We all know social media has become a huge part of our lives, with many of us connecting with our friends and family through digital platforms and consuming vast amounts of content daily. But it's important to understand that overusing social media can have a serious negative effect on both our mental health and our ability to focus. As a very big advocate for adding more and more technology to our lives, this issue is one that pops up frequently and is becoming harder and harder to fight. The issue with any technology is that it is up to us with how we want to use it.

Overuse of technology in our everyday lives has become a pervasive issue in the 21st century. As technology continues to advance, people have become increasingly dependent on it, using it for everything from the mundane task of keeping track of the time to communicating with friends and loved ones across the globe. Despite its convenience and the seemingly endless possibilities, an overuse of it comes with a cost.

I find myself always reaching for my phone or my iPad when simple pen and paper could have sufficed. Rather than turning off light switches myself, I now just tell Siri to do it for me. Worse still, I find myself often using my phone as a way to communicate with the people around me despite them living close by. Life is becoming easier for us through technology, but we are also finding ourselves increasingly tied down to the tech around us.

The most obvious cost of overusing technology is the way it can limit our social interactions with others. While communication technologies such as text messaging and social media are a great way to keep in touch with friends and family who we cannot physically be with, it has also made us lose the ability to effectively communicate face-to-face. Recently I have been reading the book “The Like Switch” by Jack Schafer, in order to gain a better understanding of how to understand the people around us better. It opened my eyes to just how bad we are getting at understanding each other. We can psychoanalyze a text message better than a lot of algorithms, but when it comes to face-to-face interactions, we suddenly realize that we have no idea what we are doing anymore.

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The overuse of technology can also lead to a decrease in attention spans, as people are finding it harder to stay focused on one task. Additionally, too much time spent in front of screens can lead to physical health problems such as eye strain and headaches, as well as mental health problems such as stress, anxiety and depression. Using screens as a substitute for regular human activities is causing people to become entirely reliant on technology and it’s starting to take a toll on society.

Most people will argue that getting away from technology is the best way to fix this issue. However, I feel that this is an unrealistic, if not detrimental way of looking at life. If technology is present all around us, we should learn to use it in ways that help us as much as we try to consume it’s fruits.

While we should still find some time to “disconnect” ourselves and spend time with friends and family, we can use technology to stimulate our minds outside of mindlessly scrolling through social media. There’s a lot that technology can do to help us expand our minds and feel more accomplished throughout our day.

Solving this issue

Spend some time researching on the internet about things you want to learn about everyday

One way to use technology to your advantage is to spend some time each day researching things you want to learn about. The internet is a vast repository of information and knowledge, and by dedicating some time to exploring it, you can learn new things, expand your understanding of the world, and keep your mind sharp.

One great way to start is to make a list of topics you are interested in and then set aside some time each day to read articles, watch videos, and browse through resources related to those topics. This could be anything from learning a new language to exploring a new hobby to researching a topic related to your career.

However, for the sake of improving our attention spans, avoid short videos such as YouTube shorts and Tik-Tok. Try to read through a large article and take notes along the way to keep you motivated. If you need to, take short breaks but don’t just go back to mindlessly scrolling during them. Get some fresh air, touch grass, make tea. Just relax.

Additionally, you can also use technology to access educational resources like online classes, tutorials, and webinars to improve your skills and knowledge. This not only helps you grow your understanding of different topics but also improve your attention span and focus. However, paid classes are expensive and our world is filled with a wealth of free information that is just there waiting for you. Start with free resources and work your way up.

Overall, the key is to use technology in a purposeful and structured way, rather than mindlessly scrolling through social media or streaming videos. By dedicating time each day to learning and exploring new things, you can use technology to improve your mental health and well-being.

Learn to use do not disturb in order to get the most out of your day

"Do Not Disturb" feature on your devices is a great tool to help you focus on the task at hand and avoid distractions. This feature allows you to silence notifications and calls during specific times of the day, such as when you're working, studying or trying to sleep. By customizing this feature to your needs, you can control the distractions and interruptions that can disrupt your focus and productivity.

