Digital Fatigue? Volunteering Could Be the Cure
Most of us would agree that the internet is a societal force for good. It has created previously unrealized global communities and brought the world to our fingertips in an astonishing way.
For both large and small professional organizations, the benefits of going digital and online are clear. But is the same true in our personal lives? Has the evolution of email through to social networks and smartphones genuinely enhanced our quality of life? Or has it become a distractive force on our offline relationships?
There are signs that digital fatigue is becoming more prevalent. A New York Times blog poses an interesting question: “Can you appreciate a beautiful sunset without feeling the need to capture it on your smartphone and share it online?”
The rise of anti-distraction software, which blocks internet access during productive offline periods, indicates that for many, social networks have shifted from enhancing social lives to becoming a distractive habit.
Several books and academic studies discuss the critical link between wellbeing and having daily periods free from distractions to generate new ideas.
Perhaps most troubling is a study showing that over one in three recent UK divorce cases specifically mentioned social media platforms. Social networking sites are not only distracting us but also devaluing and even destroying our meaningful offline connections.
There is a threshold of healthy online interaction which, once crossed, can diminish meaningful offline experiences.
Volunteering provides a way to make a tangible difference in the community, giving us real communication with others and valuable insights about ourselves. Why not pledge to spend less time online and more time engaging with others in the real world?
Digital fatigue? Volunteering could be the cure