A few days ago, it struck me that I had started feeling lighter; and my anxiousness to monitor the traction my posts had gathered had deteriorated.
One second, you’re hearing this quiet ding and most times, it’s barely a whisper. But it steals your attention like a sudden thief without warning. And before you know it, you’re in another app, chasing a conversation you didn’t bargain for.
Lol, it’s indeed a tyranny of notifications.
Mind you, they don’t look like tyrants to you, but are adorned in soft tones, colourful bubbles, heart icons, and “someone just mentioned you” alerts.
They are so friendly, so inviting, polite and so innocent. But if you’re not careful enough, you’ll discover that you’ve got yourself a new ruler over your life.
Honestly, I used to think I was in full control. Like, a few notifications meant no harm, right? But then I started noticing how I would frequently reach for my phone, even without hearing a sound. Like a reflex action and it was already becoming a strong habit.
And funny enough, it's not just about distraction, but more about displacement. These notifications don’t just break your focus, they replace it.
You can imagine that one minute, I’m thinking through an idea or maybe solving a task or even enjoying my quiet time, and the next minute, I’m scrolling through reels or admiring a celebrity’s vacation pictures.
And somehow, you always find out that it’s always urgent. “Oh, let me just take a peek at this notification for a quick second” and before you know it, those seconds are piling up and eventually not only is your time stolen, but your presence.
One subtle lie that notifications tell you is that you are wanted. Oh, someone tagged me! Someone messaged me! It really feels so good until it doesn’t anymore.
We don’t seem to talk about the emotional cost which includes the constant anxiety of keeping up, the guilt of not responding fast enough, and of course, the restlessness of constantly waiting for the next ding.
And then we lose sight of the fact that while we are trying to build connections online, we tend to lose the people that are right in front of our eyes.
A few months ago, I kind of discovered that I was indeed losing myself. And yeah, I indeed took a drastic decision by staying off social media for Sixty days. Yeah, you heard me right.
It wasn’t easy at first. But then, if you should know one fact of life, it is that life doesn’t accept a vacuum. And I understood this fact, so I utilized it. To be honest, in that space of time, I attained some certifications I couldn’t have attained in the previous years. I made so much progress in my career and I gathered more knowledge to build my life.
I also discovered that I started to breathe again. No more anxieties or emotional drags and my mind felt indeed lighter. I have indeed learnt to choose what I pay attention to. Anyone who takes my phone now, wonders why there are so many notifications. Oh well, I’ve learnt to prioritize. And guess what, the world has not collapsed.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you must turn everything off. All I’m saying is: You don’t have to be available to everyone, every second.
You have the right to protect your mind, the right to carve out your own space, and the right to own your attention. Because whether you believe it or not, if you don’t, someone or something else will.