ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ONLINE CLASSES AND OFFICE

The hot topic of debate these days is the transformation of day to day life of a normal person to online platforms. In this unforeseen situation where we are struck by a Pandemic, our lifestyle has suddenly shifted to online platforms and movement is restricted to within the walls of our flat. This sudden change, like any other scenario has both advantages and disadvantages. Every coin has two faces. The broad category facing this change are students attending online classes and lectures and corporate workers with Work From Home. Here let's sum up what are the advantages, and disadvantages, and how we can avoid the consequences of demerits, to turn this Pandemic to an opportunity for a healthy and happy lifestyle.

Advantages:

"Dream of every student and a corporate worker, to work from home has now come true."

The advantages of the situation is lot and much can be taken out of it to improve ourselves and our inter personal qualities.

• Of course, every individual loves staying home and what could be more relaxing than doing your daily errands along with your family. 
• You can make your own schedule and do not have the headache to prepare for work or school in the morning. 
• You won't be late for your work or class as there is no traffic to be the hurdle to reach the workplace or school. You are just a button away from your work place or school. The morning traffic hustle and the vexed look for getting late, have no more to be tolerated. The time lost in traffic is in your bonus packet now. You can use it more productively.
• Now, if you are a student you have the privilege of recording your whole class and later viewing it for your revision. 
• If you are from the working class with work from home then you have the privilege to have your space and comfort to work calmly from your couch. None of your meals will be missed as you are at home and grab your meal anytime you like. 
• Family life has improved significantly as one can now give more family time. At least they can see you while you are working and presence is enough for satisfaction. 
• Even the household work is now divided among the entire family, reducing pressure for most of the Moms.

Disadvantages:

This is a bit more broader and complex, so let's divide it into four parts.

Technical:

• Not every house has a good internet network. When there is a poor connection its a very tough job to connect with the meetings, be it for your online class or work from home meetings. This leads to the decrease in performance and efficiency of the individual. 
• The voice breakage due to technical issues also creates a confusion in gaining the knowledge and sometimes irritating too.
• For students, every house does not have enough phones or laptop or desktop so that all the children can attend the classes. Say a family having 2 children and both parents working, will fall short of gadgets to connect to their online sessions. 
• A significant rise has been noted in the cost of internet connection over various service provider, increasing the cost to pocket of the customers whatever plan they may choose.

"First 15 mins of the meeting goes in "Am I audible" and fixing the camera in  an angle so that the trousers are not visible."

Health:

• The most prominent effect is on your physic i.e on eye and spine. Watching the computer or mobile screen for 6-7 hrs, and sometimes 12 hrs, a day is putting a lot of pressure on the eye damaging the eyesight. As per statistics the powered glasses users have doubled and orders for eye glasses have increased 20% in the lock down period.
• Sitting constantly, in one position, the spine gets stiff and often results in severe back pain as well as bad posture. These issues which was before seen with only 9-5 corporate workers, is now seen in large scale, among students attending online classes.
• The human body needs movement for digestive system to function properly. When now, life is confined to the 4 walls of the flat and movement is restricted, issues related to digestive tract like acidity, stomach ache etc has seen a prodigious rise, mostly in children, whose body need physical movement for proper growth.

Psychological:

• The social life being cut down to only pictures and texts on screen, the human brain is getting dormant. Unable to express their feelings most are getting into the dark pits of depression.
• Sitting at one place creates a lethargic behavior in human which causes many health and psychological problems like fatigue, stress, anxiety and instability. 
• Diseases like hypertension, due to the extra pressure and network connectivity issues, has also been marked having significant rise.
• Unable to release the frustration of work with colleagues or friends, the human brain is getting more into aggressive and distressed state.

"All Work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"

Social:

• As the entire family stays together the whole day, issues like Domestic Violence is also rising their heads from the pits. The cases of Domestic violence has increased by 20 % in the lock down. 
• Children are not getting enough exposure to develop communication with the society and gain knowledge from surrounding, which will lead to a unsocial mindset if continued for longer duration. 

Solutions:

All of the problems can not be solved, but we have tried to provide solution to most of the problems. As the problems are broad so the solutions are broader too. Let's divide the solution to parts:

Technical:

• You can get a stable internet connection by negotiating with your service provider or upgrading to a better service provider, which ensures to provide you better network. Most of the local service provider have quality network in cheap price. Some of the examples are MTNL, Excitel, Siti Cable, Spectra, Gigatel, BSNL etc. Visit their site for getting the tariff. This solves the connectivity issue. 
• Local service provider have good tariff with unlimited net which will give you a good connectivity in a cheap price.

Health:

• Don't sit continuously at one position. You have the entire house for yourself now. Use this opportunity to utilize every corner of your house. 
  
  
• Make a time table and fix a time for your daily pills of exercise. No cheats should be your motto.
  
  
• If you are not an exercise person then there are a lot of alternatives like Zumba dance etc which YouTube provides at your finger tips. Search for whatever physical workout you like to do and follow that every day. In fact you can help in household work like mopping the floor or laundry, this also is a kind of workout. Involve yourself in any kind of physical activity.
  
  
• Keep a check on your diet. Make a diet chart to be followed through out the week. Healthy diets solves 80% of your physical problems. Breakfast makes the main meal of the day, have Oats or cereals for breakfast, Lunch is of your choice but make sure to include all the nutrients in your meal, and have a light dinner like vegetable salads. This diet is prescribed by most of the fitness trainers. (More about healthy diet in our later blogs)
  
  
• For eyesight there are exercises which if practiced daily keeps the eyesight good. The most common one being the pen exercise, which is easily available on YouTube. A 5-10 mins of daily practice will keep your eyesight healthy. 
  
  
• If possible use blue light protected glasses which will protect your eyes from the harmful light of the laptops and mobile screen.

Psychological:

• Take breaks. Take a 15 mins break in every 2 hrs. As per psychologists a normal human brain can work efficiently and effectively for 1.5 hrs-2 hrs at a stretch. So to improve your efficiency take a coffee break in every 2 hours. Go around the house or talk to your family in this break to release the stress.
  
  
• Make sure to talk to your family about how was the whole day before going to bed which will let your stress and frustration flow out of your mind. Family are the ones who keep us strong. 
  
  
• Now if you are not with your family and stay alone in a flat then call up some friends have a chit chat. Do it every day to release yourself from the burden of stress and hyper tensions.
  
  
• Even meditation is very good habit to control stress and anxiety. Everyday devote 30-45 mins in morning or at night before sleeping for meditation. The result would be magnificent.

Social:

• The issues need to be reported frankly without suppressing because of the society image. Take stand for yourself because you are your own best friend.
  
  
• Interact with the children. Let them ask you questions and develop their interactive and communicative skill so that they don't loose the habit of being sociable and interactive.

If these steps are taken then we can convert the threat by the Pandemic to an opportunity to have a healthy lifestyle and a happy family life. We hope we provided most of the solution. You can invest some quality time on yourself and your family to have spectacular results. 

If there are any scenarios uncovered please let us and our other readers know in the comments below.