The actor has decided not to go on a digital detox concentrate on his upcoming film Lal Singh Chaddha.
The actor has decided not to go on a digital detox concentrate on his upcoming film Lal Singh Chaddha.
PUNE, India — — Indian actor Aamir Khan is known to be a perfectionist. From gaining 55 pounds for Dangal to starting the trend of six-pack abs with his chiseled look in Ghajini, the actor has gone to all lengths to get into the skin of a character.
Khan, who recently wrapped the shooting of his upcoming film Lal Singh Chaddha, decided not to touch his phone and go on a digital detox until its release scheduled later this year. The decision was taken after the actor felt his smartphone constantly interfered with his work.
“There’s no doubt that social media is helping us to connect but the problem is that the ones who are using it are not handling it judiciously. People are not understanding when and how much to consume the social media,” said Aritrika Lahiri, a clinical psychologist from Kolkata. “The feeds are so enormous that if we scroll, we will continue scrolling.”
This is not the first time Khan went on a digital detox. The 55-year-old Bollywood actor previously quit Twitter in 2015 due to a row over his remarks on religious intolerance in India. Later, on his return, he kept his account strictly for promotional purposes.
Talking about Khan’s decision, Lahiri believed it is completely a personal choice.
“He always tries to do something unique prior to all his movie releases. It can be one of those decisions. He is a celebrity and hopefully, his decision will influence many of his fans and other people to go on a digital detox.”
From scrolling through WhatsApp chats to browsing through Instagram and Facebook posts, people spend hours on their smartphones. Although these gadgets have made our lives easier, they occupy a lion’s share of our days and nights.
Digital addiction has affected physical and mental health. In today’s era, when the majority of work is online and people spend hours in front of the screens, it becomes necessary to take a break.
“Digital detox helps a person find a new dimension of himself. Even though social media helps in connections but over-indulgence in the virtual world shrinks interpersonal communication.,” Lahiri said. “Thinking what you can do is very important. Can I read a new book? Can I talk with my friends and relatives on calls? Digital detox helps you to linger through these ideas.”
In the past, many actors including Deepika Padukone, Swara Bhasker, Parineeti Chopra, and Sonam Kapoor decided to distance themselves from social media.
“We are constantly on the phone checking something or the other on social media,” said popular television actress Asha Negi, who was recently seen in the second season of the over-the-top show Abhay.
Negi, who has gone on a digital detox in the past, says it’s really important to do it as it keeps you sane. “It is important to take a break as it improves your productivity and also helps in focusing. When I decided to do it, I had given myself a week’s time, but I liked it so much that I came back on social media only after 20 days.”
(Edited by Gaurab Dasgupta and Amrita Das)
