The debate continues… is technology improving or ruining our lives? Simon, Good Morning Spain’s psychotherapist explains how we are becoming comparable to a tamagotchi, here’s why.
Lots of us count on apps and our devices to track our sleep, weight, fitness and wellbeing and there is no doubt that this can have a positive impact on our lives. However, we are becoming blindsided by the numbers and stats that we are ignoring our own personal intuition. For example, feeling like you’ve had a bad sleep, despite feeling well rested; feeling disappointed for not reaching your daily steps, despite having a busy and well rounded day; feeling unhealthy for not reaching a certain number of calories or nutrients despite it being the only exception of the week. All of this, anxiety, disappointment… just because your phone says so.
I bet most of you reading this have felt some of this in some sort of shape or form before. This mental obsession causes us to not only stress but also forces us to ignore our human perception, logic and intuition just to reach the mark. This is mostly forced on us through the digital heavy world we live in. Everything we do must be perfect. We must have the perfect lives, perfect face and body, perfect family and friends, due to the constant exposure we have towards ‘perfect’ people on social media.
However, the obsession with these apps and gadgets go beyond comparison to others. We enter a constant competition with ourselves, through every high of reaching our goal and very low of failing it.
This sounds harmless but it can cause real anxiety and depression for some, as nothing you do is enough to reach the increasing limits of perfection the devices impose on us.
The metaphor of becoming a ‘tamagotchi’ is curious:
- Needs constant attention
- Gives feedback on how well or badly you look after it
- Sends reminders or alerts
- Declines or worsens when ignored.
Can you see the similarities?
There are some activities or exercises you can practise to become less addicted and more self-aware. You can try mindfulness, let yourself be a human with opinions and real thoughts; journaling, write down your thoughts and how you truly feel within yourself, not what you are made to think; go outside and find new hobbies, make yourself busy by doing fun and beneficial things to avoid relying on your apps and finally, switch off your phone!! This last one is difficult, but it’s the best way to stop you from looking at it, and try to disconnect from time to time.
On the other hand, these apps, when not abused, can have a very positive use. When used wisely and as a rough guide it is a good way to track your exercise, diet or sleep and to observe where to improve in ways you may not have thought of. You mustn’t let it rule you or replace you, just help you.
Overall, technology can be beneficial to society and has provided tools for us to improve our everyday life. But like most things, an excess is bad. Don’t let apps, numbers or statistics replace you. Let’s be humans, not tamagotchis.
To listen Simon chat about it with the team on the show, watch our latest Good Morning Spain episode.
