Signal Summer 2020 Newsletter

14 www.alliancecom.net But when it comes to this technology, there can be too much of a good thing. As we’ve spent more and more time online with our devices, some serious downsides have emerged. Unplugging from the digital world periodically can improve your overall well-being for reasons including these: #1 Less stress Digital technology can introduce unnec- essary stress into our lives. Many people use personal smartphones for work, which makes it easy for work to creep into personal time. A work-related email can pop into your life with a “BING” at any moment, regardless of what time it is or what you’re doing. But even personal communications like emails from family and text messages from friends can inter- rupt what you’re doing and cause stress. When you unplug, you remove a source of stress from your life and create boundaries around your personal and leisure time. #2 Better mental health Having nonstop access to social media might not seem like a bad thing, but it can be. Social media can increase nega- tive feelings of jealousy, FOMO (fear of missing out), envy, and loneliness. This can leave you feeling hollow and alone, despite being connected to everyone you know. 5 Reasons to Unplug Once in Awhile Technology enhances our lives in many ways, but taking a break from it can be a good thing During the last couple of decades, digital technology has become a major part of our everyday lives. The internet keeps us perpetually connected, and smartphones allow us to take our entire digital world with us everywhere.