This week’s post comes at a time where our habits around technology will be shifting dramatically - self-isolation due to the COVID-19 outbreak means we may be looking at our laptops, phones, TVs, and tablets a whole lot more. Guest contributor Amy Miller explores the pro’s and con’s of using technology, and how to manage this in a healthy, productive way.
Are we too dependent on technology?
Are we too dependent on technology? It can certainly seem that way. Our smartphones are rarely ever out of reach. We go to sleep and wake up with our phones in our hands. We check the news, our emails, and our social media feeds with alarming regularity. Our ‘smart home’ adjusts room lighting and temperature and starts the coffee brewing, while a fitness tracker logs our pulse, breathing, and the number of steps we take.
Digital technology is seemingly everywhere, unseen, lurking just below the surface.
Statistics for time spent on technology
According to a survey on Debate.org, 84% of people believe society has become overly dependent on technology. But are we really? Let’s look at numbers:
An average adult spends 4 hours online every day
58% of adults admit that the majority of their activities rely heavily on technology
20% of people are always within only a few feet away from an internet-enabled device
And when it comes to our mental wellbeing, time away from technology can trigger negative emotions and mental states:
10% of people feel lost if they do not have access to the internet
26% feel completely cut off without Wi-Fi access
The average person starts to feel anxious after 7 hours without the internet
Source: NewsAnyway
(Survey conducted by OnePoll for British Airways,
with a sample of 2,000 UK adults in January 2018)
Based on this data, it’s clear that there’s a fear associated with new technology, and our dependence on it, as well as negativity around time spent away from technology. These conflicting ideas can make it difficult to manage technology usage in a positive and productive way…
Does technology create a disconnect from others?
Many worry a reliance on technology can result in a loss of human interaction skills. As we move away from remembering phone numbers or reading maps, it can seem that we are always taking the easy option, looking for quick answers that don’t require much ‘brain power’.
One thing that can be said for digital technology is that it can negatively impact your mental wellbeing. According to a study conducted by the University of Illinois, excessive use of smartphones and other connected devices is linked to anxiety and depression as well as other mental health problems.
Perhaps the biggest change new technology has brought is the way we communicate with each other. According to a study by Penn State University, the generations who have grown up with technology struggle more with face-to-face interactions than those who did not have technology. And yet, being able to read body language, distinguish vocal tone, and truly listen are essential building blocks for successful relationships, be it personal or professional.
The positive impacts that technology has had on us
Despite all of the above, the effect of technology on our lives has been transformational. Not only has many manual activity been answered by robots, but creative industries have evolved too: writing has been replaced with typing, drawing/designing is now done digitally, through powerful tools like Canva (or alternatives), and paper maps upgraded to photographic 3D maps and traffic-conscious navigation systems.
We may lose some skills, but we are gaining skills in other areas instead.
Consider websites. A decade ago, building even a simple website was something that required a certain level of coding skills. Now, with modern site builders, this is a completely code-free experience that anyone can pick up. Even on WordPress, one of the most powerful platforms to build a website, there are even no-coding-required solutions.
As technology continues to grow, we are starting to see a larger impact - it provides access to information, entertainment, and education to more and more people, no matter their original skillset or experience.
Keeping technology at bay
While it’s always smart to approach new experiences with caution, technology isn’t something to fear. It depends how you approach the power of technology: for some, the Internet can be a huge time-saver; for others it’s the number one place to waste their time. The key is to manage your technology.
The internet began as a kind of massive library, a place where you’d go to find information on any topic imaginable. Over time, the library expanded to include shopping and social hangouts. Today, there is hardly anything left that you can’t do online. You can even sell your surplus printer cartridges online (yes, there is a website for that too). Imagine going to the library to research boats, and you end up shopping for a rubber dingy and swapping stories with a gang of salty sea captains. This library is awesome and it’s open 24/7! It’s like the world’s greatest university, shopping mall, and local hangout all rolled into one!
But, while this library is a nice place to visit, you wouldn’t want to live there. You can’t. ‘In real life’ is life. You can’t live in the library the same way you can’t live your life online.
How to manage your technology habit
As we’ve seen, the connectivity of the internet is great, but you can live without it. Honest. People survived for centuries before the Internet. They made things and sold things. They read books and sang songs. They told each other stories. They grew stuff.
If you find you’re spending too much time online, behind a screen, or simply would like to spend more time ‘in real life’, try these action steps:
Set yourself flexible working hours while working from home
Consider checking in with your mental health when you are online
Learn how to manage your email anxiety and quieten your inbox
Adopt better social media habits to boost your mental wellbeing
Try taking up exercise as a break away from screens
Prioritise your sleep and get into a good bedtime routine
Whereas once we were limited to local, one-on-one interactions, the internet makes so many of our activities possible on a global scale. But one-to-one conversations are still beneficial, enabling us to listen and talk to each other, even if that has to be done over the phone or through a video call during this time of self-isolation.
And remember: you can put down the technology at any time. Taking a technology break is a good way to reconnect with what’s important. And it’s easy, too! Why not pick up a book and read it to yourself. Look after your plants. Try cooking something new. None of these activities require high-speed internet or firmware updates. All you need is your mind, your body, and your imagination.
This post was specially written for Calmer by Amy Miller.