IMO: The positive impact of a digital detox during the pandemic
Ever since March 11, 2020, when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic, people all over the world switched from face-to-face interaction to online interaction.
With the advancement of technology in this 21st century, this switch was easy to accomplish; however, this had many negative impacts on people’s physical and mental health.
Now that most schools are implementing online schooling and classes, children and college students are spending more time than over in front of a screen. Additionally, since almost all jobs have now been switched to remotely, more adults in the workforce are also spending more time on their computer screens.
UW Health reports this excessive screen time is not physically healthy because it increases the risk of not being physically active while also increasing the risk of eye health problems.
Studies have shown that the more time people spend time on their computers, the less time they spend exercising. This is because technology can be addictive.
For example, students who have just finished their online classes for the day are tempted to continue going on their devices because they are about a click away from their Instagram, Netflix, or YouTube mobile app.
This action prevents people from taking the time out of their day to exercise. Continually doing this every day causes people to become unproductive and lose motivation in staying active. Thus, this can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and many other health problems.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says obesity and high blood pressure have increased at an alarming rate since the beginning of the pandemic. This is very concerning because adults who have high blood pressure are at greater risk during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Thus, it is highly essential for people to at least exercise thirty minutes every day to make sure that our body gets enough movement for the day. Getting at least thirty minutes of exercise every day will make you feel fresher, more productive and more motivated to start your day trying to reach all your goals.
In addition, during this pandemic, I have noticed that due to the excessive amount of time spend on social media, mental health problems mainly depression and anxiety among teenagers have significantly increased. This is because of the negativity portrayed in social media as well as the feeling of loneliness, especially during this time where we are all stuck at home daily.
Therefore, I highly recommend that everyone try to take a digital detox to improve their mental health. For those that are always tempted to go on their phones, I recommend that you set a phone schedule to limit your amount of phone time. Keeping a constant schedule can help you get a proper digital detox.
Furthermore, excessive screen time is harmful to the eyes. Research by Harvard Medical School concluded that looking at a screen for a long time can lead to poor eye health.
Doctors recommend that you look away from your computer screen every twenty minutes to give your eyes a little break. This will help your eyes relax. Also, when you feel a strain in your eyes, it is important to blink a lot to release the strain.
Since a digital detox has proven to be very impactful in my life, I feel that it can also have a positive impact on your life!
Thus, I highly recommend that you try to digitally detox for a day and see if it can be a positive impact on your lifestyle.
