The Virtual Domain

Dixya Poudel

Today, it has become quite normal for many to wake up to notifications on the phone and go to bed scrolling through the phone. As such, electronic devices especially mobile phones are ubiquitous these days. It doesn’t help that online media is addictive as people keep coming back to it for more. Likes, comments and shares induce little bursts of dopamine filling the users with feel-good emotions. Yet, like most addictions, online addiction too is quite harmful to the individual’s wellbeing. If it becomes too addictive and life seems meaningful only while online, there could be repercussions on the mental health and wellbeing. 

Further, the online world today is sort of curated for an individual’s experience. Each one of the users has an individually catered online world. Here the main driver is the algorithm which prioritises whichever posts, photos and videos are most perused. The more one views, likes, shares, and comments on a certain type of content, the more of such content will be sprung back. It fuels the contents that users see on a daily basis while scrolling through their phones mindlessly. Often work and study breaks are passed in such scrolling. It has even led to a term called doomscrolling which has a negative effect on the individuals perusing the virtual domain. 

The fact is online experience is different for each person. Since each individual is different with unique interests, hobbies, political views and attitude, the content that he/she consistently sees online will also be different. Currently, there are 8 billion people in the world and as of 2023, nearly 7.33 billion of them own some sort of mobile phone. Each could be cocooned online in their phones creating a resounding echo chamber. It goes without saying that what millennial parents view on their phones is different from what their Gen Z teenagers view.

Further, mobile apps have become a way to communicate and create, often for free although one may have to pay for the Wi-Fi. From YouTube videos on fitness and exercise to tutorials on painting, music and coding, smartphones have become indispensible. They have become an obligatory adage to one’s life. If you doubt it, challenge yourself to go through the day without accessing your smartphone. If you are like most people, you will feel a twinge of unease all the while longing to log back in your mobile phone. 

Moreover, the popularity and indispensability of the virtual domain isn’t slowing any time now. Tech giants are betting billions of dollars on artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT which is now the most buzz worthy app. Its answers to queries rival even the most intelligent of human answers. And ChatGPT is rising in its number of users by millions since its launch in 2022. Likewise, Meta is investing billions on Metaverse which is expected to grow in the coming years. Google has announced Bard, a rival for OpenAI’s ChatGPT. 

What could this mean for the online experience? There are debates and speculations ensuing over AI dominance in the virtual world. If the appeal of being online is nearly universal today, then the key is to moderate it for the best experience and welfare. The future might be digital but it should still seek a balance between the online and offline world.