With technology impacting our lives, all we are left with is growth and development of industries (old and new) and all niches that come in between. The speed is not snail-paced, it is exponential. Our vanguards ask if we have left our human-ness astray, as we have allowed “Human-Interaction” to be consumed and dictated by this proliferated expansion of technology.

I have to agree that this new age is there because a myriad of obstacles and chains [like distance and communication speed and reliability] have been broken. Campaigns have become global, news has become instant, and political discussions happen across borders. We, as a collective species, can achieve all of this because we have allowed technology to be part of our lives.

[But…]

What we should not forget is that there could be downsides in allowing technology to aid human interaction, especially if you are texting with a bad temper. 

We use the phone from listening to news to ordering food (I still hope many of us use the phone to make calls). We are ONE step away from becoming cyborgs by implanting our cell phones in our forearm. However, studies have proven that prolonged use can be detrimental to our mental and physical health. The irony is we know all of this, yet we reach out to our phones.

A little mindfulness

We need to avoid having conversations over text, especially when we are in a bad mood. The following are reasons what I think happens during conversations when we are in a bad mood and why we should avoid them. 

We tend to jump to conclusions 

    With a modicum of information our mental system 1* – the one that can process multiple information and at extremely fast rates – will not only get activated but also create scenarios. This allows our brains to jump to conclusions to situations that exist only in our heads.

You will read it in the tone based on your [current] emotion

    We all have experienced this – you can read any sentence in any tone. If you are upset or angry, the messages will sound hurting or condescending, irrespective of how the sender was when he or she sent you the message. I believe a lot of miscommunication happens between people and teams at the workplace because of this. Give yourself some time to read the messages like how you are supposed to. If you want to read the messages, you should let your OS’ inbuilt text reader to do the job.

You are not the centre of the universe:

    There is a possibility to assume an inwardness or egotistical thinking while looking at the messages, or situations we build up as a result of the messages. This has happened because our phones have become another part of our body and hence that feeling. Sentences like How can she say that to me? How dare he? You have no idea! spur out when there is no need for it. 

If there is a need for resetting our emotion, our greatest weapon is sleep. Sleep is reportedly the best way to neutralise our ‘ups and downs’ in our emotional state. After sleep, we can better tackle situations by looking at it objectively. Resolve conflicts over coffee, repair broken relationships through travel, or grain trust by playing a sport. Although they are time bound and time-consuming, a little bit of off-screen time not only slows things down but also is healthy for you.

* Thinking fast and slow – 

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4 Comments

  1. Great content, man. I 100% agree with you.

    Although I had to read it twice to understand what you’re trying to convey here. Not because what you have written is confusing, but because I was impressed at how well you have written this piece and the words you have chosen. I have always wondered how some people can write so well. Good job, Arun.

  2. Oh, I thought the comment would be automatically posted. 😛

  3. Technology might be a bon or ban based on the way we use. Arun bro… You told few relief techniques while we are in bad or stress mood. Sometimes, I avoid to express my feelings online because it might give me a temporary relief… I read my books, write a notes that is frustrating my mind and flush them off, makes a mehandi designs if possible, or mostly sleep while my mind goes off… You made a good try to gives a solution… But there are wide variety of people who might have different techniques that they would overcome stress… My only request is not only phone would give a permanent relief.

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