I started off the binge and fast very apprehensive about how well I was going to be able to handle it. I am one who you could label as an “addict” to their phone, however I couldn’t imagine before this what being only devoted to digital media or no digital media all day will do to you. In a normal day I would check my phone a few times an hour for any missed texts, calls, or refreshing my social media to catch up on the latest news. I am not one for Netflix or much t.v. for that matter so I found it hard to be latched into so many different media outlets. In the paragraphs below I’ll go through the process of the binge and fast and how I found it to be!
The first day of the binge I was overwhelmed with the amount of digital media I was watching and experiencing and found it to be too much for me to handle. I thought it was going to be easier than it was but being plugged into digital media and multiple sources of it, was far too much for my brain to handle. I couldn't keep a concentration on anything and realized this has a complete effect on me and how well I perform tasks. I didn’t think it was hard to constantly be checking social media but to a point I just wanted to put my phone down and get away from it all. I was constantly distracted when it came to homework and getting tasks I needed to get done. However, for once in my life I didn’t feel completely guilty for being on my phone a lot. I also was super efficient to replying back to text messages or answering calls. I found difficulty in the first two nights with sleeping because I had been on my phone for hours prior to going to bed. It’s been proven just how the effects of using your phone before sleeping actually does make a difference in how well you sleep. I was definitely discouraged by the amount of things I was not able to accomplish the first two days of the binge because I was wired into so many sources of media. By the last day of the binge I was completely over it. I wanted nothing more than to put my phone down for a while or shut off the television. The distractions and constantly looking at a screen wore me down and I felt less motivated and less able to accomplish the tasks for the day. I was also more irritable and less wanting to socialize with people outside of my phone. I was very happy when the last day of the binge was complete.
The fast I thought was going to be harder than it was. I would often reach for my phone but have to remind myself to not look at it. After the three days of the binge it was a fresh break from media and helped me get my life going again. I found that I have so much more time in my day to do things when I added the lost time, when I am hooked to my social media. I was far more refreshed and motivated during my day than I was in the previous three days of the binge. I also seemed to be in a better mood. I dug into some research on just how much of an impact constantly being connected can have on your mood, which is included below. The only thing I was uneasy about with not checking my phone was what I was missing out on. I didn’t check text messages but more than once a day and didn’t answer any calls. I often also wondered what was going on in the social realm of things. I had a much more difficult time communicating with friends about plans when I could not talk to them through my phone. However, there was a sense of peace in that and knowing that I was unplugged for a while was refreshing and was almost a stress reliever in itself.
After doing the binge and fast I learned a lot about just how the effects of being on social media or lack of being on truly do have on your health and everyday life. I have a different view as to what I want to look like to the outside world and how I really want to spend my time. I can easily say I enjoyed the fast more but both were truly a moving experience.
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-its-bad-to-use-your-phone-before-bed-2015-7
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