Why has the time for self-reflection, thinking, self-talk vanished?
Why has really the time for self-reflection, self-talk and thinking vanished?
Very pertinent question, why has my time for self-reflection, self-talk and thinking disappeared? We all are wondering, still unable to find that time back.
Maybe we know, it is a simple answer that time has all been taken up by the mobile phones. Earlier while travelling, waiting we used to unconsciously think, ponder, self-reflect but now with the mobiles in our hands and headphones in our ears, we are disconnected to everyone and everything around.
Worry is that we are not only getting disconnected to others but we are getting totally disconnected to ourselves, that too in this ‘so connected world’, what an irony? With the pondering and thinking replaced by reels, social media and other content we have just lost touch with ourselves or we will soon lose. Unfortunately, we are not wired to just consume external content without any self-reflection and thinking. We have always been called, 'Thinking animals'.
Why are we becoming like machines? Where online content being the INPUT resulting into a (favourable outcome for the companies) OUTPUT which is either buying a product or services (at present or future), or forming an opinion or spending time on an app or adding to the views and likes. In a nutshell, it is like controlling a machine. Since, everyone seems to be doing it, we are following the trend so nothing feels OFF. Rather, if you are not following the trend then it is considered something is wrong with you. Someone asked me to like a post / video they had uploaded on Instagram. I told them I do not have a personal Instagram account, and the response was all shocked emoji!! Why? Because it is considered very normal to have an Insta account but abnormal not to have one. This is the trend setting, herd behaviour of which most of us are part. But there is no problem to not to follow the herd behaviour if you are not motivated to do that even if entire world is doing it. Maybe it is not for me, I do not want to spend time on that is a valid choice.
We are becoming busy by each passing day, but have we ever thought that where is the time coming for reels, social media and other content. It is coming out of self-reflection time, thinking time, observing things around you, the time you used to spend in meaningful conversations, everything is getting diverted at one place that is to social media, games, apps, internet-based information & technology and mainly one device mobile. The device which is becoming smarter day by day but people using it are becoming slaves’ day by day. On the one hand we are always busy, on the other we have all the time in the world for reels, mobile games, watching content. It is just squeezing the time and mindfulness from all real and meaningful activities to virtual activities.
The simple solution to the keep the mobile away, don’t hold it in your hands always. While travelling or in cabs keep it in your bags if you are not talking to anyone. We don’t have to watch content and listen to music always in every spare moment that we have, instead we can think, ponder, just sit and relax and do nothing. Watching content is not relaxing but just addicting, at times stressing and it may not be useful even if all the people sitting with you in the metro / train are doing the same.
Reclaim your mind-space! To welcome self-reflection, keep your mind free and thoughts uncluttered in this world of unlimited data and free internet. Thanks, but I am not free, and neither is my precious mind. How about you?