If you were to look at how much time I spend in my phone or my computer it would be easy to conclude that I'm addicted to my phone.
In fact how much I use my phone reminds me of a stupid old joke.
A Catholic priest and a Jewish rabbi are together in a small airplane. Unfortunately they hit bad weather and the plane suffers failure and crashes. Luckily they both survive. The Catholic priest gets out first and makes the sign of the cross, thankful to be alive. Then he sees the Jewish Rabbi get out and is surprised that he also makes the sign of the cross. The priest smiles and says "I guess when you are truly thankful you make the sign of the cross also". The Rabbi laughs and says "Of course not, I just make sure the important things are all there when I get out of a tough situation. Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet and Watch.
Now you may be wondering why I mentioned that silly little joke. The quick answer is that every time I leave my house, get out of my car, leave work or otherwise go on my way I always do a quick check. Wallet, Keys, and Phone. I'd be lost without them.
Which brings back the question: Am I addicted to my phone?
Well, when I arrived in Rosswood there was no internet. My phone stayed in my pocket and I didn't use it very much at all. However, trying to get internet was one of my top priorities when I got here. First was water. Second was food. Third warmth and shelter. After that.. Internet.
Seeing that I rank it up there with food and water it is easy to think that my phone is an addiction. However it is more than that. Just this morning there was a large black bear seen about 300m from my property. Yesterday there was a large moose and its calf about 500m away. Being able to call for help in case of an emergency is a true necessity. It is the same way when I'm working on the property. Yesterday I was setting up a solar system and needed to know what kind of lead/acid battery I had for property charging. Get it wrong and I can destroy an expensive battery. With internet it was a quick ID. Without Internet I would guess and hope. The same thing goes for identifying plants around the yard. I'm trying to get rid of noxious weeds but want to keep useful native plants. Some things I know but many I do not. ChatGPT makes a semi-reliable plant identifier so having it is a very useful tool.
This Stoat isn't dangerous but there is a lot of wildlife around here. Better to have a lifeline in case of emergency. Image is mine
A garter snake on the property. Also not dangerous, but what if it was? Again image is mine
Being able to receive messages away from home and stay connected to family. Not super important but useful. Being able to blog on HIVE, play Splinterlands, and keep up with Clash of Clans--Yes I can leave it behind but honestly I like blogging. Can I leave it behind, sure. Do I like leaving it behind, no.
Now many men in the "old" days used to read the newspaper every morning with breakfast to start their day. Personally I like to check out the headlines before I start my day also. Is it doom scrolling through cat videos? Not really. Is it the most productive use of my morning? Not really. However, it does help me stay informed of what is going on in the world because up here it is very easy to shut the rest of the world away and be totally unaware of current events.
However, I won't say that I'm not tempted to just chase down wasteful rabbit holes. Find the doom scroll of recommended videos or go down a rabbit trail with ChatGPT. The temptation is always there and when my wife went to Prince Rupert yesterday and I had the house all to myself I'll admit I just watched an anime and wasted almost two hours doing pretty much nothing. I had to tell myself "Get off your butt and be productive".
Signs I may very well be addicted to my phone.
So in the end?
My phone and internet are a necessity. However, the necessity can also be a distraction or worse. Keeping it under control is a constant battle and in the end it is very hard when someone says I'm addicted to my phone. Or when my kids call me a "screenager". In the end though I just do the best I can to let my phone be my tool and to keep from being its slave. How long can I go without my phone? Well, I've been without internet for a week or longer before I got Internet to this property Honestly though? I like checking the new in the morning, I use it as a tool during the day, and I like unwinding with a movie or video of some type at night. Ideally I like to be able to use my phone every 3 hours or so. The question still remains: Am I addicted to my phone. :D
I'd love to get comments but in even without comments thank you for reading this far. Appreciate it.
