The benefits of unplugging from electronics
Phones and laptops are marvelous inventions that help us in our day-to-day lives. However, some of us are spending far too much time in the technological web, where we can begin to avoid our real lives in favour of viewing things through a screen. We begin to reject and distort our needs, such as meal times and sleeping, and it has a progressively detrimental effect that we may barely notice.
It has been discovered that the more people are caught up in the online world, the worse they feel about themselves or others. Feelings such as jealousy, envy and loneliness seem to power up the more you turn that power on. Not only do those emotions surge forward, feelings of ‘missing out; will also come to the forefront. As we get used to being able to communicate easily through social media, we begin to worry that we’re missing out on important discussions when we’re not online. This can lead to anxiety and difficulty sleeping as we imagine what others are doing while we’re away from the keyboard.
There are ways we can switch off without actually turning everything off and sitting in the dark.
- Delete unnecessary apps and programs, and turn off notifications: Sometimes our phones and computers have too many apps that distract us. Certain games will pop up with notifications letting you know that you haven’t played in a while. Deleting those apps and programs will stop those distracting messages.
- Keep your devices out of sight: When doing things such as reading or eating, set aside any devices that might cause you to be distracted, particularly when you are in the company of other people. Keep your phone in your bag or your tablet stored away so that you’re not tempted to check it every few minutes.
- Set aside certain times of the day for technology: Choose certain times that you go online so that it becomes a habit. For example, no longer checking the online world before going to bed so that your mind can learn to relax.
Staff are continually talking to the boys about these issues across all areas of the curriculum.
Further information can be found below.
https://www.adventisthealth.org/blog/2019/march/the-benefits-of-unplugging-from-electronics/
https://living.medicareful.com/the-benefits-of-unplugging
Klara Manenica
Head of Mulrooney