Digital Detox
Two years back just after my 22nd birthday, as an experiment, I removed my birthday from Facebook. The main reason was, I never wanted to face another ‘birthday celebration’ from my hostel mates. But it changed my view.
Like many, I was just waiting to hear ‘wishes’ from at least a handful of people, I cared about. Immediate family is not included in this list, that too obvious. Throughout the day nobody wished me or at least made any indication. Usually, birthdays are the worst days I ever have in a calendar year. If God asked me my wish to remove any day from the calendar, I certainly asked for the anniversary of my arrival on earth.
In the evening two of my friends called. That's It! Those were the only two people who remember my birthday outside the digital world.
Wow! Two. That's a good number.
there is a scene in a popular Malayalam movie where the protagonist asks about his companion robot about his neighbor. The robot scans the digital identity of the person and found none. so the machine concludes that the person is dead. the next frame focuses on the neighbor’s gaze.
if we suddenly disappear from online space, it is a kind of death. I have tried to complete digital detox for two months at one point in my life. apart from the daily phone calls to my family, I never had any conversations outside the ‘real world’. I am so sure that I never had that much mental peace before and after those two months!
My Point is, experimenting with life is such a crazy idea, but rewarding if the intentions are right. The fear of not being present, FOMO, is the major reason, why we still keep so many unnecessary applications.
I am not a proponent of minimalism. one day I want to start experimenting with it. we have only one life, why don't we just push our limits, break the walls, show the middle finger to the society that doesn't give a f*ck about us.
Living in comfort is an easy job. But living peace is the one we are seeking. so break the ceilings and constraints pulls us back.
Be the breakout point for your family and society!
