I will probably record a cassette for this and play it on loop every time that I speak to someone about digital wellbeing, but it is high time that everyone around us starts realizing that these pocket devices are doing us more harm than good if not used in moderation; if not used mindfully.
Billions of dollars are being spent on innovation and design to find the next "feature" that will further incapacitate our minds to fully be aware of their own actions and desires. Loss of our very own agency is driving us to shallower, hollowed out versions of our own life. Long gone are those days that people would actually say, "I got so bored that I stared at the wall." No, seriously. With stimulation now available in the palm of our hands 24x7, these companies have made it nearly impossible for us to be even able to think that we can — or should — be bored, that our own actions can have our full control.
With the world in its ever-chaotic state, with so many things concurrently happening around us at all times, it's not only important but crucial that we give ourselves and our minds the needed space to breathe, the space to be.
The need for a pause comes from a place where it is important that we stop and ask if our actions come from a place of conscious choice, or are they so merged with our daily lives that we are no longer cognizant of the fact that our digital lives and our actual lives have fully merged?
The need for a pause, aroa, rises from this place; to give you that small moment where you are able to zoom out and see for yourself if it was a deliberate choice that made you use your phone, and not stemming from the autopilot behaviors our brains have gotten accustomed to.
aroa, and its team, have only one mission in mind; to help you reclaim your lost agency. What we observed was that hundreds of other apps in the market, all that they do is give you different treatments to the same problem, but none realize it is the problem that needs to be treated differently. Getting rid of such automatic behaviors that have become part of our daily lives, it is important that we deal with this with care, because any sort of positive or negative nudges can have a great deal of impact on the user and how they react to finding out patterns about their own awareness and how they deal with it. aroa will never shame or judge you, neither will it ever motivate or push you. Our goal is to solely make you aware of how your day looks in relation to your screens and devices — think fitness trackers, but evolving into a new way of life with digital wellbeing at its core.
When nudged, that one micro-moment of reflection can make a huge difference. We become aware of our actions, we drive higher awareness and consequently end up being more responsible for our very own needs. aroa will try and help be just that to you.
It is important, that we slow down. No one is saying leave the digital life or social media driven life behind, but rather, be in control of your actions and use it mindfully. Because when that use turns from conscious to autopilot, that's the moment that must be handled very delicately.
With this, I wish you the best, and to us, to help all of us get rid of our autopilot behaviors. Take care.
With warmth,
Laksh