We are constantly been reminded of getting on a certain dietary plan when you cross a certain age. It is hammered on us mostly when there’s a trigger. You have just received your blood report, or your spouse has heard of someone who has gone on diet and has reduced some pounds etc. No doubt there are genuine diet followers who do it right from the very first time. Those who don’t, they wait for a trigger. Then due to conscience, some follow YouTube, some will follow what others say, some follow professionals (dieticians and nutritionists), some will act (to-be or not-to-be) and few will diet only in front of others..!!. Though the aspect of food diet is important, this post is not about that.

A similar situation is of our digital appetite. Our hunger for digital intake has grown largely in the past decade or so and is equivalent if not more, to our actual food intake. When we eat we generally trouble our stomach to store it and our digestive system to digest it. Whereas with digital intake we now trouble our eyes and overwork our brain. Luckily no one is speaking in ‘1s’ and ‘0s’ (Binary language), yet.

Technology is not going to slow down. So it’s up to us HOW we make use of it. WHY, WHEN, HOW is all on us. With IoT (Internet of Things) on the rise, it’s adding to the dependency list. These questions when answered appropriately will also reduce your carbon footprints on the planet.

Follow the following diet if you feel you are at the cusp of being digitized or you feel you are sucked into it and are in a deep chasm, swimming in the information rapids, trying to figure a way out.

Lighter Diet:

• Restrict the usage by 30 mins per day every day
• Read a few pages of a printed book every day, especially before going to sleep.

Medium Diet:

• Cut the usage by one-fourth per day every day
• Use blackboards and/or whiteboards
• Hear unfiltered directly by your ears – (means no ear or headphones)
• Read in Black and Whites

Heavy Diet:

• Use the medium only as needed and when required
• Talk, Discuss, Argue with people instead of Google, Siri and the likes
• Shut down the internet from 9pm
• Do not power your digital pads/ devices, so when you have the urge, it won’t be available and automatically you won’t be able to use

Requesting readers to share suggestions and opinions on curbing the increase of digital appetite.