Information Diet Take 2


An information diet is something that everyone can stand to work on. It’s never going to be perfect; you are never going to 100% succeed, and you are always going to have to make a consciences decision to work on it. Just like a real diet- if you decide to indulge in your own ways, all the work you have done is going to go by the wayside. Even now as I work through my grad school assignments and my daughter is at her dads, I find myself picking up my phone in between thoughts and looking through social media just because I can. I wonder how much quicker I could get through my assignments if I stopped this silly habit. I could if I wanted to but for whatever reason I choose not to.

The amount of time we spend on our phones tends to impact the quality of time we spend with our families. We can all stand to be present in the moment and actively be there with our kids and spouses. How hurtful is it when you are trying to tell someone about your day, and they are on their phone? You know they aren’t listening to you and you don’t feel like a priority in the moment. I would hate for my daughter to ever feel that way. The device can wait. There isn’t anything more important to me than her and she should feel that all the time and your family should feel that. We take so much for granted now.

There’s so much negativity out there and being constantly connected doesn’t help our mental state. There always seems to be something bad in the headlines, the news is skewed, or fake altogether. We need to continue to try to use multiple sources when gathering our news and information. But how do we know who to trust? Social media affects body image and makes you think the grass is greener on the other side. It’s not, it’s fake. I’m worried for the day my daughter is old enough for a social media account. What will it do to her self-esteem? I’ll have to work with her to make sure the things she is seeing has a positive impact on her, although I know I can’t control everything. I can help her to become a well-rounded individual who is confident in her own skin.

Comments

  1. JulianneNovember 13, 2019 at 8:44 AM

    Number one pet peeve: Someone on their phone when we are supposedly engaged in a conversation. It makes me feel so disconnected. I also totally agree with you about your daughter and social media. There is no way we can micro-manage every single thing they do online and it is terrifying to me that my kids will have access to the glorified lives of others. FOMO is real! I always wonder if the social media thing will fade and we will get back to more "live" human interaction. I am sure this is a naive wish.
    With regards to the news: I am also always balancing how much I need to know to be an informed citizen and how much I can blissfully be oblivious to. I think sometimes knowing too much news is bad for the psyche.

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  2. elvalentineNovember 16, 2019 at 5:08 PM

    It seems like people are so attached to their devices!! We have a rule in my house that if we are all able to sit down together for dinner (or only one adult) the devices are off and the tv is off (gasp). We take that time to talk about our day and about what is happening for the week. I wish we could do this every night but that is simply not reality, I am in class, my daughter plays basketball, my husband works in DC and mostly relies on public transportation, and my son would be running around outside with his friends until bedtime. We need a break from technology to reconnect.

    Social medial is hard- I think you are on the right track- just knowing that there is a need for balance and being informed is a good part of the battle!

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