Why did you click to read
this blog article? Was it the picture art? Was it the title? Was it a random
choice? Or was it because of an
undeniable voices saying that you’re, in fact, having an “obesity” with
technology and you need a digital “diet” now?! Me and Daniel Sieberg,
writer of The Digital Diet,
guessing the latter. Well, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re in the majority. Let’s
examine yourself more with these questions by Daniel in case you still not
convince of your need for digital diet:
Do you sometimes feel the urge to pull out your smart
phone when someone else is making a point in conversation? Have you ever
realized you were texting while your child was telling you about her day at
school and later couldn’t remember any of the details of her story? Have you
ever felt that something hasn’t really happened until you post it on Facebook
or tweet about it? Do you sometimes wonder if you could actually focus better
in real life before all these gadgets invaded your space? Does a flashing red
light on your BlackBerry or white light on your iPhone make your heart flutter?
Does a ringing/vibrating cell phone interrupt and trump everything else? Do you
feel anxious if you’re offline for any length of time? Do you find that your
family can be in the same room but not talking to one another because you’re
each interacting with a different device?
The Digital Diet: The 4-Step Plan to Break Your Tech Addiction and
Regain Balance in Your Life (Three Rivers Press, 2011) by Daniel Sieberg is a
treasure book for me. As for the content of this book, you must read it for
yourself. In summary, the 4-Step Plan and subtopics are Re: Think (You Are What You Type, My Binary Binge, The Weight You
Can’t See), Re: Boot (Detox, Your
Virtual Weight Index, Surveying the Damage), Re: Connect (Mind and Body Dexterity 2.0, Upbeat While Downloading,
This Time It’s Personal), and Re:
Vitalize (Your Organic Blueprint, Sustainable Intake). Here I would like to
quote at length Daniel’s 10 Digital Diet Rules to Live By:
1) Avoid tech
turds. Don’t just dump your smart
phone on the table at a restaurant or at home. Keep it in your pocket or purse
unless it’s critical to have it out. If you must have it out, acknowledge its
presence and inform your companions that you’ll check it only in an emergency.
It’s a courtesy that you’d appreciate, too.
2) Live your life
in the real world. If you must post a
status update or tweet or blog about something in your life, then make sure
it’s something you’d be willing to announce to anyone you know face to face.
3) Ask yourself
whether you really need that gadget.
There are tons of cool stuff in the tech world, and some of it might even
improve your or your family’s life, but don’t feel compelled to buy every new
toy that comes out. Before you make a digital purchase, question its necessity.
4) Seek tech
support. Navigating the wilds of the
wired world can sometimes be too much to handle alone. It’s okay to ask for
help and it’s also okay to use technology to help “outsource self-control” when
needed. Check out the many programs that can assist with budgeting your time
online.
5) Detox
Regularly. Once you’ve completed the
Digital Diet, return to the detox phase one day a month. You can do this as a
family, too. Use that day as a touchstone to remember what life can be like
without technology.
6) Sleep
device-free. Move your chargers out
of the bedroom to another room in the house, and let your devices live there
overnight. They need a break from you, too.
7) It’s either
the human or the device. Work toward
choosing people over the device. Yes, there’ll be times when it’s tricky or
nearly impossible to choose between your smart phone or laptop and paying
attention to your child or your loved one or your friend, but try to use your
devices more on your own time rather than during the time you share with
others.
8) Remember the
“if /then” principle. Choices that
you make in the virtual world can have an impact in the real one. For example,
if you don’t find the time to put down the gadgets and log out once in a while,
then you might lose the ability to appreciate the finer moments in life.
9) Structure your
e-day. Work toward a finite beginning
and end to your connectedness. In other words, dive into the gadgets and the
e-mail and the texts only when you’ve composed yourself in the morning. When
you’re ready to unplug in the evening, do it without reservation and focus on
what—and who—is immediately around you.
10) Trust your
instincts. If you think you might be
spending too much time being a voyeur on social networks or playing online
games or endlessly texting, then you probably are. That little voice knows when
it’s all become too much. Listen to it. Pursue the ultimate goal of balance and
awareness.
I would like to add one more rule.
Rule 11) First Thing in the Morning, Don’t Check Your Smartphone – Log In to God
First.
Say a short prayer instead or read a chapter or few
verses of the Bible and meditate on it.
Jesus first, not Facebook or E-mail. You can do all of
it later.
Don’t eliminate technology, no. The goals are balance,
awareness and take control.
Now, do you want to consider having Digital Diet this New Year?
Happy New
Year 2015! Thanks for all my readers.
THINK BIG.
START SMALL. GO DEEP.
