We are so immensely addicted to the social media that the likes, comments and shares have become the parameters of our happiness. Ritambhara cautions us of its dangers. A Different Truths exclusive.

It’s undeniably true that we all unnecessarily devote too much time staring at our phone screens and craving for social media posts such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and the list goes on. In fact, we are so immensely addicted to the social media that the likes, comments and shares have become the parameters of our happiness.

This virtual world has engulfed us inasmuch as we have immensely virtually forgotten the real world. Frankly speaking, how many of us are able to refrain ourselves from gazing at our cell phones even for a few minutes while having a cup of coffee with our friends. The social media addiction has taken a toll to such an extent that many young people don’t even mind putting their life at stake and have reportedly lost their lives in the hunt for the perfect selfie which they would like to post to garner applause from their friends.

The social media addiction has taken a toll to such an extent that many young people don’t even mind putting their life at stake and have reportedly lost their lives in the hunt for the perfect selfie…

Nevertheless, spending too much time on social media is an admonition for enslavement. No wonder, its modern-day slavery. Here are three effective ways to get rid of this modern form of slavery.

1. Learn to recognise the purpose of your presence on social media

The first and foremost thing we need to figure out is the purpose of our presence on these sites. Recognise that one thing which triggers your impulse. Is it simply because you are sitting idle or you have become so addicted that you are not able to keep yourself away from staring at your cell phone even if you are in a meeting or with your friends or family members? If your answer is yes, you need to look for a better motive. Don’t get lost in the melodrama. Look for a better purpose such as to gain knowledge, be in touch with your loved ones, etc.

Don’t get lost in the melodrama.

2.   Learn to draw a line

We all must learn to value time. In today’s modern fast-paced world, we need to manage our time well. Spending too much time on things that are not worth the value should not be encouraged. Everything comes with its pros and cons and social media is no exception. I don’t discourage the presence on social media, but an excess of everything is bad.  We must learn to figure out the importance of time. Limiting your on-screen time would be a wise step, to begin with.

3.   Learn to Gradually reduce the time spent onscreen

Like other forms of addiction, social media addiction cannot be got rid of at once. Let’s follow a gradual approach. If we are in the habit of accessing our social media account every now and then, we find we waste a lot of time. We can simply allocate some time, say half an hour, for our presence on these sites. This total time spent in a day can be easily divided into two or three visits so that you don’t miss your important posts. Gradually, you’ll find that without missing important things on these sites, you have got rid of the enslavement.

©Ritambhara Upadhyay

Photos from the Internet