Are you chained to your gadgets, screens and Internet ?
Are you chained to your gadgets, screens and Internet? Are you looking for constant stimulation? How is it impacting your relationships ?
In today’s world our day is excessively occupied by the mobile phone screen – be it checking mails, chatting on apps, social media – facebook, Instagram, pinterest etc , innumerable video games, unlimited videos on YouTube, unlimited information on the internet; laptop screen and even the TV screen.
And the time spent in front of one or the other screen is only moving up.
When you are trying to have a conversation with someone, a beep or ping on your mobile indicating the arrival of a message, instantly diverts your attention towards it. And you feel this intense urge to check the message, indicating to the person whom you are talking to, that the message on the phone is more important or of more priority, and is more interesting than the person in front of you, who was trying to have a conversation with you.
You start to check one message, and it becomes a chat and you are smiling and laughing more at the screen than with the person next to you. The other person feels ignored, or waits for you to finish your engagement with your mobile – or worse start looking at their phone to make it – not awkward.
Earlier, only when you are at home you would be able to watch the TV. Now the TV goes wherever you go, on the mobiles.
The tendency to eat with your eyes on the screen, the sleep with the mobile next to you, to even poop with your mobile for company, seems to occur more and more frequently. You wake up in the morning and the first thing you do is to check your mobile, and the last thing that you do before sleep would have been looking at the mobile. You want to fill up every idle moment with some stimulation, and you seek and non-stop stimulation from TV, mobile and Internet, which they can provide, be it social media, you tube videos, news feed, video games, information on any topic whatsoever etc.
There is this tremendous difficulty in handling idle time. This could be waiting for someone in a restaurant, or waiting for a cab, are travelling in a bus etc, there is this urge to fill up that time with something or the other that comes out of a screen. The question is how much stimulation can we take? How much stimulation do we need? On top of that, once the idle time is occupied, it starts occupying non-idle time – productive time, relationship time as well.
I can say a few things for sure. This definitely impacts our social interactions negatively. Overtime, it becomes very difficult to maintain and manage fulfilling relationships. On the other hand it also happens that when you have relationship difficulties you tend to use the screen/mobile as a diversion, and get glued onto it over a period of time, which only deteriorates the relationship situation.
Any thing in excess can become a problem – be it mobile, TV or internet usage. It is better to be in moderation and be aware of the negative consequences that we are inviting into our lives.
It is high time that we ask ourselves this question – are these devices help us live better? Or making our lives worse?
It is time to wake up, to get ourselves unchained from the gadgets/screens /internet, and start living in the real world, with real people and learn to appreciate and nurture real relationships.
About the Author:
Kala Balasubramanian is certified Counselling Psychologist/Psychotherapist with a Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy, Diplomas in Counselling and has further certifications specializing in couple/marriage/relationship counselling and family counselling. She provides a supportive, understanding, professional and confidential environment to work with clients – Individuals and Couples explore their emotions, help them understand and manage their challenges, relationships and stress better.