PRISONERS OF OUR OWN DEVICES
Standing in my balcony listening to my favourite John Denver’s classics I noticed the empty streets of my colony, which were once famous for the mayhem caused by me and my little gang. I certainly remember the time when the doorbell of my house rang sharply at 5 pm and filled me with joy as I knew it was time to pick up my bat and run out to our so-called playground. Whether we had a bat or not we somehow managed to find delight by playing hide and seek or one of our self-invented games. We rushed home only when we heard someone’s mother calling her son’s name at the top of her voice. But the time has changed now and all I see are these deserted streets. The kids probably are somewhere in their homes lost inside their 6 inches gorilla glass screens, which ironically might save their smartphone screens from breaking but would it save their innocent childhood from fading away?
Mobile phones propagate a myth of constant urgency and a false requirement to be online always. They promote anxiety. Smartphones are also associated with an increase in neck and back problems. Always looking down while browsing and texting strain neck muscles that may lead to nerve pain or knots which further results in disturbing the posture of the body. Blue light emitted by smartphone screens can cause severe effects. Regular exposure to this blue light can disrupt circadian rhythms. It can affect your vision badly as it damages the cornea and also may cause obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other health conditions. It is totally inevitable to protect oneself from these adverse effects of this growing silent killer which ironically, we all praise for making our lives simpler. If we keep the health problems aside for a while there still are some unanswered questions that we’re running away from.
Why? Why are we living a fake life? What's the point of posting a picture of the food you have eaten, what's the point of telling everybody where you are going to spend your weekend? Why is it necessary to click pictures of the road while driving? Why are we so insecure about our digital image? Why is checking the smartphone the first activity of our precious day and the last one before we go to sleep? What is the point of broadcasting our whole day to the world?
Another thing that I’ve noticed is people are watching a lot of motivational videos these days. I agree that life as of today is not really sunshine for everyone but looking out on YouTube for motivation instead of introspection is totally unacceptable? People forget to look into their own minds and pick out what the actual problem is and what is that which is holding them back. Motivational videos aren’t helpful unless what we’re looking for is to feel good for a few minutes. If that’s the case, we should admit we watch them for entertainment rather than their life-changing abilities. We simply don’t need to be intensely motivated for everything. It’s fine to just go for a walk or write a journal instead of making the internet your own personal cheerleader. It’s called being normal. Consistent progress will beat motivational videos every time. That’s what self-discipline grants us.
The constant urge to check for notifications, distracting yourself from studies or not spending quality time with family is greatly seen in the youngsters today. We are ignoring the little pleasures that don’t actually require much effort to achieve but we have distracted ourselves from them. Appreciating the nature, spending quality time with family, playing with siblings (not digitally of course), reading books, doodling, helping mom in the kitchen and many more. But we keep on ignoring them and fooling ourselves of the fake pleasures of the digital world because in reality "We are not the beneficiaries of the technology rather the prisoners of our own devices.”
So the most important first step is to prevent the addiction while we understand this is easier said than done, this is actually possible, "we should raise awareness amongst parents about the intensely addictive nature of internet and smartphones, and children should have only minimal access. In general, a balanced lifestyle with time spend in nature, amidst greenery fresh air, with exercise helps prevent the condition. A person must learn healthy ways of dealing with emotional issues rather than distracting or numbing themselves will internet use."
As your saviour, I'm asking you, prisoners, to get out of the confines of your devices and breathe for a change. Life is meant for living, and you don't have to record every moment of it and wait hungrily for people to like your pictures, look around and know that people out there love you, nature loves you. Love it back. Put your phones down and experience life! It's beautiful and it's worth it! It's better late than never.
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