Are you someone who can’t imagine life without a smartphone? Or have you considered ditching it because you spend way too much time on it?
Smartphones are certainly convenient to have. Anytime you want to know something or find something, it’s right there at your fingertips.
But that’s also part of the problem.
It’s estimated the average adult checks their phone anywhere between 50 and 300 times a day.
So it's likely not surprising to hear that we’re very attached to our devices.
Now I asked our Facebook friends what their thoughts were about smartphones and Donald Couture responded saying, “These devices are an addiction. Like drugs and alcohol there will be a rehab for it in the future.”
Donald, you may have a point. But the smartphone itself is not running our lives, however the apps on it just might be.
We know that apps are designed to pull us in, keep us engaged or persuade us to do things. Simple things like alert chimes or dings, fun emoticons and even the colors are designed to stimulate our brain’s reward center.
And that can cause people to become digitally dependent.
Now another Facebook post brought up a great point I want to share.
Dina White from New York said, “we have a no phone policy at the dinner table - too distracting.”
I absolutely love this Dina and feel every family should have this policy. What’s important here is connecting to real human beings, especially family.
Our attention to each other can really nourish us and make us feel worthy, supported and loved.
The social media apps may seem important, but for the most part, they won’t result in deeper connections.
So I would recommend for your mental health and happiness, that you pay attention and limit the amount of time you spend on your devices.
And for those who feel they’re too addicted, you can ditch the smartphone altogether and chose what’s called a “dumb phone”. It’s a phone that comes only with the bare necessities and is a great way to limit device use.
