Digital Detox

We were waiting for our order of pizzas and white sauce pasta at a well-known pizza joint. It was a long time since we had this, overloaded with cheese and ‘guilt’ disc of flour. Passing the long wait for the sinful treat by having the quick look at tables around. Peeping into the others plates can actually give you the idea for what to order.

“Hey! Hold the slice closer to your lips and turn your face little towards right!” two girls at the adjacent table trying to click a perfect selfie. They clicked many pics from all the angles and with all the poses for good 15 minutes. Pizza can wait but not the uploads!

Twenty days to be precise since I have uninstalled my Facebook and whatsapp icon from the phone screen. Not in protest of Mark Zuckerberg people don’t consider me a celebrity yet! (I’m my own celebrity! 🙂 )

People often go on a detox diet to get rid of toxics or unhealthy substances from the body and I went on the digital detox! To get rid of unnecessary clutter of thoughts and information. And this was not an impulsive decision; I wanted it for quite some time but couldn’t do it as being continuously connected on whatsapp was a necessity of my professional life. (Now I’m a free-lancer; working as per my will)

Imagine a day without your phone….just imagine no scrolling down the facebook; no alert of whatsapp messages. A day without dp, likes, comments and chats! Scary? We have become so addictive of peeping into what’s happening in others’ lives that we need it on everyday basis; just like substance addiction. For everything, whether happy or sad, there is a facebook update- “Happy b’day hubby!” “My daughter’s first day of school” “Feeling overworked” “Having dinner at …… with 5 others”

Trying out a new restaurant – FB update

Bought a new dress- change the profile pic

Celebrating your wife’s b’day – the world should know

Having holidays in Singapore- nothing less than 100 pics uploaded

(A confession: once upon a time I also did the same!)

Come on! Keep something personal!

I have nothing against it after all its good to share a bit of your life with your friends. A bit of….with friends….

Knowingly or unknowingly we are falling into the trap of Histrionic personality disorder (HPD). Wanting continuous attention, admiration and sympathy.

Can you imagine how much stress this whatsapp has created in our lives? After a long day at work you get a massage late in the evening on whatsapp from a colleague or the boss asking to send minutes of the meeting asap. Or after a hectic day you got an alert for an unscheduled meeting tomorrow in the office.

You are continuously on the disposal of your office; no personal life; life revolving around the notifications!

Use of Whatsapp for official/ professional purpose should be banned; it is one of the culprits in raising the stress levels.

You are more available to the world than to your family and the loved ones. And totally oblivious with your own self; no time to meet with the person living in you. Living in a different world and putting our best picture forward; corrected with the editing apps and clicked using candy cam!

Take Digital Detox after regular intervals just to meet people around, to indulge in activities beyond the screen; sometimes spend some moments with your-self.

Digitalization is the need of the hour, but overdose and over exposure of anything is bad. Just to test whether you have become additive to digital social platforms, go on a digital detox mode.

Ahh! Our order has arrived; let’s dig in the sumptuous cheesy lip-smacking Pizza! “Hey! What about a pic mommy for Fb??” Naaah……. Just a treat for our senses; I’m on a digital detox!

© [Charu Gupta] and [Potpourri of life] [2018].