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We become what we consume

 This is an idea that is not new to us. Starting from the time we wake up , we are in a constant consumption mode . From social media , mindless scrolling to the continuous bombarding of news content . At some point we do not have a filter that makes us consciously stop or limit our screen time. What if we did not have access to any media for a day or maybe longer.? There have been experiments conducted with a sample size of individuals without internet access . These individuals were tracked for a long period of time since 1995 and it turned out that there was a great impact on their overall wellbeing.

The more we engross ourselves with constantly keeping ourselves updated , the more our anxiety and stress levels tend to increase. This constant download of information ,whether needed or not drains our mental energy. Without any conscious realization we become exhausted. So let's back up for a bit ?
What are we consuming and it is really necessary.?
Just like our body needs a balanced diet and a work out , our mind also needs some restful time outside of our sleep cycle. What consumes our minds in turn also controls our life in many ways.
Social media for example, constantly looking at other people's lives, reading random intense poetic verses - any of these things directly tend to impact us. We fail to understand that social media only suggests a perfect life . There is no such thing as perfect . Everyone has their own share of ups and downs - of course they are not going to put that up on social media.
The irony is this post is also on social media. Most of the news we are exposed is also irrelevant . Some of it maybe relevant, but it does spike up our levels of stress. Then we come to a place wondering what a place this world has become!
Trying to strike a balance by not being overwhelmed by this constant sometimes toxic information becomes challenged. Research suggests that consuming negative news items can activate the sympathetic nervous system, which causes your body to release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
Reading is great but what we are reading is important. And who decides what kind of content is good or bad for us .Any that nourishes us is good reading or good watching. Also, the news we consume is the opinion of the reporter or the writer . Biased news articles also make us form an ideology instead of holistic view.
Social media addiction especially among teens and the younger lot has emerged to have a direct linkage with mental health issues . Frequent selfie posts may also lead to longer term narcissism.
Focusing on the number of likes on a post also show a dip in an individuals self -esteem.
Sleep interruption or disruption is another damaging effect that comes direction from screen time.

So maybe we need to take a pause - limit our screen time. Switch off your phone for an hour a day and see what it feels like . Make a conscious effort to stay away from this overload of information that may have a direct impact on our thought process.
And yes slavery still exists . This is the modern slave.

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