I do not like sending ‘good morning’ messages to anyone. Not at all. Despite that, I find myself at the receiving end because there are at least two-dozen people who greet me at the crack of dawn with digital bouquets of flowers, snapshots of cuddly babies and/or images of a scenic sunrise. Or sunset.
I don’t read them also, although I do look forward to those sent by an elderly person, who forwards me inspirational stories everyday. But before I can tell him how refreshing these motivational words of wisdom are, they stop. Quite abruptly, I must add.
I scroll back through the messages to see if I have inadvertently said something to upset him. There is nothing! I mean, literally too. I realize that I have not made the effort of even acknowledging any of it, let alone respond to it. I am horrified at my sheer laziness and lack of empathy and decide to make amends straightaway.
My tentative attempts to engage him in conversation lead to a terse reply, which states to all the concerned parties who reach out to him that he is on a week-long ‘digital fast’. Nobody is supposed to disturb him during that period, and he will reconnect with all of us after a certain span of time has passed, is the curt retort.
I think he is kidding, but when the same computer-generated response reappears to all my subsequent queries, I figure that he actually means it.
So, what is ‘digital fast’? And why do some people embark upon it? Also called the digital detox, this is a phase during which a person refrains from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers and regards it as an opportunity to reduce stress by focusing on social interactions in the physical world.
It helps in maintaining a healthy balance between normal life and the time spent in the virtual sphere. In other words, it is the act of reconnecting by disconnecting.
“But before you commit to a detox, try making two lists,” advises Dr. Sally-Ann Law, a London-based psychologist and personal life coach. “Primarily, list all of your gadgets. This will show you how dependent you are on technology. Next, make a list of all the things that you enjoy doing in life but aren’t doing presently.”
However, does one have to give up all of one’s screen time? Not really, says the expert. “Firstly, one must turn off the push notifications that give constant updates on what is happening around the world.
“Secondly, put away the phone during mealtimes and additionally make your bedroom a ‘no tech’ zone.
“Thirdly, limit yourself to one-screen-at-a-time, which
means that if you are watching news on television, avoid scrolling through your Facebook posts on the iPhone. Finally, train yourself to not respond immediately to everything that comes to your attention.”
Right! I decide to put this into practice at once and switch my phone off. Soon my husband calls out.
“You want to go for that movie or not?” he hollers from the other side of the room.
“Which one?” I ask.
“Read your SMS. I sent it five hours ago,” he says
“I can’t. I’m on digital fast,” I reply.
‘What is that?’ he looks surprised.
“I check messages only once a week on my electronic devices now,” I explain.
“How will I communicate with you then?” he panics.
“You can always talk to me,” I suggest.
By Nickunj Malik
|| features@portugalresident.com
Nickunj Malik’s journalistic career began when she walked into the office of Khaleej Times newspaper in Dubai thirty-one years ago and got the job. Since then, her articles have appeared in various newspapers all over the world. She now resides in Portugal and is married to a banker who loves numbers more than words.
