Digital Resolutions For 2018

 Whilst the digital world is an amazing part of our lives, it is important to disconnect from time to time. As more parts of our lives become digitalised, we list down some New Year’s resolutions for a better digital life, such as regulating social media use, monitoring phone usage and setting up data backups and auditing our personal devices. 

Regulating Social Media Use

The average person spends an estimated time of 2 hours per day on social media. Whether that is Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn or YouTube, that is a lot of time dedicated to social media. Social media is great for staying in touch with close friends and staying up to date with the latest news but in many cases, it can be a cause of procrastination. By limiting the time spent on social media, you can improve productivity and studies have shown that taking a break from social media can even make you happier!

Monitor Phone Usage

How many of us have our smartphones within one metre of us at all times? The very idea of leaving your home without your phone is a thought that not many of us can comprehend. Spending less time staring at your phone screen is a good goal for anyone. 

As technology is intertwined in our day-to-day life, completely shutting off may not be possible for everyone. However, there are steps that you can take in order to reduce your daily usage. One thing you can try is to resist the temptation of checking your phone in the morning. Also, instead of using your phone late at night, try reading a book instead. Studies have shown that the blue light from your screens can affect your sleep patterns. There are also apps available that you can use to track the amount of time you spend on each application. 

Auditing Personal Devices

Auditing is like spring cleaning for your phone. Go through your phone and delete the apps that you no longer use. This can help free up space on your phone and also aid with overall performance. You can also do this with your laptop or computer. There are a number of applications that you can download that automatically perform routine maintenance such as removing unused folders and temporary files. 

Data Backups

Backing up your data is probably the least interesting but one of the more important digital resolutions on this list. For this one, you only have to set it up once and the program will take care of the rest. Some popular programs include iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive. Drag and drop your most important files onto one of the platforms and they will be saved on your account. If you plan on syncing a large number of files, make sure that your current broadband package is up to the task. Check out the glimp comparison tool to find the Best Internet Deals in your area. 

Update Passwords and Account Details 

The issue of security and privacy is one of the most commonly discussed topics in the digital world. Take some time out of your day to rest old and weak passwords. At the very least, a strong password should have special characters, numbers and use uppercase and lowercase characters. This will make it difficult for anyone to hack into your accounts.