Tech Companies Exploit the Loophole in Our Psyche

Humankind entered into a attention sucking vortex a decade ago.

Today, we rely on dopamine hits from the big tech companies for our sanity. Addiction today is not limited to alcohol, smoking and drugs. People are addicted to their smartphones and social media.

Companies encourage people to consume content. And we are content to consume content. We don’t question if this is a sensible way of living life. Glued to our smartphone, we mindlessly pretend to listen to the person in front of us.

Attention is the current day commodity. Companies are doing everything they can to hijack our attention.

If only it were easy to say No, life would be peachy keen.

But that is not the case. Most people cannot quit anything cold-turkey.

However, we can be armed with the knowledge that tech companies are out to take care of their bottom line and not hours.

The Paradox of the Internet

100 years ago, the scope for people to innovate was low.

The internet has given people a platform to hone their talents and exhibit their creativity. From creating websites, writing online, mastering social media marketing, designing digital art, the opportunities to create is staggering.

On the flip side, the internet provides unprecedented distractions. Never before in history could a person intend to take a 5 minute break and come back after 5 hours of a cat video rabbit-hole.

The good news is there are tools to help dodge distractions — The Freedom app, for example.

For someone who can dodge the distractions of the internet, this is a golden era.

Don’t Go There

Most human transgressions are committed wilfully.

True, a lot of people make mistakes unwittingly without self-awareness. Having conceded this, most people willingly commit mistakes. The thief robs his vicim with malice aforethought. The husband has a mistress based on a conscious decision to cheat.

A friend told author Richard Carlson that he was planning to have an affair. Carlson simply told his friend: Don’t go there. The story has a happy ending — the friend listened to Carlson’s advice and saved his marriage.

Whenever we find the arrows of temptation attack there, we can repeat the mantra “Don’t go there.”

Feel like eating an extra piece of chocolate? Don’t go there.
Feel like spreading that juicy piece of gossip? Don’t go there.

Don’t go there.

Deep Happy vs Shallow Happy

Let’s face it — we pursue pleasures for a reason. The reason may be crappy — but it is a reason nevertheless. Partying on Friday night gives us happiness. However, this is shallow happy. Staying home on that Friday night and acing the exam is deep happy.

In a nutshell, when we dodge temptations, we are abstaining from shallow happy. And if we further master our energies and channel them in worthwhile activity in a deep way, we choose deep happy.

Deep happy wins over shallow happy any day of the week.

Dodging Temptations is an Exercise in Self-Care

The importance of self-care is well documented.

Eat healthy, exercise, the whole shebang. Winning the battle against temptations is verily self-care.

• Saying no to that extra piece of cake is self-care.

• Setting screen time limits is self-care.

• Turning off notification from your iPad is self-care.

• Getting good sleep is self-care.

And so on. The importance of self-care can’t be emphasized enough.

Let us Emulate Hanuman

Many people offered Hanuman all the riches in the world if He would accept that Sita belonged to Rama.

Hanuman refused, of course.

Hanuman cared only about serving Rama and Sita.

We, too, can make God our primary purpose in life, and we invite Rama into the house, and relegate all other issues for another occasion.