•‘Ž—–‹‘ ˆ‘” ‡™ ƒ‰‡ ’”‘„Ž‡
TPSYCHODELIC STALL RUNSFORD LARYEA
HERE is very little in the way of denying the growth and influence of technology and its advancements on every sector of our every day lives. Whether it is work, entertainment or business, technology, in all its ever-evolving forms, has steadily become an integral part of our personal lives in more ways than one. To some valid extent, one may even argue that the human being has almost developed a mildly potent dependence on technology as a key component of the societal communication process so much so very little can be done nowadays without the presence of hi-tech routes.
The last few decades has also seen the human being create a bond with gadgets; from mobile phones, television screens to laptops, we have had to adapt and learn to utilise the benefits of such modernity for our own good. Our schools and workplaces have also evolved in this regard, through fostering the growth of more ‘tech savvy’ individuals, as clearly the times demand and in truth, many people (older generations, in particular) have had to work really hard to not get left behind.
The year is 2022 and we have made ourselves comfortable in what is popularly known as the ‘digital age’; the human being has become inseparable from a screen. Whether it’s a mobile phone, laptop or television, every individual owns at least two and it is on those screens they spend copious amounts of time either for business or pleasure.
Habitual
For one reason or the other, we have evolved into a generation that has a habitual need for this and’ as is with most things, we do concerning our lives and lifestyles, there are inevitable psychological implications. As individuals, we have become engulfed by a fast-moving and constantly changing society within which technology where the digital age is in full effect, the psycho-emotional challenges that arise from being a part of a ‘global society’ as such are uniquely as detrimental as any other.
Students in the latter years in tertiary institutions would be the first to attest to how stressful and
mentally draining it can be to fully rely on technology to get through your degree; the sleepless nights typing through proposals and projects and the fidgety task of sending emails back and forth. People who are employed in ‘eight to fives’, which condemn them to facing a screen all day with minimal freedom of movement, would also be the first to complain about monotony and how mentally they feel unchallenged and blunt. This may, in the long run, cause them to begin to lose confidence in their abilities to accomplish more complex tasks in other areas of their lives. For many more people, the dependence on screens has become what they form their self-images on, as well as forge their lifestyles around. This, of course, refers to social media and television mainly, and how they have had a hand in misleading a lot of people into false conceptions of themselves.
Even though it is hard to escape, however, I am of the opinion that digital detoxing – or minimalising your digital engagements for the sake of your mental health – is a practice that we can all adopt as an intervention to a ‘new-age’ problem. Substituting your screens for real life views and scenery every once in a while may be a good start in a bid to refresh, regenerate and proliferate fresh enthusiasm and motivation. Also, digital detoxing is mentally healthy for the readjustment of your perception of your environment and of your world in general.
Send comments to runsford0505@gmail.com.