I think I have said it several times that one of the greatest inventions in our time is smartphones.
I often imagine how the brains behind the invention come up with the idea, but trust me, that is not ordinary.
That is a total miracle; one small device has brought the entire world together and can do almost everything.
These devices have won the hearts of men so much that a majority can no longer do without them.
Personally, my phone is my friend; I can not tell if there's anything I am closer to than my phone.
Since I bought the phone, it has always been with me, and there is not a single hour that passes that I do not operate it, unless I am carried away by a task that demands absolute attention.
This is not just peculiar to me; a lot of other people are like this and even worse. If you say I am a phone addict, I won't argue because I can not go long without my phone.
Since I began using my smartphone, I can not recall a moment where I am not busy and I was not with my phone doing one thing or another.
Sometimes, even if I am busy, I create space between the work and touch my phone, except, it is prohibited.
There was a time I wanted to discipline myself on how much I use my phone, and I couldn't.
My discipline couldn't go beyond five to six hours; in fact, I broke the rule unconsciously when I took the phone, and I didn't notice how I ended up chatting on WhatsApp.
Phones are good, and many use them for different reasons; some for good and some for evil, and some for both.
Opportunities these days lie in the digital world. Coming from a country where jobs are scarce, and one needs a connection to secure one, getting something digitally to do and put food on your table is actually a salvation.
This is part of the reason why most of us can not stay away from our phones or personal computers. It's our office and our source of livelihood; we have no option.
Yet, one must be careful how they use their phones to avoid getting too attached because it has a bad side effect.
I was scolding my younger sister some time ago about being too attached to the phone. She can not stay one moment without her phone.
The annoying part is that all she does is watch TikTok videos and have fun. I can remember a time she burnt the food she was cooking because she got carried away by her phone.
I also use my phone a lot, but trust me, I know my limits. Lately, I enabled a setting on my phone that displays the duration I spend on each app. If it's not something productive, 30 minutes is enough for me to log out and do other things.
Sometimes I ignore it, of course, but sometimes I don't; it creates this consciousness that I am wasting my time here each time the notification pops up, and I like it.
There are adverse effects to using phones addictively; one of the terrible ones is the effect on our sight.
The reflection from the screen has the potential to affect the health of our eyes as we continue to use it and sometimes poses a serious challenge to the eyes; unfortunately, many ignore this reality.
If I have my ways I would not use my phone until I feel like it, but for now, my hands are tied; I have to find food.