18 Signs The Digital World Is Taking Over Your Life

addiction to internet

**Digital Detox Alert!!!**

I was trying to think of an appropriate title for my very first blog post. I have decided to write a post about something I think a lot of people are feeling. We seem to be going about our lives without noticing just how much the digital world has infiltrated our minds. We are always connected to the internet in some way, constantly having to deal with an infinite number of messages poking away at our brains.

Since when did everyone start living their lives online rather than in the moment? Take a minute to think about the last time you actually paid attention to a pleasurable moment. You probably can’t even remember, which is a very bad thing.

Missing out on important moments

The more time you spend checking your emails, Facebook, text messages, Whatsapp, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter the less of your life you are actually going to live. Moments will pass you by and you will be switched off from loved ones.

Most couples spend their last few moments before going to sleep each night checking their newsfeeds rather than actually talking to each other or being intimate. This is very sad. It sums up what I have been noticing about myself lately but have failed to change.

So…I have come up with a list of signs that you are being sucked into a never-ending digital time warp. If you can relate to a few of these signs that’s fine, but any more than a few and you might be in danger of failing to appreciate the really important things in life.

Signs you are addicted

1. You have lost track of how many times you check Facebook every day.

2. You are terrified of finding out how much time you spend on social media as it would probably account for at least 50% of your time (or more).

3. You set out to do some actual work on a computer and before you know it one thing leads to another and you have spent a whole hour on other websites. First you checked your profile and your friend posted this awesome article that you can really relate to (much like this one) so you clicked the link and read that then saw an ad for your favourite brand of clothes….and so on…

4. You have at least three or four different devices (phone, tablet, second phone, laptop, smartwatch) beeping at you at any one time.

5. You are considering getting rid of whatsapp because you just can’t deal with 50 different conversations, hundreds of messages and pointless groups filled with friends you can’t be bothered to talk to anymore. Plus your phone buzzes or beeps ten times a minute and your partner/housemates are getting very agitated.

6. You suddenly feel threatened by the amount of different ways your mum can contact you. Who knew she was a regular Snapchat user?

7. When you go on holiday and stay in a cheap hotel and there is no WiFi you are terrified and relieved at the same time. After a week with no internet you feel like a new you. You vow to return home and reduce the time you spend in the digital world. It doesn’t happen, you just sign up to a new social media site.

8. You smashed your Iphone for the tenth time and for the first time you actually feel good about it. Maybe it’s a sign and you can get an old Nokia 3310 and be liberated. Again, it doesn’t happen. You ring up your insurance company with an elaborate sob story and explain it’s imperative you get a replacement ASAP.

9. Your hand is beginning to take on a claw like shape from constantly scrolling on touch screens. You know you might be getting RSI but you keep scrolling because you have to know what outfit your favourite reality star wore out last night or the LAD Bible is just too hilarious.

10. You want to get rid of all the social media apps on your phone but it seems just as difficult as giving up alcohol/going on a diet. If you aren’t on Whatsapp all your friends will forget about you and if you don’t keep up to date with LinkedIn messages you might as well retire.

11. When you go to bed you and close your eyes you see internet pages.

12. Your partner is constantly telling you to get off your phone and you have agreed to have a ‘no phones’ day once a week, which you feel is virtually impossible. How can they expect you to do that in this day and age?

13. You swear there should be a ‘social media anonymous’ or rehab centre for people who are addicted to the digital world. Although that’s definitely not you, not yet anyway.

14. You turned down something pleasurable (a freshly baked cake, a warm cup of tea, getting intimate with your partner, your favourite TV programme, a glass of wine) because you are far too busy updating your social media profiles.

15. You rarely participate in two way conversations anymore because your mind is always in the digital world. You make grunting noises and don’t know what you are saying when someone talks to you whilst you are on your phone/tablet.

16. You spend most of your day looking at other people’s social media profiles wishing you could be more like them. You want to be more successful, beautiful, intelligent, entrepreneurial, thinner, athletic, healthy….the list goes on.

17. When you have nothing to do, you are waiting for someone or something you can’t just sit there and be in the moment. You check your phone whenever you have a spare moment, because you never know what the digital world might have to tell you.

18. When the digital world gets on top of you for just a moment you wish you were living in the 1960’s when the internet didn’t exist.

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