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I was distraught and for some the above state would seem silly. But for a person like me who’s very survival had become dependent on timely access to information , both useful and nonsensical , a day without the Internet was like an episode from Survivor. No Internet meant no Facebook and Whatsapp! My inquisitive mind had to know what other people were upto and the rest of the world had to know that I exist. I realized that I had the mammoth task of using this ‘idle’ time for other activities.
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However, is social media to be blamed for this or the people using it? Social media has increased outreach. Successful organizations have effectively harnessed this potential to gain a competitive advantage. Even in elections these days, social media has replaced door to door campaigning . For me, social media has been a forum that exposed me to a diversity of ideas. These facts present a paradox that makes me wonder ‘does social media make you smart or stupid’?
detrimental body image among young women, which in turn leads to eating disorders.
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I’m not suggesting that one should completely cut off social media. One should harness its beneficial qualities like connection, knowledge sharing, collaboration rather than negative tendencies like self-obsession, addiction and waste of productive time.The key is to have an awareness and balance. You cannot afford to let Facebook and Whatsapp rule your entire day. Prioritize and schedule activities that matter, while allocating a decent amount of time for social media when you’re least productive.
detrimental body image among young women, which in turn leads to eating disorders.
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Introspect by asking yourself these questions:
What do I to gain by knowing what the whole world is up to?
Do I need likes and comments to reinforce my self esteem?
Would my close family and friends prefer an FB like over quality time spent with them?
Is an hour long discussion over Whatsapp better than the same time spent with friends over coffee?
Do people actually like the fact you ‘checked-in’ to this lovely resort , apart from your close family and friends?
Will I obtain useful information by liking a specific page on Facebook?
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On that note, I must mention that I survived 2 days without the Internet and it was rejuvenating. I was proud to have conquered the modified Maslow’s triangle of needs for the 21st century. This made me realize that a major chunk of my time goes on browsing and commenting peoples’ statuses while this could have otherwise been used for something productive. Maybe you should try disconnecting for a day and who knows, you might discover a hidden interest?
Sangeeta Isaac blogs aat http://sangspeak.blogspot.in/ and loves to observe life and its little ironies.