Overcoming the digital overload
If you have taken online courses before, you’re probably familiar with the advantages of learning remotely. You can choose where and when to study, and progress at your own pace. But if this is your first time having remote classes you might also be trying to adjust to the new routine.
Although online learning offers several benefits, too many digital advantages can become digital overload. Here are some tips on how to make the best use of digital tools in your life and study routine.
The Dangers of Too Much Digital Exposure
Odds are good that you go online for more than just studying. These days, social media and the Internet are a big part of staying socially connected. And if you’re fitting in your studies around an office job, you’re likely spend a good part of your workday online as well.
All of that can add up to too much of a good thing. When people spend hours every day staring at screens and texting or emailing, it has the potential to create a number of problems, including:
- Increased anxiety. Many people feel compelled to respond instantly to emails and messages, creating a hair-trigger response whenever they hear those all-too-familiar pings and tones.
- Disrupted focus. Constantly stopping your studies to check messages or scan social media interrupts your concentration, making the learning process inefficient and less productive.
- Inadequate sleep. If you use a tablet, smartphone or other electronic devices too close to bedtime — or worse, in bed — it can negatively affect your sleep, leading to further distraction during the day.
Online addiction has become so pervasive that people might not even be aware of how often their focus strays from the task at hand.
If you think you’re susceptible to digital overload, or are already feeling its ill effects, there are steps you can take to reclaim control over your online habits.
The Five-Step Program to Better Online Health
- Designate time for focussed learning. Carve out a few hours, either every day or each week, to fully concentrate on your readings and assignments. During that time, you should study without stopping to check your phone or email. Multitasking is often hailed as a competitive advantage, but it can interrupt concentration and often diminishes overall efficiency and productivity.
- Turn off platforms that aren’t related to your studies. Frequently looking at texts or social media while studying will slow down your progress. The best way to combat the compulsion to answer texts and messages right away? Don’t get the alerts in the first place. You can always log-in between study periods. But by turning off the alerts, you decide when it’s time to check your messages — not the audio cue on your device! Another option is to leave your phone in a different room altogether.
- Take regular breaks. It’s important to unplug throughout the day, even if only for 10 minutes at a time. Make it part of your regular routine to go for a walk or step away from your workstation, and be sure to leave your mobile devices behind.
- Set a digital curfew. Staring at screens just before bedtime can have a detrimental impact on your sleep. They’re bright and stimulating — the last thing your brain needs when you’re trying to wind down. Even devices as small as a smartphone give off enough light to confuse the sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to fall asleep. Late-day screen time has also been shown to reduce the overall quality and duration of sleep, leading to daytime drowsiness. Give yourself enough time between turning off all devices and getting ready to sleep. The ideal time varies from person to person, but you should aim for at least one hour; two hours is even better, and if one hour isn’t realistic for you, power down at least half an hour before going to bed.
- Plan technology vacations. When your study and work schedules permit it, don’t be afraid to unplug for a few days or a weekend at a time. You’ll come back refreshed, not behind. You may even have a renewed appreciation for the digital world!
Technology and the Internet are wonderful tools, and essential to working and studying in the modern world. Find a way to use them strategically to connect with fellow students and course facilitators so you can get the most out of your online learning experience.
Remember, technology is here to serve you — not the other way around.
