What habits have you found to work in controlling phone overuse?

Photo by William Iven on Unsplush

Our poem this week focused on attentiveness, and how our lives are increasingly getting distracted by technology.

Have you ever lost or misplaced your mobile phone? How did that feel?

I have lost several phones in my life, most of them during the period when there were no contact-backup programs.

I’ll never forget how depressing it felt to lose all my contacts, photos and notes.

I’ll also never forget how anxious it felt to be unreachable, even for just those few hours before getting a replacement. It’s an awful feeling.

I felt like someone had stripped me naked in public, and stood me up as a spectacle for people to gape at.

I felt deeply violated and confused. And like the world around me had suddenly collapsed under my feet.

That’s why this article by Tristan Harris, caught my attention.

The anxiety we get when we have lost or misplaced our mobile phones just shows how much technology runs and controls our lives.

Some of us cannot function without our phones and tablets, and cannot even contemplate spending some relaxing time at a quite place with no network.

For some of us, its impossible to even imagine taking a digital-holiday.

There is evidence that indicates:

That screen time, if not monitored, can affect attention, behavior, language, and academics in children. Increased screen time has been linked to obesity and poor sleeping patterns when used near bedtime
That being reachable 24/7 escalates stress, interrupts social interaction, and impacts negatively on productivity.
That the mere presence of phones on a table at a restaurant can end up disrupting conversations.
That social media, for all its potential benefits, can lead to decreased well-being, increased depression, and escalated jealousy, especially in Teens.
That new Tech has made people more sedentary hence affecting physical health.

We all need to become aware that we are the products in some of the new Tech we are using, and that they are specifically designed to hook us up.

We must therefore be conscious of the choices we make when using them.

This is why we believe we all need to develop some healthy habits around technology, otherwise it can significantly affect how we experience life.

What good habits have you found to work when it comes to using smart phones?

How do you avoid getting hooked up and swallowed by the digital world?

Do you have any screen time rules for your family and children? Which ones have you found to be most necessary and important?

Psst: Here are a few tips from Tristan Harris.