Watch your media consumption: You are what you eat

Digital media is addictive, for sure, with higher chances of an overdose.

When you suggested a digital detox, did you mean I should consume less of digital media, even 'Khaleej Times' online, quipped a former colleague who I bumped into at an informal gathering last week. "Cheeky," I responded with a smile as I brushed away his query with a wisecrack of my own: "Then how would you leave scathing comments on my column?" But he was persistent. "No really, why must we talk about a digital detox when we've never had to discuss a, say, print detox? Is all digital media consumption bad and should be necessarily rationed?"

I realised then that it wasn't a totally frivolous concern that he was raising. We have all been guilty of, at one time or another, brushing all things digital as the devil. Digital media is addictive, for sure, with higher chances of an overdose. Binge-watching TV shows and movies, for instance, is known to have left some people anxious, depressed and lonely. Even suicidal. And while social media and messaging apps do allow us the luxury of a 24x7 connection, ping- and emoji-based social interactions are not necessarily the best tonics for our emotional wellbeing. An addiction to watching YouTube videos and engaging on social media is also blamed for the poor health of Generation Z.

While that's indeed true, clubbing everything digital under one umbrella is, in fact, part of the problem. The platform is different, but virtual books are as good for the brain as their physical cousins. Let's face it, though - not all digital apps and content are created equal. Excess of everything is bad, they say, and the same holds true of media as it holds true of food. We need to moderate and monitor our intake of carbs, fats, salts, etc. to arrive at a balanced and healthy diet. On the same lines, we need to moderate the different types of digital content as they have different impacts on our emotional and physical well-being.

'You are what you eat' has now become 'you are what you consume'. Similar to food, the quality and quantity of digital content we consume determine whether it helps or harms us. Starting from the base, the food pyramid stacks the nutrients we should be consuming the most to what should be avoided. A digital content pyramid should suggest the content we should consume as a staple and that which we must avoid.

Vegetables, salads and fruits form the base of the balanced diet pyramid. Their equivalent on the digital content pyramid would be e-books, constructive conversations, browsing arts and the likes. Consume at will. Education/curriculum sites, hobby-based apps, and news and opinion portals are next, equivalent to whole-meals, bread, and cereals. They're good to go, generally. Milk, yoghurt and cheese will be represented by Internet-based shows, movies and games. Ration them. Non-work-related e-mail, messaging apps with 'family groups' etc. are like meat, poultry and nuts. Two servings a day will suffice. Then comes heavy social media usage and binge-watching TV, which is like fats, spreads and oils. Consume only in small quantities, if at all. And avoid foods and drinks high in fat and sugar, just like you must avoid radical media and dangerous online content at all costs. Oh, and as far as 'Khaleej Times' online is concerned, that's like water. It will never harm you. Consume at least eight times a day!