Can We Auto-Correct Humanity?

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Can We Auto-Correct Humanity?

Written by:

Updated on:

July 8, 2015

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This video by Prince Ea is a beautiful, poetic, and poignant video that highlights the way that our human relationships have changed in the modern age due to increased technology and social media. It is a call for us to be more aware of how we use our personal devices and to remember to connect face-to-face with our loved ones and those in our community.

Disconnect to Reconnect

Sometimes what we need more than anything is to disconnect. Social media addiction is a very real problem that impacts many of us. When we consciously disconnect from our devices for an extended period of time in a day, we create space to reconnect with ourselves, our loved ones, and the natural world around us.

You can disconnect to reconnect through the simple practice of taking mindful breathing breaks. Anytime you notice that you have been scrolling for an extended period of time, put your phone aside. Find a safe and comfortable space to close your eyes and then tune into your breath for two to three minutes. At the end of these few minutes, you might set an intention to be more attentive to the world around you and more aware of the time you spend on your phone or other device.

How to Overcome Social Media Addiction

Overcoming an addiction to anything takes time and requires support. However, a few simple steps we can explore to overcome our attachment to social media and related technology includes:

Be mindful of the time you spend on your personal device. You don’t need to judge or blame yourself; simply become more aware of your social media engagement.
Turn off “push” notifications. These constant updates will keep you returning to your phone at every alarm.
Schedule “no-phone” time into your daily schedule. This is a great practice for the first hours of the day and the last hours.
Spend more time outdoors – phone turned off or tucked away at the bottom of your bag.
Journal about your attachment to technology. Remaining compassionate and curious, reflect upon what draws you to your social devices to such a large degree.
Set an intention to be more attuned to the world outside of your phone. You might create a special self-guided meditation for this, making a commitment to becoming more fully immersed in the real world.

About the author

Sean Fargo

Sean Fargo is the Founder of Mindfulness Exercises, a former Buddhist monk of 2 years, a trainer for the mindfulness program born at Google, an Integral Coach from New Ventures West, and an international mindfulness teacher trainer. He can be reached at [email protected]