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an individual spends most part of the day in person who falls victim to it? Individuals who
front of the computer and still cannot succeed have faced cyber-bullying go through so much
in work. This can make the individual anxious mental trauma and uncertainty. It takes time to
and mentally stressed. And what if it continues heal them with medical aid, and in some cases,
for many days? This can lead to mental depres- the effects can last a lifetime. The detrimental
sion which can even lead to suicidal thoughts. effects of gaming, leading to violence and sui-
Situations like this can be prevented only if cide, have made headlines in recent times.
we find time for ourselves outside the virtual
world. A break from these electronic tools is Although there are laws to ensure cyber
essential for us to maintain our mental stability. safety, it is the duty of every netizen to abstain
from such ill practices.
Our phones can keep us engaged effortlessly
for a long time, which can put our healthy 4.4.5 Effect of Electronic Tools on
family relationships at risk. We have all seen Physical Health
situations where each member of a family
is sitting in a different corner of the house, Even though electronic tools largely affect
absorbed in their electronic gadgets. In our the mental health of a person, it has an effect
effort to keep pace with virtual life, we often on physical health as well. Nowadays, since
become stressed and develop a fear of missing electronic tools lead our life forward, be it at
out (FOMO), which can lead us to question our home or working place, we spend more time
own abilities. Although we may resort to elec- on our electronic gadgets. Have you ever felt
tronic tools to distract ourselves when we feel physically unwell after using your phone or
mentally down or stressed, this can ultimately laptop or tablet for a long time?
lead us to loneliness and boredom. Instead, we In workspaces like IT-Parks, have you
should allow ourselves to find healthier ways noticed that employers provide facilities for
to manage our stress. physical workouts for the employees? Why

Sometimes, we spend an entire day sitting do they provide such facilities? This is given
on the couch, bent down to our phones, which so that people get a break from their tiring
creates a situation of alienation where we are daily routine in front of the computer. They
detached and isolated from the people around need physical workouts to keep their bodies fit.
us. We become self-absorbed, and all we have After sitting a long time in front of our com-
are virtual connections that keep us glued to puter, we tend to develop physical discomforts
different electronic tools. While electronic like backache, pain in the eyes, headache, lack
tools can connect us to people all around the of sleep, etc. But without these electronic gad-
world, it is essential for individuals to have a gets and tools, it is impossible to run our lives.
space outside the virtual world to stay mentally So, what we need is a solution to overcome
fit. these illnesses. This is why it is advised that
the time spent on electronic tools should be
In the previous unit, we discussed cyber- controlled and proper time should be dedicated
space and cyber laws. Why do cyber laws to emotional get-aways and physical workouts.
exist? They are designed to prevent cyber-
crimes like cyber-bullying. Have you ever Many of us use spectacles while spending
come across any news about cyber-bullying? time in front of a screen. This helps us protect
Have you ever imagined the mental state of the our eyes up to an extent. A morning walk or an
evening walk can make us feel fresh. Similarly,

SGOU - FYUGP - SLM - English for Communication 187