Constant cellphone updates: How much of it do we really need?

PUNE: The next time you get a notification on your phone announcing a terror attack, say 8,000 kms away from your city , just take a deep breath and think: how much should I let this event affect me?
Psychiatrists say the rise in the number of cellphone apps that flash news items every second has increased anxiety among people. The phone users are the best judges when it comes to deciding how much should a smartphone be allowed to interfere in one's day-to-day activities.
Rohan Jahagirdar, a psy chiatrist based in Pune, said, “Immediately after a natural or man-made calamity , the mind is in a state of panic.Reading social media updates or notifications from various news applications on the phone can add to people's apprehensions. It is advisable to stay away from your phone during such times.“
Most people are in the habit of checking phone notifications the first thing in the morning. Going through a myriad of messages, a person could easily spend first 45 minutes of the day on various social media platforms. In the process, one tends to ignore healthexercise, breakfast and other important daily chores.
“The other day , I read about the bus accident on Mumbai-Pune expressway . I got paranoid because my boyfriend was supposed to travel to Pune to see me the same day ,“ said Iksha Chaturvedi, a student. Iksha's apprehension went up a notch when her boyfriend did not answer her phone calls despite several attempts. Only after some 40 minutes did he call back and told her that he had cancelled his visit.
At times, the accuracy of information floating on the internet after a terrorist attack or a natural calamity too is suspect. Psychiatrists say it is better to get the data crosschecked instead of jumping to conclusion and making deci sions in a hurry .
Niket Kasar, another psychiatrist, said, “People should know when to unplug and turn the mobile data off. This trend is more visible among the city's young and old. The constant updates cause spurt in anxiety and phobic tendencies among people.“ Insisting that people should decide the limit for themselves, he also talks about how these lead to addictive behavioural traits which must be taken care of at the earliest.
Social media junkies, as these people are referred to, are hooked to multiple online accounts 24x7 and barely have any outdoor experience apart from college or work. Therapists have advised people to stay off social media and stick to their daily schedule to av oid hyper reactions to updates. They also lay stress on how people should continue leading a balanced and more realistic life even as these updates keep storming into our lives through smartphones.
Kasar said that people addicted to internet and social media form a chunk of his patients. “The violence gets to us in direct and indirect ways.It has a pattern and each attack comes with a pre-determined response to it. People changing profile pictures on their social media accounts, sharing news articles and opinion pieces, and constantly reading about the calamity adds to the effect,“ said Kasar.