Using "Do Not Disturb" can bring several benefits to your daily life, such as:

• Improving your productivity by reducing interruptions and distractions
• Enhancing your focus on the task at hand
• Helping you relax and unwind in the evening, allowing you to get a better night's sleep
• Giving you the opportunity to disconnect and recharge, which is essential for maintaining good mental health

To start using this feature, find the "Do Not Disturb" option in the settings of your device, and customize it to your needs. You can schedule it to turn on and off automatically at certain times of the day, or even set specific hours for certain contacts or apps. It may take some time to get used to, but it's worth it in the long run.

I don’t use any Android devices so I can’t speak about that, however, on iOS, there are an amazing number of features provided by Apple that can help you tune it just right. They call it Focus modes and it allows you to customize exactly the level of blocking you need depending on what you are doing. What’s more is that you can set up automations such as locations and times that start up a certain focus. You can even set it up with apps so that your phone will block out distractions when you open something such as the Books app.

Investing time into learning these features will help you maximize the potential of your device and use it to its fullest. You'll be able to customize your device settings and focus modes to your exact preferences and habits, allowing you to easily manage distractions and finish tasks quickly and efficiently. Additionally, learning these features will also help you stay on track and help you become more productive. With focused attention and uninterrupted concentration, it'll be easier to gain valuable knowledge and insights.

Stop getting distracted while sleeping

One of the most important aspects of maintaining good mental and physical health is getting enough sleep. However, in today's world, it can be difficult to disconnect from technology and relax before bed, leading to distractions and difficulty falling asleep. In order to ensure that you are getting the restful sleep you need, it's important to take steps to minimize distractions and create a comfortable sleep environment. One way to do this is by turning off or putting away electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime.

Distractions while sleeping can have a significant impact on the quality of our sleep and our overall health. One of the main culprits of these distractions is the use of technology, specifically smartphones and tablets, right before bed. Scrolling through social media, watching videos, and answering messages can keep our brains active and prevent us from winding down, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

We don’t necessarily have to get rid of technology entirely in order to get better sleep though. If we use the tech around us in the right way, we can end up improving our sleep. Instead of scrolling through social media or watching videos, use your tablet or Kindle to read a book before bed. This can help to relax your mind and prepare your body for sleep. Additionally, you can play relaxing music via speakers to create a calm and soothing environment. This can help to reduce stress and anxiety, making it easier to fall asleep. As long as you don’t revert back to the old practice of using social media, technology can end up helping you.

I’ve been putting my phone further away from me and I have automations setup to go into a sleep focus in the evening. That way all the distractions are removed from my tablet before settling down for the night. I make sure to log my final mood on MoodCast before putting my phone on the charger. In case you weren’t aware, MoodCast is the greatest app available on Apple devices so I highly suggest you go get it. It’s free! I’ve been making it a habit to read a book or a magazine article while in bed. Going through something like National Geographic can be fulfilling and you might learn something along the way. Most of all I want to stop going back to social media.

It's also important to remember that the blue light emitted by electronic devices can disrupt the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates our sleep-wake cycle. This can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. To combat this, you can use a blue light filter on your devices or use apps that can automatically adjust the color temperature of your device's display to reduce the amount of blue light. I have my phone set up to automatically go into “Night shift” as soon as the sun sets. My devices also switch to dark mode at sunset in order to minimize the number of bright lights in my eyes.

Conclusion

It is important for us to remember that as technology continues to develop and become more entrenched in our lives, it is up to us as individuals to be mindful and use it in a way that benefits us. We can use technology to enrich our lives, but we must also strive to use it in a way that keeps our mental health and attention span in check. When used in a balanced, mindful way, technology can be an invaluable tool to help us learn, explore and better understand the world around us.

Thank you for watching this video. I hope you now have a better understanding of the potential downsides of overusing technology and the steps you can take to ensure a healthy balance with your social media usage. Remember, technology can be an incredibly powerful tool that can open the world to us, but it is important to use it responsibly and be mindful of how it can impact our attention span and mental health.