Drop the Phone: Pick up Your Life
Miles Bell '22 Staff Writer
You might have just read this headline and thought, “Oh boy. Another one of these lectures from an anti-all-technology.” And while I’m not someone who thinks we need to go back to the Stone Age, I realized something a while ago. I want to take some time, if you’re willing, to share that something with you.
It was a regular day. After another day of long, tiring work, I was sitting, quite bored, on my bed. Mindlessly scrolling through Youtube, Twitter and Instagram, I eventually got so bored I was just flipping through my homepage searching for an app to occupy my time. And it was there, in the middle of my search, that I found something unbelievable.
13 hours of screen time.
I repeat. 13 HOURS of screen time.
I stared, partly in disbelief, partly in awe. Somehow, in a day that I thought was draining beyond belief, my phone had been active for over 13 hours that day. Ironically, the first thing I did after seeing that number was fly to Dr. Google, typing in, “Phone Addiction.” Mere seconds later, a page of results showed me that yes — phone addictions do exist.
According to the Pew Research Center, over 54% of US teens say that they spend too much time on their phones, and 31% report that phones distract them from class and work. Because of how social media, and phones in general, are designed, it’s very easy to lose track of time.
But I still didn’t buy it. In my heart, I thought it was impossible. Somehow a device that I believed I had power over, that I controlled, that I could put down at any time I wanted to, had controlled me for years. I did not, could not and would not believe it.
But a number is a number — undeniable evidence of what had been happening, what would have continued to happen. So, to assuage my hurt pride and assure myself that everything was A-OK, I took an online phone addiction test. 20 questions to see if it could potentially be a problem.
I scored 20/20 on the test.
I tell you all of this to make a point. Our phones can be so fun and helpful that it can be hard to look at your phone usage objectively to see if there’s a potential problem. I encourage you to at least check your screen time. Try and take one of the many tests available online; I know personally that Virtual-Addiction has a good one. Analyze the results truthfully. It’s okay to recognize that there is a problem in your life that needs fixing. It’s better than ignoring it for the sake of pride and letting the problem grow.
After reading this rather bleak article on phone usage, you may find yourself asking: what now? Thank the skies and heavens, for I have gathered some steps for you to take to fix this nasty problem. Stay with me!
Step One: Address usage and confront the truth.
Usually, you’ll hear stuff like “Get off your phone,” and “You’re using your phone too much,” from teachers and parents. While they have good intentions (or they’re just annoyed at you), it can come off as a bit naggy and annoying. The first step that I would suggest is to not take this suggestion as an order from some outside source, but as a serious self-reflection of how you want your life to be. Take a look at your screen time, and soak it all in.
Step Two: Take steps to help minimize usage
“Out of sight, out of mind” works for many and is worth a shot if you catch yourself distracted. Imagine it’s Sunday night. It’s been a long day of last minute homework, and after a very short time to relax, it’s already time to sleep. You get ready for bed, finish the last check of your phone, set your alarm, set your phone right beside you and sleep. If this sounds like you, then this tip is for you! This devious trap has two consequences right off the bat. One, it’s way too easy to just hit snooze and go back to bed. Two, the very first thing you see and think of is your phone. The list of notifications hits you immediately and before you know it, you’re right back neck deep in your phone. There are two ways to address this problem. The first is that Do Not Disturb is not effective when it comes to waking up, as your phone invites you to turn it off almost immediately. Instead, put your phone on airplane mode. This stops any notifications from coming through and reminds you of why you set it that way in the first place.
The final yet simplest suggestion of the bunch: just set screen time settings on! A screen time setting would remind you that you’ve hit whatever cap you set. Since you set it (not your parents), screen time settings simply remind you that you hit your cap, and if you need to you can ignore it or extend the limit for that day by a little. In practice, it’s quite helpful to keep track of the time that can so quickly slip by you.
Step Three: Recognize the good, the bad, and the purpose
Despite the fact that phones are used by almost everyone, addressing phone usage and potential addiction is a touchy subject. I don’t want to solely portray phones as bad, as they have plenty of benefits. They connect us to others we wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach, provide easy communication with friends and family, allow us to find the answer to almost any question we have at any time and do stuff we couldn’t do before. But our phones, especially social media apps, are designed with the sole purpose of sucking as much time away from us as possible. If you aren’t careful, it can be extremely easy to fall into those traps. Prioritize real life, and use your phone to connect with others, organize and take action on issues you care about. The tool you use to facilitate your interests can’t become your interests.
