Alright, social media and technology aren't all bad. We've got that part surrounded. But social media and technology do have some significant downsides. You might be aware of these but many are sneakier than they seem, especially since most of them blend into one another.
Do any of these look familiar?
Did you hear about the man who walked into a bar while texting?
If you’ve made it this far, you may be wondering why I’m not yet advocating for you to toss your phone into the sea. Like me, you may have been tempted to get rid of your gadget, or at least daydream about a time when you weren’t tied to one. But for all their negative traits, something keeps us tied to our devices and their streams of content.
The truth is, technology and social media isn’t all bad. I can remember the drama of school holidays and not being able to chat with my friends for the long two months before classes started again. This simply isn’t reality in today’s connected society.
Technology is wasting our time. We can agree on that, right? At least to some extent? So far we’ve established that technology and social media have reduced our offline hours and left us little time to refresh and rejuvenate, but there’s actually another effect of all the pings and beeps.
Stress. The emotional toll.
While technology is meant to enhance our lives, it’s difficult to argue that it doesn’t also increase our stress.
Constantly being plugged into social media is extracting a significant tax from our bodies. These days we’re blurring the boundaries between the various activities that shape who we are as human beings. Everything we do is purposeful. The choices we make and the roads we travel are unique. The problem with a constant connection is that whether we’re working, studying, spending time with our families, or spending time alone, those actions lose a degree of their independence when they're constantly intertwined with online connections.
Not only do work emails interrupt personal time, but personal connections also interrupt work time.
Well done! Reading this book is a fantastic first step in changing your relationship with social media and technology. These tools should serve you, and not the other way around, right?
Right, we can all agree on that. By the end of my book, the only changes you’ll make are ones that feel right to you. No, you don’t have to throw your phone in the trash. After all, achieving wellness is impossible with a black-and-white, all-or-nothing approach. Instead, these pages will help you reflect on how plugged in you are so you can decide what's working for you and what's working against you.
Let's get started, shall we?
Do you ever imagine what communication looked like 100 years ago? If you’re curious, just grab your phone and… wait, don’t do that. Resist that urge for a moment.
In the last couple decades the manner in which we communicate has changed so drastically it makes the experiences of even one generation ago sound archaic. For instance, I remember my second grade best friend moving away and the colourful sticker-covered correspondence letters we shared as she became my newest pen-pal. The coveted letters that came occasionally in the mail were my only links to her. As I got older...
A blank page awaits me.
So let’s get to it.
I'm Kelvin, and today I’m proud to introduce a brand new book written by my friend Deepika Mittra called Social Media & Technology, How to Use It Without Being Consumed By It.
It’s a book to teach people like you and me how to find balance in the daily dance with online distractions and an increasingly connected digital society that’s supposed to enrich our lives.
The last time you heard from me, I told you about the fantastic Be With Cards and the give away I am so lucky to host! Yet, that give away could only be entered if you got on social media... and that just isn't me and it also isn't fair. I was not in integrity with what I talk about, practice, and support clients with. For that, I apologize.
Just in time for the holidays I have a special treat for you! With lots on the go, most of us are rushing around to get things done. What better time to have self-care reminders! Allow me to introduce to you Barbara Erochina, an emotional wellness coach, writer and speaker based out of Toronto. She is behind a great self-care strategy Be With: Cards for Self-Care. Barbara lives by her belief that the best way to speed up is to slow down and has generously shared her thoughts, and a give-away of the cards below!
With gratitude to Barbara for her insights and the #bewithcards give away!
This fall I'm excited to be taking my work out of the office quite a bit! I am doing several workplace sessions as well as presenting multiple times with the University of Alberta's Executive Education. I am also looking forward to being part of the BLOOM Festival! Perhaps I'll see you at one of these events, or if you're interested, contact me about setting something up for your workplace or community group.
