A Short Video II

 We all do it... (yes, you) scrolling, that is, (see the video at Dawnian Productions on You Tube) on our mobile phones/devices! Everywhere you go, you see it. Head down, eyes watching a screen, looking up occasionally so as to avoid a street rubbish bin, a telegraph pole, a person. Even in our vehicles, we have them...screens, that is! Screens are ubiquitous. They are on our fridges, TV's and Computers, (of course), watches, wrist exercise monitors, batteries, smartphones, ATM's (ever-diminishing), tablets, coffee machines, whiteboards, entertainment systems, sewing machines, fitness machines, cameras, medical equipment...and the list goes on (check on Temu and you will see what I mean). Obviously, not all these screens involve scrolling but most do.

At this point, one could get philosophical and possibly even spiritual...or one could look up from their scrolling and wonder what the fuss is all about (probably someone under 30 yrs of age!).But, really why do we do it? Experts, who offer their opinion, might talk about a combination of psychological and neurobiological factors. They might talk about the release of dopamine from unpredictable rewards, a desire to escape stress or boredom, or the feeling of connection and access to endless information (FOMO) and entertainment. Whatever the reasons (and many more reasons than the above, have been postulated), there are consequences - addiction, decreased focus making it harder to concentrate on anything, withdrawal symptoms such as stress and anxiety and guilt and shame when one realises the time they have wasted. By the way, I've come across a word, I've never heard before. Have you heard of 'doomscrolling'? This means that one is mindlessly scrolling on their device without consciously knowing they are doing it (that is slightly disturbing!)

Can I end by offering a few ways to assist in kicking this habit of endlessly scrolling. Firstly, create phone-free zones. set time limits (many games found on mobile devices already do this), swap scrolling for something real, get an alarm clock, turn off notifications, unsubscribe and unfollow (I dare you!) and kickstart this process with a digital detox (there are many resources online to assist you) 

Look up, there is a world beyond your screen. Become intentional about your life and FFOMO (forget Fear Of Missing Out)...you're not!!