I do not have the empirical certainty but I think it is obvious that, in very general terms, the increased use of electronic devices such as computers, tablets and mobile phones is not so much a hypothetical trend but a reality, in some cases forced (for example, due to teleworking).
On the other hand, in both social and occupational aspects, there is no doubt that one of the great stars of this health emergency is whatsapp video calls. They already existed before, of course, but I am convinced that their use during these months has not only increased but has also skyrocketed, due above all to all those interactions that in normal times we would not have carried out or would have carried out in person and that now have had to use electronic support.
Too much screen exposure
Having the many advances in telecommunications in an emergency like the one generated by COVID-19 is something we should all be grateful for and that, in many ways, we are enjoying. However, in a situation such as the present one, in which the use of these devices is increasing so notably – and it was already very high – we should ask ourselves a series of questions that we also had to bear in mind before: can the excessive use of screens be harmful? What consequences can the abuse of this information methodology have in situations such as the one we are experiencing? Is over-information the only thing that should concern us?
The problem is not over-information, but intoxication with wrong information, i.e. misinformationTo begin to talk about consequences, we should highlight the purely physiological factor. Without going into detail, because it is not my field of expertise, I believe that we are not entirely aware of the level at which we force an organ as valuable as the eyes, which perform such a crucial function, vision, therefore using small, devilishly changing, rotating and bright screens. Not forgetting, of course, the untimely over-stimulation of our brain that we are causing ourselves with the great use that – greatly increased during these weeks – we make of screened devices (including television, of course).
On the other hand, there is indeed the risk of “intoxication” with the contents to which we have access, either because they are inadequate in substance (which, of course, includes form) or because they are inadequate in quantity.
These days there is a lot of talk about the term “overinformation” to refer to that saturation of supposedly informative content that we swallow, all too often without realizing it. However, it must be stressed that often – and this is regrettable – the problem is not that we are overinformed (i.e. that we inform ourselves “a lot” or “more than we have the need to”) but that we become intoxicated because we inform ourselves with false information, or with information that is not useful. In other words, we misinform ourselves through a flood of destructive comments, hoaxes, false or clearly biased analyses and other communicative radioactivity. This, especially when it happens in abundance, is not over-information, but misinformation or intoxication due to inadequate exposure to information, exposure for which each person would do well to take responsibility.
In other words, as adult citizens we should have a little more control, a healthier and more conscious control, over the exposure to news, chats, colloquiums, shows, networks, etc. to which we are subjected. Because all these stimuli, whether they are rigorous or often toxic, enter our system very quickly and in large quantities, saturating it. Then our system has to process them and then, naturally, the resulting product (the conclusion) and also the surplus (the pure excrement) have to be excreted to the outside. I’m afraid that, as with energy, in a sense, informational stimuli are neither created nor destroyed, but simply transformed. This expulsion does not happen into the void, it is not unpunished or free, but it impacts on others (on those who listen to us and fight back, those who read what we write and reproduce ad infinitum what we produce or share), becoming a new toxic input for them and reactivating this dynamic indefinitely.
In short, we must be careful with what we consume because it has consequences on our state of mind and the beliefs we forge, and also because it influences what we pass on to others. We have to be responsible for it ourselves but also co-responsible, for those around us. We must consider that caring for this is a form of self-care but also of social care.
Cutting off all at once: is the remedy worse?
It depends on the need we have to “be informed”. As we have commented before, it is not necessary to isolate oneself “informatively” one hundred percent, it can even be harmful, because we all need to be aware of certain important things: if this or that practice goes from being allowed to being prohibited, or vice versa; if this or that date is foreseen for this or that measure; if this or that measure that can benefit or harm us is set in motion, etc.
In other words, we must live in society and be minimally aware of what is happening because we cannot say that we were not warned about what was happening. We cannot go one hundred percent on our own, we have to live together and living together includes being minimally informed about what is important and about the rules of living together.
However, to do this we must not get caught up in the news – to call it what you will – 24/7. It is enough to take a few minimums, everything else being perfectly dispensable, and you can dedicate your time and energy to much better things.
How to reduce your exposure to screens?
First of all, by being consistent. If I realize that my way of exposing myself to the contents, for whatever reason, does not suit me, I have to take responsibility for it, to change my behavior.
That may take some time, because we all have habits and inertias often already very established, also in our use and consumption of information through the different technologies that allow it. We must not forget either the hypnotic spell that information in general and toxic information in particular cast on the public. After all, the presentation of the information is designed both orally and in writing to provoke the click and the comment or, at least, to remain in front of the screen consuming more and more. This does not mean that we have to isolate ourselves in a capsule oblivious to every item about the situation we are experiencing, it simply means that we must dose, be more selective, more critical, less impulsive or reactive. To act as more mature spectators and, therefore, more mature citizens.
Following this purpose of amendment, or perhaps of informative hygiene, each one of us should establish his or her own method. For the less creative, here are some ideas: Can I dive, even splash, into my social networks? Sure, for a little while a day, not for hours. Can I watch the news? Sure, one news show, not three plus its by-products. Can I talk about it in my WhatsApp groups, give my opinion, debate with those I disagree with? Yes, you can, but in an assertive, polite, constructive and, of course, time-limited way. Do I have to set a time limit for my use of mobile devices or computers? It would be highly recommended, of course, especially a good time before going to bed.
Many people do not know how to entertain themselves outside the networks or certain television programs. They can’t stand that voidI don’t think I have suggested any ideas that are too outrageous or burdensome for the average person, but rather a handful of very primary recommendations to bring order to some habits through relatively simple behaviors. Simple as long as one proposes them seriously and by virtue of being consistent with the discovery of their discomfort or uneasiness and their consequent desire to feel better, not to become indiscriminately intoxicated.
It is quite a different matter for those people who are used to occupying their existence by typing and watching screens – often consuming real garbage and feeding their lives with it – to suddenly discover, as they change their habits, that they do not know how to entertain themselves, that they do not know how to manage outside the networks and television shows, that they cannot stand emptiness or boredom, that they become disoriented, etc. But even so, it is not serious, it can be corrected. If one cannot do it by oneself, then it is a good opportunity to resort to specialized help, for example, a good psychologist.
