When I saw this post, some good memories flashed through my mind, and I smiled.
There were two occasions where my dad spoiled my siblings’ phones out of anger. Anger because of what? They were using their phones while we were eating, and that used to irritate my dad a lot. The irritation would get to him as if he had seen feces placed on the dining table while eating food. My mom would immediately question him as soon as he started vibrating and getting ready to seize and smash someone’s phone.
This happened many years ago, when phones had just become popular and we were very addicted to the small phones we got. Back then, my dad had a lot of authority over us, and meanwhile, we were just using phones for fun and nothing profitable, which irritated my dad a lot at the time. But now, the story has changed. However, it still irritates my dad whenever he sees us pressing our phones while eating. He assumes that we will “sleep” on the meal instead of finishing the food within a minute like a soldier. His concern has never been about bonds and connection, but time wasting while eating 😅.
We still respect his opinion till today. We do not use phones whenever we are eating with him, and we only get that chance once in a blue moon.
*Would I implement a no-phone-usage rule at particular times or in certain sections when I finally get my own family?
Ummmm…
In this era where people are making ends meet with their phones, it feels like a hard restriction to place a time frame on phone usage or create a section of family time where phones are totally prohibited.
To me, I just feel everyone should have the habit and know when to use a phone and when not to use a phone.
For example, anytime I get the opportunity to travel home, I snap and record almost everything that happens in the house during that period. Hold on, it is not like I act as a CCTV, no. I record memories, and those memories are what I live with whenever I go back to my base. Most times, I send those clips to my siblings and parents, and they are always surprised that I captured them. It gives them joy to watch themselves and laugh. I mean, even while we eat, I video those fun moments.
More so, if I were someone who earns from those clips on social media, I would do even more recording so I would have more content to upload.
Another angle is that these days, people blog, trade, and do all sorts of things online to earn money with their phones, and the time dedicated to these activities varies depending on the person involved. Imagine if my home had restrictions such as not using phones after 10 p.m., and night time is when I have the chance to attend to online jobs because I am busy during the day—then that rule simply would not work.
So, what am I saying in essence?
I will make sure to culture my children to know when to limit the usage of phones during sensitive occasions, rather than putting it as a strict restriction. Just like me, for example, there are certain ethics I have instilled in myself, and they have become a part of who I am.
Thanks for reading.
This is my entry to Week 201, Edition 02 of the Weekly Featured contest in Hive Learners Community
