Digital Wellbeing is how our connection with technology affects our physical and mental health.
Technology can help us a great deal in our daily routines and make our lives easier, but we need to learn to have a positive relationship with technology. Being mindful of our digital usage means we can balance other parts of our lives such as relationships, work and our own health.
Online courses allow you to fit your study around your life, but they can also be challenging as they depend more on self-motivation and self-discipline. Below is some advice that will help you succeed at your course:
1. Show up. Attend your live online classes as you will get more from them than watching a recording later. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with your lecturer and classmates.
2. Schedule. Set aside time each week for reading resources, watching or attending lectures, writing forum posts, studying and completing assignments. Don’t underestimate the time required.
3. Make a plan. Devise a schedule showing key dates including assessment dates and assignment submission deadlines. Work back from these to ensure that you have enough time to complete the required work.
4. Participate. Engage with your lectures, your lecturer and your classmates. Log on to Learnonline frequently to catch up with what is going on. Comment on other’s forum posts. Ask questions.
5. Avoid distractions. It is all too easy to start surf the web or check out social media when you’re meant to be engaged in study activities. Set timers for concentration time interspersed with short breaks and stick to them.
Source: ATU Student Hub.
ATU’s Digital Learning Charter outlines our shared responsibilities and provides an outline for managing our communication and behaviour in a digital world. Please familiarise yourself with it!
Change your behaviour around devices. Delete advertising and gaming notifications and only turn on ones from friends, peers and family. This will make it easier to focus and enjoy using technology more.
Try to decrease how often you check your phone!
Using SnapChat, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. can be a great way to stay in touch with family, friends and peers and can also be used to further your professional and employment outlooks. However, for some social media can become a negative influence, leading to feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, depression, anxiety or self-absorption.
If you think you might have an unhealthy relationship with social media try these simple steps... so you’re not interrupted/tempted by posts:
1. Disable the notifications.
2. Don't take your phone/device to bed.