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Hi!
Pry my phone from my hands, swim to the bottom of the Atlantic, dig until you reach the Earth's crust and please for the love of God bury my phone there. I don’t want it anymore! It’s sucking the life out of me and I can’t take it anymore – oh, did someone like me on Hinge? Could that be my husband? Sorry, never mind, this is important. I’ll be back in a few.
Oh shit, that was 3 hours ago. Okay okay, I’m back. What was I saying? Oh yeah! The phone. Yes, get this demonic, sadistic, pitiless thing off of my weak and feeble hands – wait, someone sent me a text. I don’t need to check it, really… but what if all of my friends secretly hate me and they’re just telling me now? I have to look!
Nevermind it was just this meme from Abby.
You know I could go on with this spewing of my inner monologue (and I will if there’s demand), but I’ll spare you that much. I think we all know where this is going. Today we are talking about the dreaded phone addiction, AKA fuck my screen time.
I grew up with the internet. I had my first AIM username at 8 years old, I got MySpace at 11 and Facebook at 13. My underdeveloped brain has consumed God knows what on the internet for over 17 years. Although they say the brain fully develops at 25, I’m still susceptible to the vortex that is my phone. And I’m not alone: it is estimated that “62% of mobile phone users are with possible addiction”(Naik, Reddy). Not to mention, phone usage has increased dramatically since the start of the pandemic (PwC).
Don’t get me wrong, I love my phone. I think smartphones were technological breakthroughs and have changed the world for the better. But I also believe that too much of a good thing is well, a bad thing. This Sage Wisdom in relation to phone usage is what researchers call mobile phone addiction (MPA), defined as:
constant dependency on one’s mobile phone, causing a constant attachment to one's gadget, leading to loss of productivity and developing chronic side effects such as depression, loneliness, lack of social behavior, loss of sound sleep and various health issues.
So, after we become aware that MPA is affecting us, and how damaging it really is, how can we create healthy boundaries with our phones? Here are some suggestions, take what resonates & leave the rest:
Delete apps off your phone that make you spiral. Vow to only go on these sites (like TikTok or Instagram) on your computer.
Create a phone-free zone, even if it’s just a chair in your room. When you’re in your phone-free zone, switch it to airplane mode and keep your device out of reach.
Create app time limits on your phone.
Stop using your phone as a primary means of entertainment. Read books, watch movies, paint or play music as an alternate form of entertainment and relaxation.
Schedule friend dates, get to know others IRL. Join clubs, take an improv class, cook with friends and family.
Develop an enjoyable nighttime routine that doesn’t end with an hour + scroll on social media.
Prioritize doing tasks that don’t require a phone, even if they may feel uncomfortable and difficult.
For me, I want to take workout classes at night to decrease unnecessary evening scrolls. I also want to spend more quality time with my loved ones instead of just sending each other silly TikToks back and forth. And I want to meet more people! Soon when I move to Boston I can take in-person acting classes and go to random trivia nights, you know, like a real person in the real world.
I also get the irony of me sending this message over the internet, but I do hope I see you all in the flesh one day! If not, I’ll catch ya on IG ;)
Xo,
Emily