Whatever conclusion you reach after reading, I hope that you reflect on what you want out of your life and what you’re currently getting out of it. I propose that you seriously reflect on the role your phone has in your life. You’re not powerless to make a change in your lifestyle. I promise that if you do decide to put your phone down, you will see endless possibilities for your newfound time when you look up.
It was a regular day. After another day of long, tiring work, I was sitting, quite bored, on my bed. Mindlessly scrolling through Youtube, Twitter and Instagram, I eventually got so bored I was just flipping through my homepage searching for an app to occupy my time. And it was there, in the middle of my search, that I found something unbelievable.
13 hours of screen time.
I repeat. 13 HOURS of screen time.
I stared, partly in disbelief, partly in awe. Somehow, in a day that I thought was draining beyond belief, my phone had been active for over 13 hours that day. Ironically, the first thing I did after seeing that number was fly to Dr. Google, typing in, “Phone Addiction.” Mere seconds later, a page of results showed me that yes — phone addictions do exist.
According to the Pew Research Center, over 54% of US teens say that they spend too much time on their phones, and 31% report that phones distract them from class and work. Because of how social media, and phones in general, are designed, it’s very easy to lose track of time.
But I still didn’t buy it. In my heart, I thought it was impossible. Somehow a device that I believed I had power over, that I controlled, that I could put down at any time I wanted to, had controlled me for years. I did not, could not and would not believe it.
But a number is a number — undeniable evidence of what had been happening, what would have continued to happen. So, to assuage my hurt pride and assure myself that everything was A-OK, I took an online phone addiction test. 20 questions to see if it could potentially be a problem.
I scored 20/20 on the test.
I tell you all of this to make a point. Our phones can be so fun and helpful that it can be hard to look at your phone usage objectively to see if there’s a potential problem. I encourage you to at least check your screen time. Try and take one of the many tests available online; I know personally that Virtual-Addiction has a good one. Analyze the results truthfully. It’s okay to recognize that there is a problem in your life that needs fixing. It’s better than ignoring it for the sake of pride and letting the problem grow.
After reading this rather bleak article on phone usage, you may find yourself asking: what now? Thank the skies and heavens, for I have gathered some steps for you to take to fix this nasty problem. Stay with me!
Step One: Address usage and confront the truth.
Usually, you’ll hear stuff like “Get off your phone,” and “You’re using your phone too much,” from teachers and parents. While they have good intentions (or they’re just annoyed at you), it can come off as a bit naggy and annoying. The first step that I would suggest is to not take this suggestion as an order from some outside source, but as a serious self-reflection of how you want your life to be. Take a look at your screen time, and soak it all in.
Step Two: Take steps to help minimize usage
“Out of sight, out of mind” works for many and is worth a shot if you catch yourself distracted. Imagine it’s Sunday night. It’s been a long day of last minute homework, and after a very short time to relax, it’s already time to sleep. You get ready for bed, finish the last check of your phone, set your alarm, set your phone right beside you and sleep. If this sounds like you, then this tip is for you! This devious trap has two consequences right off the bat. One, it’s way too easy to just hit snooze and go back to bed. Two, the very first thing you see and think of is your phone. The list of notifications hits you immediately and before you know it, you’re right back neck deep in your phone. There are two ways to address this problem. The first is that Do Not Disturb is not effective when it comes to waking up, as your phone invites you to turn it off almost immediately. Instead, put your phone on airplane mode. This stops any notifications from coming through and reminds you of why you set it that way in the first place.
The final yet simplest suggestion of the bunch: just set screen time settings on! A screen time setting would remind you that you’ve hit whatever cap you set. Since you set it (not your parents), screen time settings simply remind you that you hit your cap, and if you need to you can ignore it or extend the limit for that day by a little. In practice, it’s quite helpful to keep track of the time that can so quickly slip by you.
Step Three: Recognize the good, the bad, and the purpose
Despite the fact that phones are used by almost everyone, addressing phone usage and potential addiction is a touchy subject. I don’t want to solely portray phones as bad, as they have plenty of benefits. They connect us to others we wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach, provide easy communication with friends and family, allow us to find the answer to almost any question we have at any time and do stuff we couldn’t do before. But our phones, especially social media apps, are designed with the sole purpose of sucking as much time away from us as possible. If you aren’t careful, it can be extremely easy to fall into those traps. Prioritize real life, and use your phone to connect with others, organize and take action on issues you care about. The tool you use to facilitate your interests can’t become your interests.
Whatever conclusion you reach after reading, I hope that you reflect on what you want out of your life and what you’re currently getting out of it. I propose that you seriously reflect on the role your phone has in your life. You’re not powerless to make a change in your lifestyle. I promise that if you do decide to put your phone down, you will see endless possibilities for your newfound time when you look up.