Few months back on my way home I was on my phone waiting for the train to arrive. It was winter and really cold here in Vienna. As usual, my phone got too cold and shut itself off and I was all too desperately thinking `Damnit, not again´. I tried to warm it up by rubbing it against my hands so it would start working again. As soon as I entered the train my phone turned back on. I sighed deeply out of relieve. I received a message, yet before I could read it, my phone shut itself back off. I started rubbing my phone against my hands yet another time, but this time people were watching me. I must have looked like an idiot. After a little while and my phone not coming back to life, I thought ´Well, I might as well just not use my phone´
I started thinking about my personal usage of smartphones. I came to realize that unless I am actively preoccupied with something that needs my full and genuine attention, I am on my phone.
I thought that was a little crazy. There is barely ever a specific reason I am on my phone. I am mostly just using it to do something, whether is is scrolling aimlessly through my Facebook feed, to watch useless YouTube videos, to check the weather for the third time or to look through old pictures. Being on my phone has been my constant activity for over 6 years, unless I was preoccupied with something else. I have been obsessively giving in to this intrinsic need to employ my mind with my phone´s screen. It is almost like that I am strangely terrified to be by myself, alone with my thoughts, even if it is just for one minute.
When was the last time you sat down and let your mind wander? Chances are you do not remember. Talking to people face-to-face and working out in the gym are the only two circumstances I find myself not on my phone. Even when hanging out with friends I once in a while feel like I have to check my phone. Yet again for no specific reason. Even when I am watching TV, working on projects, going to the bathroom, I soon find myself on my phone.
I am in a long distance relationship. Me and my partner visit each other every few months to spend a few weeks together. When we are together, what I found is that, first of all my phone and computer usage decreases considerably to a point where I can probably count the times I have checked my phone in a day. Second of all, the time we spend together feels like it is passing a lot slower than time usually does. I think the decreased phone use is part of this reason, since I usually spent hours every day looking down on my phone. Remember, every down time I have, every visit to the bathroom I take, every ride on the public transportation I do, every second of boredom in my life I experience, is accompanied with a rectangular screen.
Am I constantly on my phone, unless I am actively preoccupied with something else? Am I killing all the time there is to kill by being on my phone? When was the last time I was relaxing on the sofa and just let my mind wander? Do I find myself constantly checking social media when trying to accomplish work for school, work or leisure?
I personally feel that obsessively and aimlessly being on your phone, is something that psychologists would probably consider an addiction. Just like people craving the addictive compounds in cigarettes or in dairy and cheese products, smartphone addicts are trying to compensate their compulsory need of having a preoccupied mind.
There are probably quite a few side effects of a smartphone addiction, like a decreased attention span. Yet I want to focus on one in particular, where I do not need scientific studies backing my claims - wasted and lost time.
Granted, some people might not consider the hours spent checking social media on their phone as wasted or lost time. Others, me included, do.
If you are like me, who has found a purpose in life - not in any spiritual way. If you have found something you are really passionate about, like social justice causes advocating for the rights of women, the queer community or the rights of other animals, or something completely different, like a passion towards sports, playing an instrument, reading books to educate yourself or whatever it may be, I believe that our obsessive and aimless smartphone usage is preventing us to dedicate as much time as we would wish to, on these activities.
My premise today is simple. Simply try to be more aware of when and how much you use your phone. If you want to spend less time on your phone, maybe start with deleting apps that draw especially much attention, like social media apps perhaps. Also, maybe try to not check your phone first thing when getting up or leave your phone outside when going to the bathroom. ;)
Little steps like that will not only result in winning back hours every single day, but also in a more aware and more conscious daily-life.
Also: I for myself use a phone dummy: see picture below!
This thing has somehow helped me to not feel sort of empty or lost when I am gong places where I usually take my smartphone with me. It also just feels like my phone so I might be unconsciously fooled by this thing.
Thanks for reading!
