If you’re above a certain age, then you’ll have clear memories of what life used to be like before the internet ruled our lives. You’ll remember having to navigate paper maps, calling landlines and just hoping the person you wanted to speak to was in, and having to sit quietly with your thoughts without grabbing for a technological device.
On balance, technology has been good for us. It’s much easier to live life to the fullest when you have a smartphone and a powerful laptop. However, it’s also important to ensure that you have a healthy relationship with your technology. It’s easy, after all, for things to get out of hand. In this blog, we’ll look at some handy tips that’ll ensure technology is your friend, not your enemy.
Look Critically At Your Use
Many of us live our lives on autopilot. That’s not a bad thing, since it makes life easier — you wouldn’t want to think about brushing your teeth every time you do it. You just do it. However, when it comes to technology, it can mean that sometimes we end up staring at our screens for longer than we’d like. Those apps are designed to keep you on them, after all. So your first step towards improving your relationship with technology is to look at how you’re using it. Are you spending seven hours a day scrolling through Instagram? Then something should probably change.
Make it Work For You
This is a big one. In some instances, you’re working for technology. That’s the case if you’re just blindly clicking anything that’s of mild interest or letting yourself get sucked into the social media dopamine loop. The key to making it work for you is to really think about what you’re doing when you’re using technology. If you’re using it consciously in ways to improve yourself, then you’ll have a healthy relationship. It’ll be a tool that you use as part of a broader life, rather than an all-consuming vortex that swallows you up.
Taking Breaks
Humans lived for 100,000 years without smartphones, so it’s not as if they’re essential to life. We’ve just made them that way. Most people don’t go more than an hour without looking at at least one of their devices. If you know you fall squarely into that camp, then why not look at taking a digital detox? It can feel unnerving to spend a weekend offline, but once you get through that mild anxiety, you’ll find that you can, in fact, survive. And who knows — you might just experience something that you wouldn’t have had the chance to experience had you been staring at your device. There’s a wondrous element to technology, but true wonder exists offline. Go find it.
Customized Setups
Of course, it’s not as if you take a break from technology for too long. You’ll need to keep up with modern life, after all. So if you’re going to use technology on a daily basis, you may as well ensure that you can use it to the best of your ability. This starts by buying a good and powerful machine, but you can take things further, too. While you can do a lot with a new machine straight out of the box, you’ll find that your experience of using it is much better once you customize it to your own preferences. It’ll begin to feel like an extension of you, which is what all good technology should feel like.
Handle Annoying Problems
Technology is amazing, but only when it’s working correctly. If it’s not working as it should, then it’ll only give you headaches. Everyone knows just how frustrating it can be when, for reasons that you can’t identify, the internet just isn’t working. If you’re experiencing a recurring problem with your technology, then don’t let it slowly erode your enjoyment of technology. Take action! You can find solutions to all problems online. Got a keychain problem? Then check out https://setapp.com/how-to/fix-keychain-problems. Have a problem with Spotify songs playing incorrectly? Head to the website’s support forum and ask your question there. There’ll be someone happy to help you. Whatever tech problem you have, you can have confidence that you’re not the first person to have it — and that means there’ll be an answer out there that can get you back on track.
What Are You Putting Into Your Mind?
The amount of time that you spend staring at your device can be a problem, but it’s not the primary concern. What matters is what you’re putting into your mind while you’re looking at your device. If you’re soaking up art techniques or learning a foreign language, then you won’t have any problems. If you’re reading harmful content or just otherwise filling your digital mind with trash, then it could become problematic. Rather than just blindly consuming content, think about what it is — and whether you want to put it into your mind.
Switch Off Your Devices
Struggling to stay away from your phone for any meaningful amount of time? Then switch it off. Many of us open up our phones just out of habit; we’re not actively looking for anything. If the device is switched off, then you’ll have a useful reminder that you weren’t actually planning to do anything on your device anyway. It’s a small little hack that can make a big difference.
Keep Yourself Protected
Most people’s troubles with technology have to do with the amount of time they spend on their devices. But there’s a bigger concern that can have wide-reaching, long-lasting impacts. If you’re not protecting yourself properly online, then you will be making yourself more vulnerable to becoming the victim of a phishing scam. Once money has been taken from your account, it can be very difficult — mostly impossible — to get it back. So to keep your relationship with your tech on the healthy side, follow the best practices for keeping yourself online, including keeping your software up to date, using strong passwords, and staying away from any suspicious links.
hope this helps
warm regards
ANA