Build a Mindful Relationship With The Digital World — Priya Bhatia

The dawn of a new year allows us to reflect on our past behaviors and curate new goals we want to achieve. One aspect of the world that dictates many of our lives is our relationship with technology. We live in a world where many of our daily interactions involve using technology in some form or capacity (i.e. we have found ourselves dependent on our phones and computers for many of our pursuits). Research suggests that media use has become such a significant part of student life that it is “invisible” and students do not necessarily realize their level of dependence on and/or addiction to their cell-phones (Moeller, 2010). There is a wide array of activities that can be performed on our smartphones. However, once we lose control over our behavior online, we become prone to addiction. Cell phone addiction, like all behavioral addictions, is a process that occurs over time (Martin et al., 2013). One way to combat the negative effects of cell phone use is to create a healthy and intentional relationship with our technology. In other words, we can participate in digital wellness. Digital wellness refers to the balance and healthy habits individuals maintain with technology and its usage to ensure a positive impact on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Digital wellness helps us consciously optimize our potential by taking back control of our online presences. We can ask ourselves, “In an ideal world, what would our relationship with our devices look like and how is it different from our current state (Sharma, 2022) or what purpose is this serving me?” Achieving well-being is holistic, so every aspect of it matters. Re-evaluating our relationship with our phones can lead to prosocial behavior, as well-being is related to increased individual creativity, self-confidence, self- regulation, and ability to cope (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005). We can assess how our phone use is impacting our mood and positive emotions. Social media and other digital platforms are littered with posts that can modify our mood based on their content. While some posts can provide us with pleasure, there is also a high prevalence of depression and anxiety in those with chronic screen-times (Campagna & Sundgot-Smith, n.d.). Are we connecting with the content we are viewing or are we using it to avoid something else in our lives? A factor that is heavily impacted by our devices are our relationships. Social media can bridge many groups of people together in one platform, and increase global communication. Receiving “likes” on one’s post can produce emotional or social gratification (Campagna & Sundgot-Smith, n.d.) whereas the person “liking” gives social support or acknowledgement which creates a dopamine feedback loop. However, we must acknowledge that interpersonal connections can be detrimentally impacted by excessive phone usage, along with our relationship with ourselves. By devoting time to creating meaning in our lives, we can remind ourselves of our worth and value, both of which are not dictated by what is presented online. Being on our phones can be meaningful, but we simply have to be mindful of our emotions and energies as we scroll. 

One way to increase your digital wellness is to create “accountability buddies” with people you trust. Once a week, you and a friend, partner, or family member can meet and set intentions about how you are going to spend your screen time (e.g., “I am only going to use my phone to listen to music today”). Your friend can help hold you accountable about your phone usage and vice versa. Furthermore, you can encourage one another to reinforce meaning in real life to promote communal well-being. Practice taking screen breaks, and using mindfulness self-compassion. For example, use journaling instead of social media as an emotional regulation tool. At night, you can try keeping your phone on the opposite side of the room as you sleep, as this prevents you from going on your phone right as you wake up. The key is to be patient and kind to yourself in this process of breaking old habits, as change takes time. Being intentional about how we spend time on our devices can produce moments of calmness, encourage mindful behavior, and allow ourselves to flourish within the digital age.

Priya (she/her/hers) is a 3rd-year undergraduate research assistant in the Carol Ackerman Positive Psychology Clinic. She is currently majoring in Psychological and Brain Sciences with a minor in Applied Psychology. Her passion includes studying positive psychology interventions in children and adolescents-based psychotherapy. Additionally, her research interests are in multicultural psychology, specifically undoing generational trauma and increasing access for mental health services among minority populations (especially South Asian communities). She aspires to continue exploring these research implications in graduate school.

References

Campagna, D. L., PhD, & Sundgot-Smith, J., M. A. ,. MFT. (n.d.). Digital Wellbeing and the Principles of PERMA [Slide show].

Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., & Diener, E. (2005). The Benefits of Frequent Positive Affect: Does Happiness Lead to Success? Psychological Bulletin, 131(6), 803–855. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.803

Martin, I. M., Kamins, M. A., Pirouz, D. M., Davis, S. W., Haws, K. L., Mirabito, A. M., Mukherjee, S., Rapp, J. M., & Grover, A. (2013). On the road to addiction: The facilitative and preventive roles of marketing cues. Journal of Business Research, 66(8), 1219–1226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2012.08.015

Moeller, S. (2010). A day without media. https://withoutmedia.wordpress.com.

Sharma, H. [UCSB Academic & Staff Assistance Program]. (2022, March 1). Digital Wellbeing [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz5Yaq8YWXM