We use many adjectives for the word life. The most common are happy, well-settled, peaceful, accomplished, etc. A new word, digital, has now been added to this list. Sadly, nowadays, we are judged by how savvy our digital lives are. To be eligible for the tech-savvy category, you have to learn to navigate the sea of online activities and platforms.
The term digital life refers to a way of life in which digital technologies are an indispensable part of human existence. Excessive clutter of diverse online activities governing our lives leads to chaos. Let’s understand how to declutter our lives from digital media and attain calm.
Today, it is common to see hands of all ages clutching mobiles and ears plugged with earphones or Bluetooth devices. Teenagers nowadays look at themselves less frequently in the mirror but unfailingly check their mobile screens every ten to fifteen seconds. Why is this fixation on checking mobile screens a ritual for all of us? The answer lies in the overpowering influence of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. The urge to check for likes and comments, view others’ statuses, and admire or criticize stories and reels has ruined our peace of mind. We must learn to be happy with our lives and not get carried away by the often wrongly glorified lives of others.
Another habit of concern is online shopping, which has its pros and cons. During the COVID-19 lockdown, online shopping was a necessity and a boon when we could not step out of our homes. Now, I find it has become a habit with many downsides. To buy clothes online, we browse for hours across platforms for the best deals. Often, in the pursuit of these deals, we end up buying unnecessary things. Also, we miss the feel of the fabric, the trial of clothes, and the joy of picking the best-fitting apparel—experiences that in-store shopping offers. While online shopping allows for returns and exchanges, this too becomes another task to manage.
The same applies to buying vegetables and groceries online. When we order online, we miss out on hand-picking the right vegetables and the small joys of social interaction at the local market. It is a soothing experience to see layers of fresh fruits and vegetables in different colours, each with its distinct smell. Online shopping deprives us of this sensory joy.
With online shopping comes online banking. This activity has also affected our peace of mind due to increasing online scams. Shopkeepers fall prey to scamsters who scan QR codes and show fake transaction receipts. Innocent people, especially senior citizens, are duped by fake online payment links and phishing traps.
Another alarming habit that slowly becomes an addiction is binge-watching content on different OTT platforms like YouTube, Prime Video, Netflix, etc. With OTT technology, people have a plethora of options to watch their favorite content on various devices—smart TVs, mobiles, laptops, and more.
To sum up, digital technology is undoubtedly helpful in numerous ways. But its unrestrained use can create chaos in our digital lives and disrupt the calm in our day-to-day lives.
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– Munira Dalal
About the Author:
Munira Dalal holds a B.A. in Sociology and is a respected educator with nearly two decades of experience teaching across various schools and coaching students from all boards. She is also a Level 8 trained Abacus instructor. Munira’s creative flair extends to designing greeting cards, leading to the successful launch of her brand, SHABNAM, which offers a collection of exclusive, self-designed greeting cards. Her poetry, covering diverse themes, has been widely appreciated and awarded in renowned literary forums, including Asian Literary Society, POEMarium, Prose and Poetry with January Khan, StoryScrapers, Penmancy, Poetry Planet, and Beyond The Box. In recognition of her outstanding contribution to literature, she was honored with the SAMPOORNAM MEMORIAL AWARD 2018 by the Asian Literary Society.
