Smartphones have entered our lives and smartly taken control of our lives. Our morning starts with checking emails and messages rather than wishing our near and dear ones. Smartphones have apps for almost everything. The apps have steadily changed the way we socialized.
Earlier in the pre-smartphone era we socialized as a stress buster. Now after advent of smartphone socializing has turned out to be stress booster.
Eight out of Ten individuals (within age group of 16 to 38 years) have habit of checking their phones every 10 min to look for any new message on their smartphones. The addiction to apps has been to the level where people find themselves disconnected from the world without their apps.
Although the continuous using apps may just appear casual but it is not. In reality instead of getting connected we are getting disconnected from the real world.
Continuously looking for messages and notifications on the phone keeps your brain occupied with a task. The brain unknowingly gives signal to repeat the task.
The apps keep you engrossed within themselves not letting you enjoy the small happy moments around you.
Playing Football in rains can never be compensated by the football game app. Neither the moment of laughing together along with friends could be compensated by an chatting app’s “LOL”.
The smartphone needs to be handed smartly, to avoid these smartphone apps increasing stress levels. We have seen people playing games on smartphone as stress buster, but is it really a stress buster. It is similar to a smoker, smoking a cigarette to keep away stress.
In either cases neither is a stress buster. A best stress buster could be walking out in open air with yourself. Yes, you read it right you need to be with yourself. Understand that the smartphone apps increasing stress levels are taking you away from yourself.
Smartphones apps may make things easier but remain smarter to control your usage to avoid the smartphone apps increasing stress levels.