Sunny Health

For many travelers these days, a common concern is remaining connected. It has almost become a must for lodgings to provide free Wifi in order to remain competitive. Portable wifi or data sim have become a common travel-related expenditure. Many countries have wifi spots at places of interest to attract tourists.

Indeed, having internet connection on the go is very useful especially for those who travel free and easy. You would be able to rely on online navigation tools like Google maps, look a train timings, check out recommendations for good eating places near your location and so forth. Then there are the travel bloggers who provide daily or even 'live' updates of their adventures.

On the other hand, there are also the people who feel compelled to remain connected for reasons not related to travel. These are the people who have to check their work emails every so often, or who feel the need to see what their friends are doing on social media at the expense of being distracted from their own travels.

With connectivity becoming a need rather than a luxury, "digital anxiety" though not yet an official condition, is becoming a real concern among the technologically advanced countries, or a "first world problem". As the term suggests, a person with digital anxiety feels anxious to be separated from his or her communication devices. Apart from feeling stressed and being unable to focus, they may scratch or fidget, behaviours attributed to anxiety.

It is not as serious as addiction; most people with digital anxiety would agree that they should spend less time on their gadgets, but they find it difficult to execute this without breaking out a sweat over it. Much time and productivity is wasted each day as one succumbs to the urge to check out every notification from the phone or scroll through their social media feed every few minutes and add their own status updates to the feeds. It's as though one's hand and their phone are of opposing poles.

Staying connected is certainly not a bad thing. It is a convenient way to keep up to date with what all your friends and family are up to, even the ones you don't get time to hang out with often. Many people use social media to extend invites for outings and gatherings. Certain jobs and identities require a well-curated and active social media account. Moreover, social media is also a platform for entertainment and knowledge.

However, if you feel that you are no longer deriving fun and relaxation, or reading things that are worth reading (it seems that now every article shared on social media must be questioned for authenticity due to the proliferation of falsehoods), or worst, you're wasting your time arguing with people online or justifying your stand, then it's definitely time to cut back.

Being able to cease social media usage altogether, commonly termed a 'digital detox' would be the best-case scenario if you do not actually use it for anything concrete. You do not have to stop using it completely, but short periods of detox every now and then, for example, during a weekend or while you're on vacation, can help you be more in control of your impulses and appreciate life without social media. You can do this by uninstalling the relevant apps or even turning off your internet connection.

Another practical solution is to get to the root and analyse your motives for using social media, and then think about whether you are in fact achieving your goals through social media. Apart from entertainment and knowledge, many people use it because it helps combat loneliness. The thing about social media is that it gives one a sense of belonging without requiring that individual in-person interaction. Social media enables you to connect with like-minded people over topics you care about, and when you share your status updates, photos etc with people who "like" them, that gives the feeling of validation. While some people discover life-long friendships this way, few people would concur that they consider every follower on their social media account as "friends". Interactions online are also often artificial. People "like" your post in hopes for receiving a "like" back, rather than because they really appreciate it. Why should you waste time impressing people whom you don't consider to be your friends?

Just like getting rid of an addiction, achieving control over social media usage is challenging. Don't be too hard on yourself if you find yourself constantly grabbing your phone. Old habits die hard, but keep trying and you will eventually succeed, and the feelings more empowering than garnering a bunch of "likes" from people who don't really matter.