Five years of nonstop hustle, 24/7 connected, managing groups, mails, infos, developing, creating, producing, delivering, consuming on all possible ways and on all possible platforms, devices, channels. I didn’t even know how my hand palms looked anymore without my phone. Took me like 2 months to recover and I’'m still analyzing very well how much time I spend online. I even have a timetable now and I try as much as possible to do not touch my phone if I don’'t have to. I am a tech addict. And I've been burning out in front of my laptop, ipad and phone screens.
WE all know how it started. As teens or young adults we’ve got on board with the social media platforms and in the beginning our main focus was to get informed and create friendships with others.
An utopial worldwideweb where you can find everyone you want to connect to. Well, the digital Eden didn’t last long. Teenagers nowadays experience on a daily basis not only the infotainment part of the internet but also the dark side, often confronting cyberbullying, trolls, toxic comparisons. And this is only the top of the iceberg. Studies say that while we grow older we all start to suffer from depression, sleep deprivation and less frequent face-to-face interactions because of the massive use of digital.
It’s not a secret that the digital world is shaping us from outside and transforming us on the inside.
It’s not a secret that the gen z’s real social skills, abilities and lifestyle are more and more affected by tech. Universities started to study the phenomenon from the beginning of the 2000’s. For example, University of Pittsburgh discovered how affected teens are regarding their body image based the time spent scrolling through social media apps. Those who had spent more time on social media had 2.2 times the risk of reporting eating and body image concerns, compared to their peers who spent less time on social media.
THE PARADOX: One issue creates the next digital trend
Now, even if it’s a fact that we are all sick of digital consumption and the way it’s thansforming us, newest online trend it’s all about the mental health. It’s true, it started from micro – influencers like Lrissa May and her #halfthestory last year, but the issue is and will be on everyone’s attention and agenda in 2019. From Gaga’s Grammy Awards speech to Prathiksha Bhat’s illustrations, it’s all over the www and it’s definetely the next fav subject. And this is how actually trends are taking birth online.
While organizations like OC87 Recovery Diaries have their clear mission to bust stigma around mental illness through their instagram account @letstalkaboutmentalhealth, some trendsetters need real therapy while others are making a business out of it.
At the end of the day we all benefit from digital and we all get harmed from it. But do we know, are we prepared or have we learned when to stop? Even for 5 minutes? Close your laptop now. See you again soon…online.
Oana Tache is a trendsetter, a digital media prodigy, a visionary that managed to combine the traditional media experience with the digital era challenges. After working in print, radio and TV since she was 5 years old, after being the Brand Manager for MTV Romania for more than 6 years and a Digital Development Manager for top brands and events, Oana becamed the owner of www.medialike.ro – a 100% digital content production agency. She has created, developed, managed and implemented projects for premium clientsfor more than 10 years.
Instagram @oanatache
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