With the advent of the Internet in the modern world, most everyday tasks have become much easier and more accessible. Opportunities for remote communication, dating, ordering food, and leisure activities have become wider, qualitatively raising the modern user’s standard of living. However, along with the Web’s obvious benefits, technology has serious barriers and obstacles to development, implemented through the peculiarities of online behavior. This summary attempts to review the author’s unique patterns of behavior and a recommendation for action.
It is paramount to recognize that the development of virtual entertainment itself has a double effect. More specifically, the social network TikTok brings people together and encourages them to create, but it also drives the user into an apathetic state of endless passive scrolling through videos. This includes me, who spends much time consuming an endless conveyor belt of short videos before bedtime. In turn, this behavior affects my sleep quality, resulting in me not getting enough sleep and feeling unhealthy and unrecovered overnight. Another negative aspect of my online behavior is my excessive attachment to the public opinion expressed on Weibo. Thus, if I miss posting relevant news concerning my idol, I feel anxious. Simultaneously, if I come across angry comments that speak negatively about her, it makes me mad and depressed. Eventually, my mood ends up being too tied up in the Weibo news feed, which is a very disturbing indicator.
Consciously, I seek to inhibit such manifestations, so it is appropriate to cite a few helpful recommendations relevant to modifying online behavior. First and foremost, to achieve a healthy sleep pattern, I will stop using TikTok an hour before I am supposed to fall asleep, with the smartphone tucked farther away from the bed. Having an alarm clock at a distance will allow me to spend less time on the Web before bed and wake up on time. Also, to reduce the desire, I would remove the app from the home screen to folders. Setting a timer to limit TikTok use is also a useful feature. Second, to eliminate the unwanted effect of addiction to the Weibo feed, I should focus my attention on other types of more rewarding leisure activities. More specifically, I can take up hobbies that I have long wanted to make part of my daily life: reading economics-themed literature or taking up yoga or tennis. All of the above together, I am sure, will allow me to lead a healthier virtual life and improve my sleep quality.