Technology has been a great ally in a connected world. It has also created new health problems due to our dependence on technology to keep us connected and up-to-date with everything that is happening. We lose focus when we are confronted with the discomfort and anxiety that this can cause.
Many businesses offer Home Office services in this time of confinement. This activity is an addition to many others we have to combine at home such as virtual classes and video calls with people we love. There is less. We also get many stimuli every day that are enhanced. For example, we can see the news on TV, tweet about it, follow the Instagram Stories of which we are constantly notified and share our experiences with the various networks.
We are all connected, but what can we do?
Which countries are most active on social media? Brazil is the top 10 country, followed by Mexico and Mexico. According to the technology consultancy Global Web Index, the average user spends 3.10 hours per day connecting to these platforms.
What percentage of our time is productive and beneficial? Statista created this infographic to show data from a survey that was conducted in the UK on the psychological effects of social media on young people. Instagram emerged as the platform with the worst influence.
As I mentioned at the beginning, internet activity has changed significantly in the recent months that we have been staying at home. According to this Shareablee and comScore study, some Latin American countries, such as Chile and Brazil, have seen a significant increase in publications on social media networks compared with the previous year.
It is becoming increasingly important to encourage responsible and conscious technology use, starting with ourselves, and inviting our work environments, especially if this wonderful ally is to continue contributing to our health, knowledge, and relationships. . Important: This does NOT mean that smartphones should be banned at work, or that social media use should be restricted. The ideal scenario would be to encourage reflection and awareness based on questions like “How sure are you that technology we use every day brings us positive things, instead of distracting from what is most important?”
The Welfare Digital or Digital Wellbeing was a concept that was established a few years ago. This is due to the responses they have given large tech companies (like Apple, Google, and Facebook) to claims that users are more dependent on them. Social networks started to warn us about the amount of idle time we spend on their platforms starting in 2018. In 2018, Instagram introduced a new alert to show us that we are “up-to-date”, so we could stop scrolling endlessly. Facebook also added the Your Time option to the configuration options.
Google’s Digital Wellbeing app was the fastest to respond. It basically examines our digital habits and helps you control how much time you spend online. However, an app alone is not enough to help us make responsible use of technology.
It is difficult to do multiple things simultaneously. To be productive, we must focus on what task we are working on. Technology can be given space to help us concentrate and make it easier for us to relate to others.
It is important to be aware of your habits. It is possible to use time control apps, such as Digitox Bienestar Digital, to get an approximate idea of how often we use our phone throughout the day. However, this is not the only screen. That we are exposed.
Next, ask yourself: What place do you want technology to take in your daily life? Perhaps technology is used to help us study, communicate with distant friends, keep informed, or even indulge in hobbies.
This knowledge is now your guide. You can begin by recommending these actions to your team.
To avoid receiving unwanted stimuli, customize your phone’s notification settings, particularly for apps that you use frequently.
Get rid of the apps that are most distracting from the home screen of your mobile phone.
To silence or hide your notifications while you are working or taking a break, activate “Do Not Disturb”.
Encourage more outdoor and team activities. When the quarantine is over you can organize screen-free meetings.
Your team should not use their personal phones or email for work. They must be able to log out after hours.
Ask yourself if it is necessary before you send an email or WhatsApp. Try it out if you find a solution without having to send an email.
You should leave your phone at home when you are going to bed. It is often the first and last thing that we use during the day.
Even though it takes time to change habits, the benefits can be significant for our physical and emotional health as well as the relationships we have. It will improve your work performance, and allow you to maximize the time you spend on tasks by avoiding distractions.
Before we end, we want you to remember that the Home Office can be an excellent option for companies and offers many benefits. However, we also have small tasks that we do daily that can distract or interfere with our colleagues. For example, we may write to them any time, any day. Any medium. This is why we have created this guide to good practices that will help you and your team make the most of this modality.
