Put your phone away!
Written by Julia Hetherington
Guilty, as charged. I am bound to my phone. I like to have this little piece of technology close to me and if I don’t, something is missing, I feel on edge, not quite right. What the heck is going on?! Less than twenty years ago, I didn’t even own a mobile phone. Once I finally purchased one (a true late adopter!) I owned the simple Nokia 1100 with no functionality to do anything beyond making phone calls and sending the odd prepaid text message. And I was very happy with that…in fact, I was strongly devoted to that Nokia phone for a long time, even after most of my friends and family had upgraded. I didn’t know what I didn’t know….and now I know.
So, what is the problem with this picture?
Having our smartphone always by our side means we are incessantly bombarded with texts, messages, emails, notifications and updates. A study conducted by the University of London (Your Brain at Work, David Rock, 2009) found that constant interruptions from our phones reduces our mental capability by an average of ten points in an IQ test. To put this into context, this effect is similar to missing a night’s sleep.
“Always on” is detrimental to our brain and its ability to function at its best. In today’s world, and with the smart phone phenomenon, the brain is being forced to be “on alert” far too much. This increases the stress hormone that is usually related to a sense of threat and crisis. This state of being always on, anytime, anywhere, creates an artificial sense of constant crisis. What does this lead to? The same reaction that we had in the past when a lion was chasing us… fight or flight. The issue is that none of the alerts we receive on our phones are going to eat us like a lion might… but our brain does not know this.
The constant checking of our phones takes us away from the more important things in life that should have our attention, like our children telling us about their day or a meaningful conversation with a friend. Despite having the best intentions to focus on what is in front of us, we often behave in a contradictory way. We take out our phones to snap photos of a beautiful sunset, we check our messages in the middle of a dinner date, we update our social media profiles when we are supposed to be enjoying a live concert. What is this doing? It is interrupting the moment; it is taking us away from the here and now when we should be experiencing and relishing in these pleasurable times with all of our senses.
A recent study conducted at University College London about smart phone usage in nine different countries around the world, found that many people felt the same way about their devices as they did about their homes. Professor Daniel Miller, who led the study, described us as “human snails” carrying our homes around in our pockets.
“The smartphone is no longer just a device that we use, it’s become the place where we live, said Professor Miller. The flip side of that for human relationships is that at any point, whether over a meal, a meeting or other shared activity, a person we’re with can just disappear, having ‘gone home’ to their smartphone.”
This can mean that even if we are in close proximity to others, we can still very much be alone; socially, professionally and emotionally.
It’s ok, I hear you say. I always have my phone on silent, so it doesn’t have any impact on me. Unfortunately, recent research has found that this is not the case.
A study undertaken by the University of Texas found that smartphones can demand our attention, even when on silent, turned upside down or in our pockets or bags. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor, Sherry Turkle, studied this impact as well. She stated that simply by placing a phone between two people who are engaged in conversation sends the clear message that disruption might happen at any moment. Consequently, conversation is more likely to be frivolous, less engaging, trivial and one that that can be interrupted easily without affect.
Recently I heard an analogy comparing the smartphone to a wheelbarrow. The analogy talked about trying to have an in-depth conversation with someone and a wheelbarrow arriving beside you at the table. Inside this wheelbarrow is every book you have ever read, the photo albums of all your favourite memories, an encyclopaedia that can deliver to you any piece of information you have ever wanted and a portal that can keep you in constant contact with others around the world. There is little wonder that we find ourselves distracted when the “wheelbarrow phone” shows up. All this excitement and stimulation at our fingertips. The one-on-one conversation across the table simply cannot compete.
With all this negative press, am I suggesting we should go out and collectively throw our smartphones in the bin? Absolutely not.
The Takeaway
Smartphones are vital to our lives. There are situations where our phones have valuable uses like when we are arranging a place to meet, or we need information to make a quick decision. In these situations, our phones are incredibly helpful. I am only suggesting we attempt to keep a handle on it. Let’s get back in the driver’s seat, reclaim control, and disconnect from the distraction of our phones.
And what better time to give this a go than the summer holidays? As we share Christmas dinner with our families, leave the phone in our bags. As we go to the beach for a swim in the sunshine, leave our phones in the car. As we embark on that fun filled family bike ride, leave our phones in the caravan. As we sit outside on a warm evening chatting to our partner after the kids have gone to bed, leave the phone inside.
I am challenging myself this summer to take back the reins with my phone usage and ring fence daily periods of time to go without it. To use one of Best of Today’s favourite quotes – “Get out of the cloud and come back down to Earth”. I challenge you to do to the same.
Best of Today Device Bucket
The Best of Today Device Bucket is a neat wee way to help Kiwi’s unplug from their devices and spend quality time with one another, connecting and enjoying meaningful conversations while also practicing healthy eating habits.
Have a digital detox, nourish your wellbeing while enjoying all that life has to offer.
