Four Ways to Use Technology to Help Build Connections with Others and Ourselves
Can technology be good for us?
You are probably familiar with how technology is hurting our physical and mental health but the topic around how technology can support our well-being is less talked about. I think that’s because we are still figuring it out. Even Instagram is trying out new things like testing getting rid of the ability to see how many “likes” other people have to try to lessen the competitive side of their platform.
As we continue to figure out how technology fits into our lives, it’s good to reflect on what we want technology to do for us and how we want to use it.
So how can I use technology to improve my well-being? Here are four ways to do that.
Use your cell phone to call friends and family who you can’t see in person, not just text or share things through social media.
Yes, this is an obvious one. But check in with yourself, how often do you actually do this versus you plan or intend to do this? Have you noticed that when you have a phone conversation you get a better sense of what’s happening for that person rather than just following them on social media? Do you feel a stronger connection because of it? If yes, rather than watching another episode on Netflix, call a friend to catch up.
Evaluate what technology is for - is it to help you do stuff or just watch other people do stuff?
The fact that we can use the internet to quickly give us ideas and inspirations is a truly marvelous thing. Unlike before, we have access to many project ideas/games/recipes/etc. which can help us figure out what it is we want to do ourselves. The trick here is then to actually do a project yourself. Too many times we get stuck behind the screen, feeling that watching other people do stuff is the same thing as yourself doing stuff. It’s not. For example, have you been wanting to bake a no knead bread for a while? Look up the recipe, gather the ingredients and do it. Eating your homemade bread is the goal, not watching other people make and eat the bread.
When you are watching others do stuff on social media, connect with them for real - reach out, ask them a question or tell them what you enjoyed about their video.
This type of engaging has shown to be associated with less depression because “certain ways of engaging with others online may be good for us, perhaps because they involve social connection rather than social comparison. By reaching out to others, engaging in meaningful social interactions, and strengthening our social bonds, we can likely improve our well-being online.”
Use your cell phone’s note taking tool to capture self-expression, including your ideas, thoughts, and reactions.
My phone is like my wallet. I take it wherever I go. I like to use that to my advantage since I can’t always have my journal on me. So whenever an idea for a poem hits me, or when I have a strong reaction to something, or when I feel anger that needs to be expressed but not shared, I take out my phone and make a new note. It’s something that I can come back to or simply erase later if I don’t need it anymore. My phone becomes a place for me to put all of this much needed self-expression.
I do believe that technology can help us connect with others and ourselves. We just have to be aware when we start to substitute technology for those connections and move away from that.
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