Dependent on technology? 'Digital detox' is the need of the hour

It would not sound like an exaggeration to say that our lives have been bombarded with technology, especially over the last few years. And with such bombardment, our current strong dependency on technology is not unfounded. In fact, attempting to live an entire day, completely cut off from the digital world, is unimaginable for most of us. And, this unimaginable thought is what is called a Digital Detox, which, at this point, is the need of the hour for all of us, regardless of age.

This does not imply that technology is not beneficial. On the contrary, it offers a multitude of advantages, making our lives much more convenient, as well as accessible. However, it also comes with its own set of drawbacks, one of the most important one being its nature of enabling an excessive cycle of needs and demands. The more we tend to become dependent on technology for our own needs, the more demanding technology becomes of our own time and effort.

As a consequence, an overdependence on technology can have a significant amount of adverse impact on almost all spheres of our day-to-day functioning. First of all, the more we tend to depend on technology for our needs, the less we typically tend to rely on our own cognitive processes, be it for doing arithmetic calculations, making to-do lists, or even remembering contact numbers. In the long run, such an overdependence on technology could lead to the potential erosion of some of our cognitive abilities. However, going offline from all our technological gadgets for a limited period of time each day during the week can ensure we give our minds time and space to recuperate from spending too much time hooked to screens. This way, not only will we allow adequate rest to our eyes but also give our minds a breather, to ensure that our cognitive processing is not neglected completely.

Secondly, an excessive dependence on technology can make us heavily rely on social networking sites to communicate with others, as opposed to indulging in face-to -face interactions. After all, heavy dependence on technology has a greater probability of alienating us from other members of the community. In fact, with the ever-increasing amount of time and importance being attached to social media platforms, real-world socialisation has become a neglected activity, if not completely compromised. Be it at a family meal, a meeting with friends, or during commute, our reliance on technology has almost become second nature to the extent that we cannot imagine any of these activities without our smartphones or tablets within close reach. Which is why, just like in the case of any other addiction, a ‘digital detox’ is essential!

Such a detox plan simply requires us to keep aside a particular amount of time, typically an hour every day, or four hours per week, wherein we switch off all forms of social media, including gaming, television, computers, phones or any other form of technology. This is the time we can use to unwind. In fact, we can utilise this time to connect with family, friends and even ourselves!

Just like we tackle other addictions, it is the need of the hour for all of us to take a break from technology, and advocate ‘digital detox’ as a regular component of our lives!