Technology and connectivity networks have become one of the most integral elements of our daily lives and more so during the pandemic when everyone is following rules of social distancing and isolation. With the COVID pandemic outbreak, while everyone is forced to stay at home, gadgets and wifi have become like daily necessities.
As much as things seem simple because of technology, any interruption in their flow is doubling the levels of stress in houses where every single person needs an internet connection, laptop, mobile phones or a tablet for his/her daily activities. Here is a case from Delhi where the extreme usage of technology not only created stressful situations and conflict between the family members but also feelings of loneliness, anxiety, distress due to the fear of missing out (FOMO).
Mrs Saira Khan and her husband Amal Khan are in work-from-home set up and both need their laptop and mobile phones from 10 am to 7 pm. Their son, 19-year-old Ibram needs a laptop from morning 11 to 2 pm for his zoom lectures. Every day either Saira or Amal have a fight because neither of them wants to let go off their laptops for 4 hours during the working hours. And investing in a new gadget is not an option right now where they are trying to cut costs.
These fights soon took longer to get resolved and the whole indoor atmosphere was ruined as Saira and Amal started fighting about their work, importance and equality. To avoid the conflict and unhealthy atmosphere at home, Ibram started missing his classes. He got disturbed by this continuous squabbling in his house and wanted to vent out to someone, but because of social distancing, he had to stay indoors. Ibram started to stay in his room and rarely came out. His parents were so busy with their work, neither of them realised Ibram had not asked them for the laptop for one whole month.
As all 3 were busy with their own things; internet connectivity was something that each one was dependent on. It was their only source of connectivity, for entertainment or engagement, with the outer world and one day they lost their cool when the internet did not work for four hours straight.
Saira and Amal kept on swearing at the situation in front of Ibram, and he got even more scared of his parents. He wanted to talk to his friends, distract himself from the cursing and quarreling the parents engaged in and he feared that if he wouldn’t reply to his friends within a few minutes, they would stop talking to him and ignore him for future. He locked himself in the room, cried for peace, was frustrated because he couldn’t connect with anyone and his anxiety due to the FOMO manifested into an anxiety attack where he couldn’t breathe. He went out to get water and fell in front of his parents. Seeing Ibram soaked in sweat and gasping for air while clutching his chest they thought he was getting a heart attack. The whole situation lasted for a span of 5 minutes and they tried to get him water, call the ambulance but couldn’t get through - until Ibram came back to his self, exhausted and scared.
This incident gives us a peek into how our dependence on technology and internet connectivity has created stressful situations within families leading to situations of loneliness, anxiety, quarrels between loved ones, and extended periods of mental pressure.
It is important to discuss openly and fairly with family members on how to resolve the crisis rather than create conflict.