Digital diet

A new term I came across today, digital diet...sounds wow. When I actually read about it realized it is a concept I have known long back. I learned this concept some years back in training. We were told to act to spend a day without a gadget.

It was an amazing experience, the participants unfolded the day into a learning experience. We all collectively decided to spend a day without any gadgets. Some of us even went around alone, to unknown places without gadgets. Of course, the precaution was taken to keep families informed about it. It is the reason for panic and worries for families when we are not able to reach anyone on phones. Another thing that was carrying laptops was also avoided. The Internet was left alone to explore that day. No application assistance and no google maps.

While we traveled in a group, some participants traveled all alone without google maps. It was just about the feeling and the intuition. As a group activity, we could talk to each other share thoughts and decide, or say could take decisions, but those who traveled alone went thru a tough task.

I here would share the story of a participant who traveled alone. This friend of mine started from the Bus stand in Pune where he got into a bus to a place where he had never been to. As there was no plan, no google search for places to be visited around or information about it. he got down in a small village. not very crowded, hardly built bus stop. Could not see any shops or vehicles passing by.

He reached a small roadside Dhaba types opening and had some snacks. He asked the waiter about the specialty of that place and visited some for nature's feel.

It was of course a village. The air was so pure and he could smell the freshness in the air. The birds were free to move and enjoy their fly, unlike in cities with the wires and towers around. He walked to long-distance all alone in search of something he dint knew. On the way, he got a bullock cart ride. After years he got the ride, which was free of cost and gave him that filmy feel of sitting in bullock carts. We have almost forgotten that the ride was part of many people's real-life still.  he enjoyed the nature, the birds, animals, the different trees around, and the greenery.

He had time with himself and the abundance in nature. He could have lunch under a tree with some travelers like him. He shared food with them. Further, he enquired about the staying facility for a night. It was a small village and was a difficult to have a guest house facility. Finally, an old lady asked him to use her veranda for that night.

After years he lied below the stars and enjoyed the natural breeze and cold in the village. He couldn't recall when he fall asleep. He got up the way early then he normally did, with the sun's rays on him. That was a great gesture to have the sun woke him up, with an energy boost.

The old lady offered him tea -special jaggery tea, typically in small villages and some breakfast. While he was leaving he offered some money to her for the stay, to which she refused and asked him to visit again.

He inquired about the nearby place to visit, Whole day he wandered and finally by the end of the day manage to get a bus back to Pune.

This experience was so energizing for us to hear that we planned to do the activity solely.

During all this 24 hours journey he actually didn't even realize they need for a phone, laptops, refrigerator, AC, internet, and everything we use in day to day life. He even did not need his credit card.

The good area, pleasant, and natural experience of life, how it has to be lived.

It was almost digital detoxification, Go for a digital diet, give rest to your connectivity, and have a gadget-free life for some hours or a day to get the realization of real life to live.

You will get time to get back to your hobbies, spend time with loved ones, family members. You will get time for a workout, having meals together, sharing experiences, entertainment, writing poems.

Due to recent lock down the use of gadgets had increased and its time to slow down and give them rest.

A digital diet is, of course, beneficial but making the right use of the time that you have got is also important, you can start with better planning of it. Like the limited use of apps, we have settings in smartphones to limit the use of apps. You can silent the notifications. Use the DND modes.

Disconnect to connect

Let's try it for some hours, maybe half a day, and then the real diet for one entire day. Imagine day and practice day