THE DIGITAL SHIFT

The shift from our traditional way of interacting to what we have now is a bit concerning as we see how much so many people are beginning to rely so much on just their online presence. I mean, we see how people prioritize their lives online rather than their real life off the screen. This shift is concerning, but then, this is a good development for us that we are only beginning to turn into something else for ourselves. The great evolution we have seen in the world of technology is one that was created for convenience and versatility, giving us the opportunity to engage in different areas of our lives almost at the same time.

So for this edition of the Hivelearners topic, ALL ONLINE, I think our major challenge right now is looking for a good balance. Technology is here to make life simpler and more accessible, not difficult and inaccessible. Understanding that the major aim of being online is to connect and interact with people, it won’t be really nice to ignore the physical world around us. Our online presence gives us the opportunity to connect with a wider audience, not shutting us out from our immediate surroundings. It is giving us the freedom to make possible what seemed impossible years ago.

Focusing solely on our online presence just because it benefits us greatly is only going to do us more harm than good. These days, we have people who work remotely. They have their offices right in their homes, and they have little or no reason to even go outside their houses. In cases like this, they end up having some challenges that most times they ignore until it becomes almost out of control. I have seen a case when a person who works remotely does so well for himself. He has a car and goes around with it wherever he wants to go, but after some time, he realized that his BMR (basal metabolic rate) wasn’t good at all.

He had gained so much weight and body mass that he weighed above 100. All of this is as a result of how much he has focused more on the comfort he wanted and also due to the imbalance between his offline and online life. Well, right now he is trying hard to find that balance, and that’s what I believe is expected of every one of us. The moment we notice that imbalance, we should be apt to make the needed adjustments so we don’t turn our online lives into something we will end up regretting much later.

I understand that finding this balance is something really hard, but I believe this is where the quote “two heads are better than one” comes in. When we notice it is hard for us to find that balance, we can seek help from those around us. When they help us stay accountable, it helps us adjust even faster than we will do on our own. Another way is for us to make some friends with people that are more available offline than online. That way, they remind us that we also have an offline life to live.

If we are unable to find this balance and focus solely on building our online lives, we will probably head for doom. We have a great advantage now compared to those who lived before us, but that’s also how much of a disadvantage we have when it comes to the downside of having a full-blown online life with little offline presence. Interacting physically is just as important as interacting with people online. So like I said, the only way out that I see is finding a good balance and being intentional about it.

Thank you for reading through. 💜