Why Does Not Having Your Phone Really Suck?
Being without your phone is a terrible circumstance. Before I leave the house I do the keys, wallet, cell phone check. The thought of leaving the house without my phone is almost too much to bare.
I have a family of 5. Between my Wife, our 3 children, and I we have 3 cellphones and 3 tablets. At no time we are without the internet. At home we have one desktop computer and one laptop. In addition each television has a Chrome cast or a Fire-stick attached to it.
Why has the obsession with our devices grown so much.
Is it a feeling of disconnect we are afraid of? Do we need a constant source of entertainment? Could it be a deep feeling of loneliness? Or is it our portal to the outside world?
For centuries ever since the Ancient Greek Theater people have had a thrust for escapism. No ones life is close to perfect. So a little distraction to engage in fantasy can ease the burdens of the day.
Those that lived long ago only had access to the theater occasionally. They didn’t of pocket sized Greek Theaters. They didn’t watch videos of the Top 10 Greek Plays That End In a Greek God Being Summoned.
My point is that having some sort of escapism could be human nature.
Who doesn’t love a good story told around a campfire. This is why people share stories. Sharing stories used to be more intimate. It was about making a connection with your audience to raise your spirits or explore the range of human emotion and condition.
Now fast forward 2,000 plus years we have constant access to this powerful tool. And it is being abused.
90 percent of the time, too much of a good thing, is bad. That other 10 percent is reserved for coffee, donuts and chocolate.
Some people have more self control than others. But it doesn’t help when society is telling you that it is OK to binge watch 5 hours of television.
Binge-watching Netflix is actually a really cool thing to do and you should feel proud of yourself. And whenever you see your friends you can say I’m finally caught up please talk to me again.
Talking to someone before cellphones or the internet was not so easy.
The options were the landline phone or writing a letter. Or if you didn’t have their phone or address you just never contacted them again. People now have 24 hr access to everyone that they know. Knowing someones name is enough information to track them down today.
It was always very exciting to see a friend and talk to them because you didn’t know when you would see them again. Now people would rather just use a messaging app.
Social Networks have taken over. It is now a genuine means of connecting with people.
The effortless ability to connect with anybody in the world is vital to society. Just as the body becomes dependent on a drug, the body becomes dependent on the internet.
The internet solves our big and small problems in just a few seconds.
Going a full day with the internet being more than a quick draw away is unsettling.
We should all exercise our minds and take a day rest from our cell phones. Our minds need to get a full workout to stay crisp and sharp.
Challenge yourself to see how long you can go without your phone! Challenge your friends too!