If one of your primary goals for the next year is to excel in work, school, or business, it's time for a digital and social media detox to keep the focus on actual resolutions.
The New Year is upon us and we all hope to make and achieve our resolutions. If one of your primary goals for the next year is to excel in work, school, or business, it’s time for a digital and social media detox to keep the focus on actual resolutions. This article will cover helpful tips to guide you to an effective detox.
Resolution for 2023 — Detox from Social Media and Smartphones:- Smartphones have dominated all aspects of our lives due to their functionality and their ability to provide easy access to the internet. However, negative aspects like smartphone addiction have recently been brought to the attention of psychologists and psychiatrists. Existing reports from various countries have shown that two-thirds of individuals do not leave their homes without smartphones in hand.
There are a lot of benefits when we take a digital break. It reduces stress, and fear of missing out improves sleep habits, maintains work-life balance, and allows for a more positive life perspective.
Tips for a better digital detox:
* Disable notifications on your smartphone: It keeps you informed about what you are supposed to be informed about; it makes you do what you don’t want to do and makes you feel what you don’t want to feel.
* Set boundaries:- Make your bedroom and dining room a smartphone-free zone. It’s highly recommended that you charge your smartphone outside the bedroom.
* Access social media from your laptop or desktop computer instead of your smartphone.
* Take control of your home screen – First, audit your collection. Reclaim storage space by tidying up and ensure that only important apps are on the home screen and the rest in folders.
* Do device-free meetings – Engage physically in social conversations with one another.
* One of the reasons our devices are so appealing is that they are colourful; Individuals can use their smartphones in grayscale.
* Digital Wellbeing App on Android and Screen Time App on iOS – They help to keep track of how many hours you spend in front of screens each day.
* More time for your goals: Once you’ve established new goals, you should also limit your screen time and digital well-being. When you try to scroll through Facebook or Instagram, this setting will notify you.
* Take a break from electronic devices for 20 minutes – Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It will reduce your (a) Pain and discomfort from prolonged usage. (b) The eyes begin to burn and itch. (c) Distorted Vision (d) Eye Fatigue (e) Eye strain can cause headaches.
Resolution for 2023 – Digital Safety:
* Passwords – Avoid using predictable passwords (i.e., pet names and surnames). Always set passwords with at least one capital letter, one numeric, and one special character, making password prediction difficult.
* Restriction of access to secure websites (https://) – If the URL says only HTTP at the beginning, you shouldn’t be there. If it says HTTPS, it means you’re safe.
* Protect your privacy – Companies track and collect our habits, preferences, choices, and location in order to provide highly relevant information to our queries, and tailor advertising campaigns, products, and services from our phones, GPS, and other devices. Eventually, this information is shared with third parties without our consent, which is a violation of privacy.
* Back up your data – Take regular backups of your important data and ensure that it can be restored. Ensure that the backup you have taken is not connected to any of the networks. It is advised that you consider backing up to the cloud so that you will be able to access it from anywhere.
* Phishing – Phishing, Vishing and Smishing text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. Never click on short links sent via email/social media, WhatsApp, or SMS, check for fishing (https://isitphishing.org/) before they are actually clicked.
* Use a VPN – A virtual private network is practically unbeatable, it not only creates a secure tunnel through which all your traffic is diverted, but it also encrypts that data so that, even if it is intercepted, it won’t make much sense.
* Use two-factor authentication – Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a specific type of multi-factor authentication that strengthens access security by requiring two methods to verify your identity. (a) Username and password (b) OTP (one-time password) (c) A smartphone app to approve authentication requests.
* Use antivirus – It helps protect your laptop/computer against malware and cybercriminals. Antivirus software looks at data in web pages, files, software, and applications travelling through the network to your devices.
* Secure WiFi at home – Security starts at home, with Wi-Fi. A few tips: a) change the name of the network (b) enable network encryption (c) enable guest networking. (d) MAC addresses, enabling only registered systems to work. You should also consider (e) hiding your network name (f) updating router firmware, and (j) enabling parental control.
Stay tuned to the Cyber Talk Column for more information on “Internet Ethics and Digital Wellness,” brought to you by Anil Rachamalla from the End Now Foundation. https://www.endnowfoundation.org