You could be in the grasps of the Digital Screen’s rabbit hole!
Here at Moose & Squirrel we understand the benefits that the digital world can provide but we live in an age where it seems like the digital world is everywhere we go. They are in restaurants, gyms, stores, vehicles, your pocket, even on our wrist. With these digital devices everywhere you turn it makes it harder to cut the cord from looking at one, making it easier for the grasps of the Digital Screen’s rabbit hole.
There are several symptoms of digital addiction such as the ones mentioned in 5 Signs of Digital Addition from ‘Time to Log Off’ and the ones, we experienced ourselves listed below.
These are some symptoms that our loved ones and ourselves have experience.
Symptoms
- Not wanting to go outside to enjoy the fresh air, getting exercise, or hanging out/playing with friends in person.
- Feeling ignored by the ones we love and care about.
- Depression due to comparing ourselves to others.
- Not keeping up on our health by eating poorly and not being active.
- Losing focus on things that matter most like family, school and/or work.
Have you or any of your loved ones experienced any of these symptoms?
If you have, fear not, Moose & Squirrel are here to save the day!
Below are some solutions that Moose & Squirrel implement to help with escaping from the grasps of the Digital Screen’s rabbit hole.
Solutions
- When spending time with family and friends keep the phones in a separate room, or out of site like in a purse or pocket and put on silent/DND. We’ve found that putting them on silent (especially smart watches) works best for us because if it is on vibrate, we can still be distracted by the notifications.
- When using computers, phones, tablets, or watching television set a timer and when it goes off turn them off. It also helps to do step one after this to help ensure we aren’t distracted by them.
- Create a daily schedule that allocates time for digital devices, this way it is known ahead of time. This has taught us to ensure we are focused on that digital task in that timeframe, so it isn’t wasted, and “making” us need or wanting more time.
- Same concept as step three but allocating time towards anything other than looking at a digital device. Read, try a new recipe, play board games, workout, go outside to hike, walk, run, bike, etc, or volunteer your time to help others.
Have you used any of these solutions? Did they work, not work? Are there other solutions you’ve tired that worked/didn’t work?
Conclusion
The digital world has its benefits, but it also has its disadvantages that we can easily fall victim to. For example, it can help with reaching out to family and friends that live in other states or countries, but it can also take time away from family and friends that are in the same city. If we take time to notice that there is a problem, then we can work towards harmony with these digital devices.
Here at Moose & Squirrel we want to share our experiences on how we stay out of the Digital Screen’s rabbit hole. If you’d like to join our community that leans more towards less digital the better, then please take this time to sign up for our newsletter. We aren’t going to send emails to buy anything from us, just useful tips and fun ideas that don’t involve staring at a screen.