5 Signs that your digital life is killing your real life.

(For the next 5 minutes, please ensure that you close all other tabs in your browser. And DO NOT open facebook or reply to any WhatsApp while you read. If you find it very difficult to resist, you SHOULD read this post!)

I still remember how one of my friends greeted me when I joined facebook. “Welcome to civilisation”, she retorted.

It’s been 7 years now. The civilisation has taken a tour. From Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, it is now putting up at Whatsapp. The encroachment in our personal lives has increased at every level. And ironically, we are more comfortable than ever.

The social media boom has happened. And it has turned most of us into “marketers”. A lot of us are doing very well at marketing “our own lives”.

Everything that we do in our digital circles is to make a mark. Of leading a happy and meaningful life.

But if you befriend it, it engulfs you in no time. Social media makes you an addict and you start trading your real life with virtual one, almost every day.

Have a look at this interesting graphic and analysis done by people at BrandWatch.

 

Social networks have been so good at “helping” us, but now they’re hindering us.

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I am listing 5 simple and very clear signs of social media overdose. If you have any of them, make sure you start working on correcting it right away.

#1. You have a relationship with your phone.

The first thing you do after waking up and last thing before you doze off are scanning your phone. You feel uncomfortable if your phone is out of your sight, for some time. You keep checking notifications every 5 mins. Even when you know you’ve checked it like 2 mins back 😉

#2. You reply to every facebook comment, like, tweet and retweet.

At times, replying to a tweet or comment in real time is appreciated. NOT, if done always. So, if you also end up replying to them in real time, then you must reconsider. It’s okay to let the world know that you have a life and are busy living it!

#3. The Trophy Hunting syndrome.

What happens when you prepare a sumptuous dish and set the table for an amazing meal? Do you first click photos to get the perfect shot of your happy state? Or jump in to savour the fruits of your labour? And maybe click empty dishes to reflect your happy state?

Trophy hunters are driven by something other than experiencing things and shooting photos to remember those moments – they want trophies to hang up.

Social media has reinstated the importance of capturing moments in pictures. So much so that we end up being the victim of the trophy syndrome. Have you wondered why you feel tired after taking soo many pictures on a vacation? We famously end up saying, no more pictures, let’s enjoy the moment now 🙂

#4. You dress up to share.

You ditch your comfy pyjamas and chappals under the photo pressure. You want to dress up only to come out nice in pictures. “What if pictures and clicked and uploaded on facebook?”

#5.  You prefer digital chats and emoticons over real conversations.

Owing to our busy lifestyle, we resort to emoticons. To spare ourselves from the effort of typing in a few words.

Honestly, when we chat with five people simultaneously, how far are we able to genuinely connect with each one of them?

If none of this convinces you, remember, our kids are watching us. There is a reason why every child wants to grab their parent’s phone. By observing us, they are getting a sense of how important a mobile device is.

And sadly, by imitating us, they are giving up on joys of childhood way sooner than we would want them to. So stand up against this addiction now. Digital detox is the need of the hour.Do stay tuned for my next post to know how and when you can do a digital detox.

Image Credits –

1. wersm.com

2. https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/react-are-you-suffering-from-social-media-addiction