Virtual World
I got a call from a concerned friend yesterday asking if everything is going well with my love life. I was surprised and not to say a bit offended by the question. I asked for the reason of this doubt in her mind. Pat a reply came from her well, I didn’t see any pics of your anniversary celebration or valentine day.
My work requires me to be super active on social media platforms. You will often find me on some of the other social media platforms. I love to share moments and happiness with the world.
However, I understand the importance of moments that don’t require to be caught on camera. Emotions that only needs to be captured in the heart. Once I started working on building my brand’s presence on social media I made sure to take small breaks from the virtual world. In short, to go on a digital detoxification to keep my sanity intact.
Relatable?
I think we are the last generation who would relate to the feeling of dried flower in our books. Palpitations of receiving that first handwritten letters, keeping ourselves occupied near that landline with emotions of fear (what if someone else picks it up) and hope (that he/she will call). We understand that virtual world is not a mirror of someone’s life, it is a tiny part and mostly the illusion.
The effect of mobile phones in our daily life is increasing with each day. Don’t believe me??
Tell me:
- Do you look for your phone, first thing once you wake up?
- Do you remember birthdays, anniversary, and important days of your loved one’s life or you are at the mercy of phone reminders?
- Do you send your good wishes to people through WhatsApp and think that you will call soon (do you??)?
- You on a mobile/laptop, husband on a mobile/laptop and a baby on another gadget, sound familiar?
- Reminder on a phone for a quality time with your family every weekend because taking out even an hour for a real conversation in a day is difficult?
- You be on phone all day due to work and then to relieve that stress you be on phone again (games, YouTube etc.)?
If you can relate to any of the points above then you understand what I am talking about. We can’t run away from technology or existence of social media but we can teach them how less significance it has when it comes to true emotions.
Here is what I am going to teach my daughter with a hope that social media will have a less significance in her real-life decisions:
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Relationship
A relationship between two people flourishes when they communicate with each other. Isn’t that the “old way” of knowing each other better unlike going through their social media feed to know their choices.
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Family Values
Saying that there will be no screen time for my kid or I am not going to allow her to own a phone till she is so and so years is not going to help. Teaching them the importance of family values and actual family time is our responsibility.
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Double tap
Increasing the number of followers is a good thing but increasing the number of people who genuinely love you require more than a double tap on their photographs.
I do not want my daughter to judge herself by someone else’s comment on her DP. I am scared that coming generation will fail to understand the difference between popularity in the virtual world and actual friends in the real world. Relationships on social media are all a picture of a part of their happy moments in life but in reality, true emotions prevail and it is not a bed of all roses.
This blog is a link up with Zainab FromSlimExpectations for #WhatILove”
The thought of that conversation makes me so sad… Maybe it’s that I never post about our anniversary or Valentine’s plans because honestly that’s between me and my husband. The important people in my life know how we’re doing without watching for a post to confirm it. I also don’t post about how much I love my darling children because my kids know how I feel about them and broadcasting it to the world — for the sake of broadcasting it to the world — just seems kind of off.
I am not sure if it is because the online world is my workspace and work makes me happiest!
This rings so true for me too. My work needs be to be online and on social media a lot. That’s when ppl ask me why I don’t check my personal FB or post about my family and kids. Digital detox sounds just what I need too.
I cannot agree more to what you have written. Lately family groups on whatsapp are growing than the real life get togethers. Marriage invitations are sent over whatsapp and Facebook. I feel sick to my stomach when that happens. Where is all the love and connection
Rightly said. We all are so deeply strapped in this digital world that even relationships are also excused. I done time feel a little sad for our kids to grow up and be like.
Agree to each & every line written in this post.Digital detox is the need of the hour
It. Does needs a lot of thought.Digitaldetox is much needed
Kavita I loved what you said about your daughter relating more to comments on her DP than actual relating with peeps in the real world- yes thats the perception we are building with our tech obsession and the next gen is definitely getting affected by it! We are their role models and should do a reality check on ourselves first! Well made point!!
You are bang on when you say you fear that the coming generation would not realize the difference between being popular on social and having real life friends.
Kavita, this is so so true. If I say Relations are dependent on phone and what’s app messages nowadays, then I think I am right to some extent. It’s so funny and surprising to see how people are so comfortable in sharing their personal moments publically. To me those are for me and not for the entire world out there. I have seen my friends asking me why I do not put my kids pics or mine on Facebook?
I could relate to it all, and what a beautiful way to express. Palpitations for hand written letters and dried flowers in our books.
Guess we really need to get back in time.
Thanks for linking up with #WhatILove