It is now March and the classic fashion of making one’s resolutions for the current year has begun. But what about our relationship with technology? Amidst the avalanches of daily emails, WhatsApp messages, Facebook notifications, perhaps it is worth stopping for a moment and thinking about our digital resolutions for 2015, reflecting on what is really necessary and what is
necessary and what is less so.
One tool at a time
I admit it, I have this terrible habit. I don’t watch much television as a rule, but when I do, at the commercial break, I immediately pick up my mobile phone. It’s like a spontaneous, uncontrollable reaction, I’m fully aware of it, that makes me angry with myself. Have I really reached the point where I need two forms of entertainment at the same time? -I ask myself. Can’t I watch a TV programme without getting distracted and also having to consult Facebook or Instagram or read emails? So here is my first good digital resolution: don’t be greedy with technology, Tamara, use only one tool at a time.
Life always goes on… regardless of Facebook or email notifications
One thing I have never done is turn on the option to receive instant Facebook or email alerts on my phone, and believe me, I am proud of it. To be honest, I am already easily distracted by calls and text messages, let alone if I have to add alerts from my social network accounts. And then, to be honest, I much prefer to have the thrill of opening Facebook or Twitter and discovering one by one all the notifications that have reached me. There’s more taste!
A silent night
There is a great deal of research showing that technological devices kept close to us at night are not optimal for our health, as they emit electromagnetic waves that reduce the quality of our sleep. To be honest, I will probably continue to keep my mobile phone on the bedside table next to my bed, at least to turn off the alarm clock set when it rings. But as a first step and a show of goodwill, I want to start inserting the silencer during the night. After all, what sense would there be in sacrificing the peace and quiet of my sleep for the anxiety of being constantly updated by emails and text messages?
One update per hour
Chances are I’m old-fashioned, but I like to think I have some control over my relationship with technology. And, in fact, I’ve taken to keeping my phone on silent mode or keeping it off while I’m at work and only glancing at it once an hour. This way I keep my focus on what I am doing and don’t waste time checking my phone every five minutes.
Being off line
If there is one thing I really cannot stand it is when I am with one or more people, perhaps sitting together at dinner or having a conversation, and I see them all more interested in their mobile phone than in our conversation. If I want to talk, listen, in short, socialise with someone, I certainly keep my mobile phone inside my bag and devote all my attention to the people in front of me. It seems the least I can do, as well as a good form of respect. I want to continue to do this in 2015.
Doing everything intentionally
To be honest, I don’t like to constantly ‘post’ news and links in my public diary on social media. If I do, it is in a conscious and measured way. I am not the kind of person who every quarter of an hour posts and shares on their wall whatever is on their mind, from the mood of the moment to their friends’ secrets. So I ask myself: why on earth am I writing this then? Perhaps just to share with you not a resolution for 2015 but a real daily habit that I consider good and positive.
Accentuate the positive
It’s true, I admit it. Since I like being on social media, I sometimes tend to listen only roughly to its dangers and downsides. I can’t really explain why, maybe I underestimate some aspects and I shouldn’t. In any case, I intend to try harder to see only its positive aspects. It is a wonderful way to communicate, stay connected and share experiences and emotions, after all! These are my digital proposals for this year. Now it’s your turn! Happy reflection!
