Your Digital Environment: How to Carve Out A Positive Space On the Internet

We like to believe we are completely independent from our environment, but the simple truth is that our environment always influences us in one way or another.

This is just as true for our physical environment (our home, workplace, neighborhood, where we spend our time, and the people we surround ourselves with on a daily basis), as it is true for our digital environment (the websites we go to, the information we consume, and the people we interact with online).

Today we are spending more and more time in our “digital environment.” And in many ways, our “digital environment” can be even more consuming and engaging than the “real world,” because it’s filled with over-stimulation that keeps our interest and attention.

Superficial social media accounts, sensationalist news, celebrity gossip, political train-wrecks, cheap marketing ads and pop-ups, photoshopped body images, etc…the internet is filled with junk information that is poisoning our minds on a daily basis.

And most of this information we consume mindlessly and passively. We find ourselves constantly scrolling through our feeds looking for the next cheap hit of dopamine.

This cannot be healthy for our minds. Most of it is junk. And if you aren’t taking control of the information you are consuming on a daily basis, then the information you are consuming is certainly controlling you.

Now more than ever, it’s important that we take control of our “digital environment” and carve out a positive space for ourselves on the internet.

This is especially true since our minds are naturally attracted to the negative. And the internet often plays on our negative emotions (fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, and desire) to generate clicks and ad revenue.

It really is that simple. And most of the information we consume is specifically designed to play off of our mental biases. Because it grabs our attention and makes people money.

That may be a negative way of looking at the internet, but it’s something to be super aware of whenever you connect to your WiFi.

What does your “digital environment” look like? Is it serving your goals and values in life, or working against them?

That’s an important question to ask yourself.

The internet needs more healthy, positive, and constructive content.

In fact, I’ll take a cliché “positivity article” over a cliché “over-sensationalized bad news” story any day. Maybe that’s an exaggeration, but I’m only half-joking.

The truth is: the types of information we consume on a daily basis have a big influence over our mindset and mental health. If you are only consuming junk information, than you’re only going to have junk thoughts.

While of course we don’t like it when things are “cliché” – we’d much rather have things be fresh, original, and thought-provoking – at the same time, the internet is in desperate need of more positive content…literally anything.

Here are key ways to build a more positive environment on the internet:

• Reflect on the top 3 websites you go to. Where do you spend most of your time on the internet? Twitter, Instagram, YouTube? What are your top 3 websites you go to on a daily basis – and what value do you get out of them? Make a list and try to think of at least one “positive” and one “negative” for every website. Are these sites ultimately serving your goals? How can you use them differently?
• Build a positive and informative feed. A lot of time spent on the internet is used scrolling through our news feeds or social media feeds. But what does your feed look like? Is it filled with gossip, negativity, and arguments – or is it filled with information, positivity, and encouragement? What type of news sites and social media accounts do you follow? Make sure they are making you a better person at the end of the day.
• Actively seek motivational and like-minded people. The people you interact with on a daily basis play a huge role in your life, both in your physical and digital environment. Studies show that emotional contagion (the concept that emotions spread from one person to another) holds true for our digital environment. If your Twitter and Facebook are filled with negativity, that’s going to spillover into your own mental state.
• Don’t be afraid to block/unfollow/unfriend. This one took me awhile to learn because I’m a big believer in “free speech.” However, one thing I’ve discovered over the past few years is that I’m not obligated to follow anyone on the internet. If someone is a “net loss,” then feel free to unfriend, unfollow, or even block them (if they are being disruptive and aggressive). The internet can sometimes bring out the worst in people, so we have to be vigilant to remove this behavior from our digital environment whenever possible.
• Be aware of your “digital self.” If you have an online presence, then you have a “digital self.” This is often a version of ourselves that we present to the internet; and often, it doesn’t accurately reflect our “real world self.” According to research, there are many potential dark sides to our digital self, including increased narcissism and impulsivity. This is often due to the nature of the internet itself: the fact that we can be anonymous (or hide our “true selves”) and because we expect immediate gratification (instant likes, instant shopping, instant rewards). Psychologists call it the “online disinhibition effect,” which can lead to many unhealthy and destructive behaviors. Are you aware of your “digital self” and your typical patterns of online behavior?
• Minimize politics, news, and current events. Yes, it’s important to follow the news and current events, but it’s equally important to moderate your consumption. With our super fast and sensationalist news cycles these days, most news has a very short half-life. 80% of it isn’t relevant by next week or next month; and a solid 95% of it isn’t relevant by next year (I completely made up these numbers, but you get the idea). When you follow every single minor news development, it’s ultimately a waste of brain power that could be used learning more important and meaningful information (especially knowledge that you can actually apply to your daily life). Many people consume more politics than they should, and underestimate how much it is really hurting them and making them dumber.
• Share more positive content with others. You are a part of the internet. You play a role in what type of content you share with others and create for others. What type of influence do you have: are you sharing negativity and drama, or positivity and inspiration? One thing on my daily “to-do” list is to consume more positive news stories and share them with others – I’ve been calling it a “bless the messenger” mentality, where instead of being the bearer of bad news, I’m the provider of good news. And of course, this website and my Twitter are also heavily focused on staying positive and constructive.
• Spend more time in the real world. It’s important to remember that our “digital environment” isn’t the entire universe. Many people can get trapped into caring too much about their online lives, this includes getting sucked up into video games, social media, and internet drama. It never hurts to spend a little more time in the real world: going out for a walk in nature, exercising more in the sun, hanging out with family and friends, and just enjoying everything else life has to offer that doesn’t have anything to do with digital screens.
• Take the “Digital Wellness” test. This is mostly just for fun, but my Digital Wellness Test is a good starting point for thinking more about your relationship with technology in general and how it may need improvement.

Our “digital environment” isn’t going anywhere, which is why it’s important we are mindful of it and how it is influencing our everyday lives.

The advice, tips, and suggestions above are a good place to start when it comes to re-evaluating your daily environment and finding small ways to make it healthier and more constructive.

What’s one thing you can change in your digital environment today to make it a better place?

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