Keeping Time
The average life cycle of a human is 72.6 years, that equals 38,158,560 minutes in 1 average lifetime. The increase in technology has allowed us to immerse ourselves in social engagements, activities, or knowledge with just a click of a button. But sometimes that 1 little click can leave us browsing the internet, glued to the world of social media and data. At first, time spent on these devices didn’t seem like a huge problem; but after keeping a close track of how much time I spent on my phone, it became scary.
The invention of the cell phone was to contact anyone in any location. But now it has transpired to collecting information and data for business and advertisement. This feature comes in handy when curating ads based on my interests and location. But the issue it has created is stealing our time.
On average, I spent about 3 hours and 52 mins a day on my cell phone. Compared to others who are also my age, it is about average, if not lower. But it was the days I was free from work and school when I was most engaged in my phone for 8 and a half hours. What’s disturbing about this statistic is the number of times I “didn’t have enough time” for homework, family/friends, or personal hobbies.
Of all the data I discovered, I found the biggest pattern in my data schedule was how consistent it was day to day, even at specific times. I believe in creating time to mentally unwind from the day. From 12 AM- 1 AM I would play games, or watch videos before bed.
Apps have designed our lives to function more efficiently, but have also made us co-dependent. There’s an app to control your spending, stock investments, plan schedules, it creates this need to always have your phone in your possession. Every morning I wake up scattering myself across the bed, trying to find my phone because of that need to feel structured.
The biggest control the cell phone has in my life is my social activity. I crave attention and the feeling of being wanted. The ability to connect to all my friends from across the globe, search for romances on Tinder and create content on my social media feeds that craving. The biggest app used was the phone app at about 1 hour and 12 mins a day spent talking rather than texting.
The only flaw I found was my obsession to constantly check my phone to see if I missed any notifications. In the whole week, I spent about 33 hours on my phone, and unlocked my phone 1,244 times; that totals up to over ⅕ of my life spent interacting in mindless activity. My next goal is to spend less time on my phone to further encourage me to be more productive.
