- Dec, 06
- Lifestyle
How to Have a Positive Relationship With the Internet
The internet is going to be a big part of your life whether you like it or not. If you grew up in the pre-internet era, then it’ll probably be odd to think about how you essentially need the internet to be a part of the modern world. Would it even be possible to go a month without connecting to the web? Possibly, but it sure would be difficult.
So if you need the internet, it makes sense to ensure that you have a positive relationship with it. We all know of people who seem to have an unhealthy relationship with their smartphones and laptops. It’s something you can fall into all too easily if you’re not careful.
So let’s make sure that doesn’t happen. In this post, we’ll look at some handy tips for ensuring your relationship with the web is nothing but positive.
Reflect on Your Usage
Probably the most positive way to improve your relationship with the internet is to review how much time you spend on it. It’s one of those things that can really creep up over time, to the point where, before we know it, we’re spending hours upon hours looking at our devices. If you think you’re spending too much time online, then look at putting some limits on yourself. There are plenty of apps that’ll encourage more mindful internet consumption.
Keep Yourself Safe
The internet can be a brilliant, wonderful space. But there are risks to being online, and it’s important to be aware of them and take steps to keep yourself safe. For example, do you know what happens if you click on a phishing link? It’s this kind of information that can make all the difference between keeping yourself safe and becoming another statistic. Remember: there’s a lot of goodness out in the cyber world, but just like the real world, there are also some dangers that you’ll have to be mindful of.
What Are You Consuming?
You can think of your mind as a garden. Are you planting beautiful flowers? The state of your mind will depend, in part, on the type of internet you consume. If you’re spending all your time following unhinged social media arguments, then it’ll be inevitable that it begins to poison your mind at some point or another. The same goes with doom-scrolling.
There’s plenty of positive, happy content out there online, but you’ll have to go looking for it. The internet is the best tool you’ll ever have for furthering your interests, developing the self, and so forth. Use it wisely!
Switch It Off
Finally, one of the most impactful things you can do is simply switch off the internet from time to time. Doing so can feel like the end of the world, but once it’s off, you’ll find that you’re still very much able to eat and breathe and work and do all the other things that humans have to do. And you might just find that you notice something wonderful about the real world, too.