What Happens When You Rely On Technology?
“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”
~ Albert Einstein
Up until recently, I owned a cell phone the size of a brick. It couldn’t do anything fancy like sending texts, checking emails, browsing the web, downloading apps, playing games, or scrolling through social media. Forget about listening to music, taking photos, finding directions, or checking the weather. All it could do was make calls. Can you believe it?
But in 2015, when my outdated phone finally kicked the bucket, I hopped on the smartphone train (not because I wanted to be cool, but because it was on sale).
Now, let me tell you, my technological skills are limited. It took me a good 7 minutes to figure out how to save a screenshot, and then another 7 minutes to locate it. And don’t even get me started on Facetime! It’s a never-ending struggle.
My phone is usually turned off, unless I’m expecting a call or need to send a rare text. I’m living in the 19th century according to my family.
Smarter Phones, Dumber People
Smartphones, once hailed as problem-solvers and life-enhancers, have taken a sinister turn. Our reliance on these devices to think for us has left us mentally impaired, a condition known as “digital dementia.”
Think about it—when was the last time you bothered to memorize a phone number or calculate a bill manually?
Our phones have become crutches, convenient but crippling. Furthermore, this insatiable distraction from reality is diminishing our ability to engage in meaningful thinking, leaving us increasingly foolish. We find ourselves locked in an addictive and distracting cycle, wasting our precious lives and struggling to stay focused.
Shockingly, studies have revealed that the average person spends more time staring at a screen than being productive.
We are losing productivity and succumbing to the allure of our smartphones. And the numbers don’t lie: by 2028, the smartphone user population in Canada is projected to exceed 30 million¹ and globally, a staggering 6.9 billion in 2029². This is a crisis of epic proportions, with countless individuals falling victim to these distractions.
Social Norms Around Technology Are Lagging
Are you guilty of attending social gatherings or meetings with your phone in hand, or placing it on the table?
Unfortunately, doing so sends a clear message to others that they are not as important to you.
And what about those moments when you’re chatting with someone, only to have them instantly glance at their phone the moment it pings or beeps? It’s as if they’ve lost the ability to hear you and engage with you on a meaningful level. You suddenly become less important than their Facebook feed. It’s frustrating and disheartening.
Maybe you’ve been that person, or worse, you are that person, constantly texting or checking your emails instead of giving your full attention to the person in front of you.
We’ve all witnessed the sad sight of groups of people texting across the table in restaurants or couples walking side-by-side, oblivious to each other as they scroll through their phones. And it’s not just in these settings; even at playgrounds, parents are too absorbed in their phones to notice their child’s attempts to gain their attention.
It’s time for a change.
Let’s put our phones away and start valuing real human connections. We shouldn’t have to point out others’ rude and disrespectful behavior or find ourselves in situations where our phone is more important than the person standing in front of us.
It’s time for social norms to catch up with technological innovations.
High On Dopamine
The constant accessibility and addiction to checking our online profiles and emails are leaving our society anxious, depressed, and unwell.
The era of smartphone distractions and addictions is wreaking havoc on our lives and careers. This crisis has taken a global toll, with individuals admitting that losing their phone would be more devastating than losing a limb.
It’s time to recognize that when our phones control our lives, we must take a step back and reevaluate ourselves.
Are You A Smartphone Addict?
Is your relationship with your device healthy? Let’s discover the truth.
Challenge yourself by turning off your phone for an entire day, abstaining from emails, texts, selfies, games, or any other phone-related activities.
Do you feel anxious? Disconnected? Downhearted?
If these emotions resonate with you, it’s a sign that you may be addicted to your smartphone, and it’s time to reassess your priorities.
We don’t need to keep our phones constantly attached to our hips, allowing ourselves to be constantly reachable or wasting precious hours on mindless scrolling through social media or engaging in trivial pursuits. Let’s break free from the chains of our phones and start living in the real world.
What Can You Do?
Are you tired of constantly being distracted by your smartphone? Are you ready to reclaim your time and live a healthier, more present life?
Here are several ways to break free from your smartphone addiction:
- Don’t check your emails first thing in the morning. Use that time to focus on your most important tasks instead.
- Schedule specific times to check and reply to emails, and turn off your phone notifications to minimize distractions.
- In meetings, ban smartphones to maintain focus and productivity.
- Set limits on when and where you use your phone, prioritizing face-to-face interactions over screen time.
- Experiment with smartphone fasting to discover the benefits of being disconnected and re-engage with the world around you.
- Lead by example and show your children how to have a healthy relationship with technology.
- Spend quality time with your family without the interference of smartphones.
- Keep a journal to track your phone usage and find opportunities to reduce it by 10%.
- Consider deleting your social networking accounts to break free from the compulsion of constant connectivity.
- And if you’re truly ready for a change, get rid of your smartphone altogether.
It Gets Easier
It may seem absurd, but once you make an effort to reduce your smartphone usage, something magical happens—it gets easier. The more authentic you are to yourself, the more liberated you become.
So go ahead, switch off that phone and reclaim your existence in the real world.
Are you cultivating a healthy relationship with your phone or are you trapped in the clutches of smartphone addiction?