Caught in the Web
Posted October 15th, 2019, 11:18 AM IST
“I wanted to leave it for a month, but it has now been three or four years. At one point I realised — ‘I don’t really need social media’. This freed up time to do other things, but more importantly, there were fewer distractions. Earlier, even if I did not have any notifications, I’d be refreshing the app. Now, I have definitely been reading more, sometimes on the Net, but for more fulfilling and professional purposes. I also feel that the conversations online were quite baseless, and now I prefer to meet people face-to-face. It has improved the quality of my interactions. And finally, when it comes to the consumption of news, I use Google and read newspapers instead,” she reveals.
And this brings us to a recent study done on 1,765 Facebook-using students at Texas A&M University. The report concluded that those who do not use the social-networking app are happier, more productive, and better with money. So, we thought, it is a good idea to speak to those who either routinely or entirely give social media a ditch. Are these people social pariahs, existing in isolation? Or is it, in fact, quite the contrary? The latter, it seems…
Y.S.K Prerana, a millennial employee in Delhi, can be found completely off the social media grid for a good few weeks every now and then. On the matter, she comments, “When I last opted for a tech detox, my productivity definitely increased. I had time to process things organically. I did not feel mentally — or physically for the matter — exhausted, which gave me the energy to do more things.” She also equates her usage of the phone to glimpsing the world from a chair, but not moving from the piece of furniture. Yet, it is a cycle; by being disconnected for too long, Prerana also feels disconnected to people who matter to her.
And despite social media being a double-edged sword, if one is able to tackle this feeling of isolation, it becomes rewarding for them. For instance, Abhishek Nair, who works in Mumbai, reveals, “I have never been on social media, except in bits and pieces and for specific purposes. By doing this, I feel I have a mind of my own. As much as I can perceive things individually, I do. I feel I look deeper into the issue, rather than basing my opinions on what is popular online.” Indeed, there are enough examples of social media creating a ‘web of recycled opinions’ that people often feel believe to be their original thoughts.
Finally, what does a counselor at a school, who often comes across children engulfed by social media, have to say on the issue? On a concluding note, Guntasha Sangla adds, “People are productive in the absence of social media because they are no longer in this competitive, comparative, world that it creates. They are no longer comparing their personal lives with what others are projecting. For instance, they think ‘Oh! he is partying, why am I not?’ and this pushes them into a depressive state. Once people break the chains, they are unknown to the social world and that doesn’t hinder their productivity. They can finally breathe, relax and add quality to their lives.”
- Kukatpally, Old City and Tolichowki made their mark as the city's top street food hubs
- Political leaders attend grand Alia Balai programme in Hyderabad
- Over 7,500 daily steps before surgery tied to fewer complications
- Deepika talks mental health with corporate bosses
- Sweet Shop - Owners of Calcutta and Other Ideas: Taste the universe
- Life in motion
- Witness The Most Riveting Courtroom Drama of The Year
- Mind-Body Synergy: Embracing Profound Connection Between Mental and Physical Health
- Red Haute Alert
- WWF-India Hosts Second Earth Series Talk: "A Tale of Two Cats"
- Hyderabad entrepreneurs ‘Modify’ clothes from aloe vera to orange peel
- How to Apply Onion Juice to Hair
- Patriotism is in thing, it’s Tricolour everywhere
- Celebs too wear fakes of reputed brands
- Elon Musk on fun trail says 'buying Coca Cola next'
More Lifestyle News
- ‘aha’ unveils promo for ‘Sarkaar Season 4’ featuring Sudigali Sudheer as host
- Record rains in UAE flood Dubai International Airport, disrupt travels
- Akshay Kumar joins Vishnu Manchu’s ‘Kannappa’ shoot in Hyderabad
- Suhana Khan shares joyful photos with Ananya Panday after KKR victory
- Kartik Aaryan says he’s ready for love, asks Neha Dhupia to find someone for him
- Indian film stars extend Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, and Navreh wishes
- Mrunal Thakur honored for ‘Hi Nanna’ performance, details inside
- Prithviraj-starrer ‘The Goat Life’ rakes it in: Rs 100 cr in 9 days
- Rashmika Mandanna’s ‘Srivalli’ takes center stage in Pushpa 2: The Rule poster drop
- Deepika Padukone’s ‘Deewani Mastani’ featured on Oscars’ Instagram; Ranveer Singh reacts
A PHP Error was encountered
Severity: Warning
Message: file_get_contents(): http:// wrapper is disabled in the server configuration by allow_url_fopen=0
Filename: views/newsdetails.php
Line Number: 29
Backtrace:
File: /home5/am2pm/public_html/application/views/newsdetails.php
Line: 29
Function: file_get_contents
File: /home5/am2pm/public_html/application/controllers/News.php
Line: 135
Function: view
File: /home5/am2pm/public_html/application/controllers/News.php
Line: 83
Function: newsdetails
File: /home5/am2pm/public_html/index.php
Line: 315
Function: require_once
A PHP Error was encountered
Severity: Warning
Message: file_get_contents(http://www.indiaaffiliates.in/ads.php?size=300X250): failed to open stream: no suitable wrapper could be found
Filename: views/newsdetails.php
Line Number: 29
Backtrace:
File: /home5/am2pm/public_html/application/views/newsdetails.php
Line: 29
Function: file_get_contents
File: /home5/am2pm/public_html/application/controllers/News.php
Line: 135
Function: view
File: /home5/am2pm/public_html/application/controllers/News.php
Line: 83
Function: newsdetails
File: /home5/am2pm/public_html/index.php
Line: 315
Function: require_once