Disconnect to reconnect
Have you ever given any thought to what you would do or think about if you did not have your mobile phone in times of boredom?
Perhaps you’ve never needed to because it’s the one thing a lot of people will rarely not have on them regardless of where they are. If you ask me, I think more of us should aim to actively reduce our phone times in both social and solitary situations and aim to disconnect digitally where we can, enabling us to actively reconnect with ourselves and each other.
At our fingertips, smartphones provide access to unlimited information, e-commerce, streaming, messaging platforms and various social networks allowing us to be connected at all times. We can talk to friends and family, engage with our idols and ‘influencers’ and generally consume more of our passions on the go, be it sports, music, TV shows or anything else. It’s clear this delivers lots of satisfaction and for a lot of people means they’re never really alone or bored, but is it becoming too consuming and creating dissociation?
Whether you commute to work or spend much time in public spaces I encourage you to observe how frequently we all gormlessly scroll on our phones, trying to ensure our minds are stimulated and we’re not left to be with our thoughts. Similar can be said of live events also littered with mobile phones in the air capturing as much as possible digitally, distracting us from taking in the atmosphere and experience first hand. Interacting with our phones has become very habitual, I’ve noticed (with unease) how both myself and others seem to feel obliged to grab their phone as soon as a friend has, it’s almost an impulsive reaction.
I am by no means on my way to being a ‘phone-free’ individual, the perks they bring us would be silly to ignore whether it’s news exposure, speaking to loved ones or utilising an app. However, in my experience with a bit of thought and observation, it’s quite easy to clock off a lot more often and not get dragged into endless scrolling. The news feed on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook is not going anywhere, yet we spend more time observing these feeds than the feed going on in our heads, and we instinctively check them in the company of others. We focus on getting a good photo of us and our friends to post online instead of actually enjoying their company.
Living in the moment seems truly wasted and yet innocently overlooked.
The challenge is clear. Let’s challenge ourselves in not using your phone when you are with your friends or they’ve left the room, when you’re walking or in a queue. But aim to actively be present by taking in your surroundings and reconnecting with yourself. Aim to remove apps from your phone for a period or even just turn off the notifications they may send you to counter an impulse of checking and see how you get on. Focus on giving people you’re full attention when you’re with them and see how much this can benefit your relationships, the moment, your experiences and your headspace.
