Things to Do inspired by #TheSocialDilemma on Netflix

While you read this, you are already a victim of the social media because you landed on this blog page following a link or searched a keyword, or you are a subscriber of this Blog. What was supposed to bring information on a click, keep us updated and connected to the people we wish to be connected is now claiming our life and the way we live it. From the clothes we should wear to food we eat to places we visit , holidays we take is all influenced by the social media, so much so that the device is more living than we are now a days.

Watching The Social Dilemma puts us in a tight spot to evaluate how much of these platforms we are exposing ourselves , and howmuch is actually too much. And the detox of the device or the platform seems unachievable however hard you try.

So in this blog , we will focus on things that we need to adapt into our lives to keep the havoc that social media can bring into our lives especially when you are a parent and all these are inspired by The Social Dilemma and recommendations

Rule 1 : Keep the devices out of Bedroom

Sometimes the most important part of having a disciple is to make some rules. And this rule from Social Dilemma is the most important rule and easiest to follow to keep on with the biological clock. While were getting married and deciding upon how many number of TV we need to buy for our house as we have seen most of the couples in our circle had at least two televisions one in the drawing room for everybody and the other one in the bedroom and I was always very sceptical why would you need a television in a bedroom. Isn’t the bedroom for sleeping. So following the same rule on your handheld devices if on a bed you want to relax why would you want to have a device next to you. Just leave the phones outside your bedroom and relax and let your body rejuvenate to be ready to take up the new day afresh.

Rule No 2 : Budget a time for Social Media

We spend what we have, if we want to spend more than what we have right now we pay for it latter with our credit cards. So why is it different when it comes to spending time on devices. If we follow a budget our finances why don’t we follow a similar budget when it comes to social media. all the devices these days come with a proper calculation how much time we are spending on each of the apps. Most of these app also calculate the time that we spend on them like Instagram tells you everyday how much time you spend you, you can also put out a limit how much time you want to spend on a daily basis.This is one important lesson that we need to adapt into our daily life and budget out how much time we are going to spend on each of our social media handles and if at all we overspend on a particular day the next day we have to buffer it out. Simple it may look but for sure it’s not that simple to follow. As they say “easily said then done”. , But at least let’s try.

Rule no 3 : Evaluate before you give devices to your children

My kids are 7 year old and they don’t know how to operate a mobile phone, and thats a conscious decision that i have taken. They know our numbers and they can dial from our landline and thats all they are allowed. We do not have any games in our devices so that the kids don’t end up playing on devices when at their age they need to be playing offline. They have a I-pad and the time & content both are completely monitored , recently they got Google Home Mini & they can only listen stories & song on it for a given time that they have to earn each day, while most mothers may find this absolutely absurd but i think its very important to decide what your kids cant do to let them explore what more they can do. They love drawing , colouring , reading , playing with their stuff toys , all offline games that we have at home , and if they had the liberty to watch screens and play games on mobile probably none of these things they would explore. My constant endeavour is to explore more stuff to keep them engaged in something meaningful , away from screens

No one in the world followed something without knowing why its important to follow a rule. And to set rules is a parents thing when it comes to kids and parenting, a little of everything is good and when those little things starts becoming big we need to control and put a process. So if you are giving devices do monitor what they do and also do an open session on what they can watch and what they cant and if not then why NOT. Its important to tell them the pros and cons of everything. For screens my simple logic is eye sight and so far its working well.

RULE NO 4 : Sharing is not always caring

If you thought “Sharing is caring” probably this is definitely not true when it comes to being social on digital. As they say ” Beware : be-aware before you share” ,it’s always good to do an extra fact check on Google before you share anything on social media. because if you feel a thing that you share makes a difference to somebody, Now just imagine how much difference it will make if you share something that is not true. So it’s better to validate before you spread.

RULE NO 5: Like what you Unlike

Look for People whom you disagree with and follow them.This one approach makes so much difference , as goes the famous doha by Kabir ” निंदक नियरे राखिए ऑंगन कुटी छवाय,
बिन पानी, साबुन बिना, निर्मल करे सुभाय। ”

So while most of us look for appreciation on the social media but it’s always good to follow the people you disagree with, People who don’t have the same opinion as you , people who do things differently, that way you can always have a point of view that’s not similar to yours and that’s probably one way to challenge yourself into being better and have a better perspective. But that’s something that’s only limited to Twitter as a platform and therefore you should have a different approach on each of the social media on what you consume as each of these platfroms were created with a specific USP its just that they have lost to the competition and each one copied the other one. Just like Story as a feature is now there with every platform, and its nothing close to the story we are conditioned to.

RULE NO 7 : No Mobile while eating

Eating is like going to a temple. So while its important to monitor what you eat for good health now its equally important to eat without a device in your hand or by your side, if possible silent the phone while you eat and let there be no disturbance while you eat. Just think this , had anyone ever said to talk to them while you said that you are having lunch during the lunchtime when you responded a call, we easily say “hey can i call you back , just having my lunch / meal “, so take this to practise and follow it to core. Just 15 minutes for a meal will not make a difference in your world.

RULE NO 7 : Connect OFFLINE

If you are using the social media at least try and catch up with your family & friends. Being an influencer I can say there are lot of people whom we follow and feel so connected with them while in reality we don’t even know them or may be we know them as to how they want us to know them but they don’t know us. and we literally feel that we are with them together in their world. So just do the same with the friends and family you personally know, once in a while take time out to checkout about your own friends and family what they are doing offline or over call not on social media please. Enjoy a cup of coffee, catch up for lunch , visit each other or just pick up the phone and speak BUT DO CONNECT

RULE NO 8 : Its okay not to be HAPPY all the time

If you look at your social media and find that you only get to see happy people than you are very wrong dear friend as every one has a life that has all colors of life in it and being happy is just one of them. So its okay if you are not happy about few things. Everyone’s feed is like a party dress and you know thats the best they have.So follow to be inspired and happy but not to compare & be unhappy. Plus remember a good POST is a lot about the set up & filters, unfortunately life has none its only spontaneous & REAL.

RULE NO 9 : Involve in a physical activity

While we are on our devices the only our hands are active and Thumb arthritis is real.Smartphone overuse can cause wrist pain because the tendons that connect to the thumb can become inflamed at the wrist. Your elbow can also be affected if it is constantly bent while holding the phone So give yourself a break and involve yourself in some kind of physical exercise and that can be anything of your choice even walking without a device is good enough.

It’s not easy but we have to start somewhere. Even if you are able to incorporate any 2 of these rules it’s going to be a great start. Step out of your digital world it’s really beautiful out there, I can say that from here because I often go there.

This blog is a part of a blog chain hosted by Ms Prisha. You can check out Seema Bardeskar Blog on “Kai Pad Thai Pineapple fried Rice with Shrips” here and another amazing blog by Sindhu Vinod Narayanan on “Onion Oil and Shampoo from Upakarma Ayurveda” Here

Hosted By : Prisha Lalwani Mummasaurus.com IG: @mummasauruss FB: /mummasaurus1