPad,  binge-watching Netflix movies/series, having back-to-back arguments on Twitter and Reddit, or seeing your best friend’s stories on Instagram.

 

                              The question to ask yourself is “Am I controlling the role technology is allowed to play in my life or is it vice versa? The first and foremost thing is to realize how many hours you spend in front of the screen. We often underestimate the amount of time that can be retrieved back when you leave out the unwanted digital activity. When you are waiting in the queue in front of an ATM you’d reach for your phone. If you wanted to find the directions to reach your cousin’s place you’d reach for your phone. To set reminders for your monthly bill payments you’d reach for your phone. During moments of boredom and times when you wanted to escape from piles of pending work, you’d reach for your phone. When you just wanted to search for the meaning of a word, you’d reach for the phone.

 

                              I have been a scapegoat of technology since the age of 14. It was when we went to the USA in 2004 that I took notice of how everyone around me used technology to connect. Since I was in my early teens I too fell into the peer pressure of using these modes of communication because that’s what the popular kids did. It started with Yahoo messenger and MSN messenger, followed by AOL(Aim). Then came Xanga ,Friendster and Myspace followed by Orkut and Facebook. All these were followed by Youtube and Instagram. I’m turning 32 soon so this means I have been distracted for the last 18 years.


Every time I realize the full magnitude of social media’s impact on my brain chemistry I take a digital detox for a week or two. I go into hibernation only to bounce back to square one. So this time I’m much more intentional and mindful about the detox. I’m only keeping the apps that provide me value. I have deleted Facebook and Instagram apps from my phone and logged out of these from my laptop web browser as well. I feel these are optional technologies that are not benefitting me currently and I can definitely live without them. I’m not deleting the accounts yet because I will use them for my benefit in the future for promoting my work/channel and to reach a wider audience but I will be intentional of its consumption. Additionally, I have an app that I use to track my internet usage so that I stay on the track ( I have been various using apps to track my usage for the past 7 years)

I will continue writing on my blog because it is something I always loved doing and provides me a path to hone my writing skills. I don’t want to quit YouTube because I have started my very own YouTube channel ( This is after years of procrastination). I have decided to use YouTube only for the purpose of building my channel as of now. I have a passion for teaching and this is one easy way I can use my  God-given talent. I decided to keep WhatsApp for communication but reduced the number of times I open WhatsApp to check messages  to 4 times a day. Right after breakfast, after lunch, after teatime, and after dinner will be my allowed timings to open WhatsApp. Checking/Replying to messages will last only for 5 minutes. Also, I have decided to use my phone for calls or video calls to the family for 30min daily. I’m giving you all the minute details of this journey because I’m very sure that there are many of you who wanted to try a detox but was never able to begin. I’m hoping the information that I provide here will inspire at least one person to try this out.

Why am I doing this to myself? Because I want back my moments of solitude. It is in those moments that I can think clearly. I want to get back to my childhood habit of reading.  I want to play hide and seek with my son. I want to be present in the moment. I know I will be called old school. But that is exactly the way I like it.

P.S: I’ll update my detox journey on this blog.




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