Lost in Virtual Reality

Tactical and Strategic solutions for tech addictions

Tags: tech Addictions

Social media apps are designed to be addictive, as big tech wants users to stay on their app for a long time or often. This makes people without good self-control get dragged into the virtual world, be it social media content or online games. Hence, humans are losing excitement in real, offline, and physical activities like sports, meetings, or talking to people in real life, or appreciating nature in whatever form it’s available to them, as they have a mental vision much superior to reality.

It is really hard to put down the mobile.

And if it’s so hard for people like us, many of whom are COs, CEOs, managers, or leaders in their respective domains, then think how difficult it is for children (teenagers or college-goers) with its access.

It’s a digital warfare. Apps are designed to be addictive with the help of the best minds in the domain (scientists, postdocs, rockstar tech). It’s the new opium of the masses without smoke.

For children and young adults especially, their exposure to these addictive apps can significantly impact their attention, focus, and even mental health.

There cannot be a single solution to get out of these. Efforts from multiple fronts need to be applied.

Disconnecting completely isn’t always practical, given the numerous benefits the internet provides; again, it comes with balance.

There are some tactics to loosen the grip of addiction:

Set Limits: Specific time limits per day or per week.
Prioritize Offline Activities: Hold onto hobbies, exercise, or socializing.
Digital Detox: Weekend offline, or a week offline, or a month.
Mindful Usage: Be aware of how you use technology. Are you mindlessly scrolling? Or are you purposefully engaging in something meaningful? Being conscious helps in managing time online. Did you search the content, or was it fed automatically by the apps?
Tech-free spaces: Screen-free bedrooms or reading rooms.

But strategic solutions are more long-term and difficult because finding balance is an ongoing process, and it’s about making conscious choices that enhance your life both online and offline. It’s a war against socially engineered apps and our opponent’s team of the best people from respective domains.

Educate Yourself: Learn how notifications or personalized content and rewards or free apps are targeting users.
Explore Alternatives: Constantly look for alternatives. If there are none, then create it; if there are, then support it, however small it is. Nurturing the seed is important given the longer timeline. Support Ethical Platforms.

If we don’t try these things, then we will be stuck in virtual reality forever, and a world where AI/Machines controlling our thoughts or lives is not that far. Also, just blaming individuals (may be our kids or parents or ourselves) for lacking self-control is not the way forward, as we are going to lose a soldier.

It’s difficult, but we have to do it.

Tags: tech Addictions
Updated on: 2024-01-08