Reel Addiction and Ways to Deal with It

In this fast pace world, where mobile has become an indispensable part of our life, it’s becoming harder to distinguish between the virtual world of “reel” and the concrete reality of “real” experiences. More and more people are becoming hooked in the enthralling world of making and watching little video clips, sometimes known as “reels.” While these little bursts of entertainment provide connectivity and fast gratification, a recent study has revealed the astounding amount of time spent on this virtual medium.

It’s shocking to learn that students are spending up to an hour or two a day watching 200–300 clips. Their prodigious intake of reels is having a variety of negative effects on their capacity to adjust, sleep, and carry out daily activities. It is crucial to consider the effects of excessive digital involvement on our well-being as we negotiate the intricacies of this reel-centric era and strike a healthy balance between the real and virtual worlds.

Panel Discussion

In a thought-provoking discussion between Deepak Yadav and Dr. Arvind Otta on Zee Business TV Channel, Dr. Otta emphasized that watching these brief videos causes the brain to release dopamine, a chemical linked to feelings of pleasure and happiness. However, an overwhelming dopamine rush might cause compulsive pursuit of this wonderful sensation, drawing them farther into the temptation of reels. As a result, negative psychological impacts, including low self-esteem, an altered perception of one’s body, and trouble concentrating on lengthier pieces of information like books or films start to appear.

According to alarming findings, excessive dopamine secretion may potentially contribute to grave consequences including suicidal tendencies.

A few issues like aggressive behavior, difficulty in sleeping, chronic stress, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Anxiety, and Depression become more prominent due to reel addiction. Few reports even state that over-secretion of dopamine can also lead to suicidal tendencies.

Symptoms of Reel Addiction

Dr. Arvind Otta listed a few reel addiction signs in this talk to aid in its early detection. Excessive frustration, problems with rage, a lack of exercise, scholastic difficulties, spending most of their time on mobile devices, and displaying violence when asked to cut back on usage are all common symptoms.

It was discovered that people often watch reels for two hours continuously, but parents and children must also control the amount of time spent by keeping reel use to a maximum of 25 minutes. No one is requesting that we cease viewing films, and we can’t even stop people from doing so, but we will only benefit if we set a time restriction. If anybody is experiencing this situation, it is important that they look upon it at an earlier stage and not let it impact their personal, professional, and social relationship.

Ways to manage Reel addition

When asked about the ways through which we can manage our reel addiction. Dr Arvind Otta gave a few self-controlling measures to reduce your reel addiction and which can even be practiced easily.

1. To start, store your phone in a different room or at a distance of about 15 feet while it charges. This will motivate you to use your time for other useful pursuits.
2. You might also try disabling the notification setting since they serve as a prompt to open messages.
3. You can also choose a few locations in your home where you won’t use social media, and whenever you feel the need to use social media, keep telling yourself that your work and studies come first.
4. It’s crucial that you acknowledge and appreciate your decreased phone usage. It will serve as positive reinforcement and increase your motivation to carry on.
5. And most importantly Dr. Arvind Otta said that if you feel that you are not able to follow these steps or it is becoming difficult for you to manage your reel usage so can take up a professional help.

Psychological Perspective

Viewing the scenario from a psychological point of view. Dr. Arvind Otta said that viewing the reel of different genres makes us experience a variety of emotions within a short span of time. Due to experiencing a variety of emotions, our brain releases different neurotransmitters and every time a new area in a brain gets activated leading to a lot of problems in our neurological functions.

Summing up According to Dr. Arvind Otta, it is entirely up to you to control your reel addiction and stop relying on other people to run your life. And it is not a very difficult job you just have to do a few changes in your lifestyle to come out of your reel addiction.