The Dark Side of Living an Online Lifestyle?
A lot of us dreamed (and still dream) about a future where we do not have to wake up so early to get ready and then travel sometimes for hours to start the day – either at the uni or work. Also, we enjoyed our online lifestyle so much, for example the late night chats with our friends, living life with a capital L online. We always thought that in an online world everything would be easier: saving time, energy (important resources), making quicker and easier decisions even across borders (globalisation) with optimised attendance thus productivity.
However, we could never imagine that this online lifestyle would become a reality so fast as it did. Even though it came with several advantages, similar to what it was in our dreams, suddenly we had to realize that there is a negative side as well – as every coin has two sides!

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COVID-diary Day 19: Newest Apps on my phone: Zoom, Skype, Teams… – Sounds familiar?
In the circle of long, monotonous hours staring at the computer, without real social interaction, social exchanges during the projects, and calls 24/7, no-one can be blamed for losing motivation. Especially, when our family is next to us, the real people – real environment that finally offers some adventure, a chance for face-to-face talks and experiences. We still have duties to fulfil online or not, though…
How can we make the best out of our online lifestyle?

1. Harmony and Balance – Do not get lost in the virtual space
The dark side of being online is that anyone at any time can find us with their “problems”. At uni, teachers think that students have more freetime now, therefore they are giving more tasks, meanwhile, at work, the boss, the colleagues might call you 24/7. There must be some boundaries and limits to be set, not to make the valuable human resources burned out at the end of the project – if we care about each other – especially in the long-run, saying NO sometimes should be acceptable. One has to understand that although, in this case, the work and personal life physically cannot be separated, a reasonable boundary should exist which is respected from both sides (one must find the golden mean).
2. Sure, online meetings are different, but they are still meetings
The other big problem relates to the features of the online atmosphere which people may take less seriously. What points should we take into consideration before an online meeting?
∑ Preparation – Converting yourself from offline to online
TO DO LIST:
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– Do your pre-meeting research and background check as usual – Peaceful environment: Try to balance your personal & business life and make a “safe place” at home where you can concentrate fully on your duties (work, school etc.) – The image: In this case, others will get a picture of you through the camera. Every little detail matters here, not only how you present yourself (knowledge, hair, make-up, clothes) but your environment as well (room “safe place” – background, noise, lightning). – Technical requirements: Always test the device and the Internet connection before the meeting and choose the most suitable (reliable) one (the PC vs. Phone dilemma). – Being camera-shy: Practice – indeed, turning into a “virtual being” requires a totally different approach and mindset (see the recommended articles). – The lack of physical cues – Clarity: Without the presence of usual body language signs (expressions/gestures/tone), misunderstandings are more likely to happen in the online space. Take care, pay attention, and try to use clear phases by avoiding the use of so-called double-edged swords like humour – these can be open to both positive and negative interpretations. Reference(s): JOB4ME. (2021). Proceedings from the JOB4ME Virtual Job Fair. [online] job4me.vfairs.com. March 10-11. 2021. If you are interested in this topic, we recommend you to read the following articles as well: How to Be a Good Listener in Online Meetings How to Communicate Effectively During an Interview
Author:
Article Writer & Content Contributor
- July 12, 2021

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