Smart Phone, Stupid Decisions: Why My Smartphone Makes Me Dumb

Dear Readers,

Many, many months have passed since I journaled here, and that's a shame indeed. It is sometimes hard in life to find the time to write out what I am feeling and experiencing, and yet it is the very act of recording events in my life which helps me process them. Alas, life is like that: Often what we want isn't what we need, and what we need isn't what we want. And much of life is not only complex and grey, but it is seemingly unfair. 

As a growth-oriented individual, it seems only natural to pen my thoughts on issues I am currently pondering. I have been thinking recently about my smartphone. I love my smartphone, but I also detest it. As much as I cherish all the blessings it brings into my life (which I will shortly list) it also brings with it numerous responsibilities and unpleasantness (which I will also directly address). 

Why I love my smartphone:

-I get to see photographs of my adorable and sweet nieces and nephews on a daily basis. What a treat!

-The World Wide Web is at my fingertips. Any inquiry I suddenly have, any topic I suddenly fancy is  just a simple click away. This is bloody amazing. It makes for a more informed Shira, and helps to encourage my constant curiosity, a lifelong companion of mine. 

- I can call and message people in mere seconds. Communication in the current century is something truly spectacular and incredibly easy to take for granted. 

-Calendar and Reminders! What's the secret to being that true friend who always calls at the exact right time? Who remembers every time you have a test or a doctors appointment? Putting a reminder in your phone! 


Why I despise my smart phone:

-It controls my life, and I am a slave to it. I am conditioned to it's ring, and chained to it's notification sounds. I feel like it makes my decisions for me. It's always one step ahead of me and I follow, somewhat helpless, in it's wake as it dictates my daily choices and actions.

-Brain space. I cannot fully focus on work, books, conversations, dishes I am cooking, or really anything when the little troublesome device is around, seducing me with it's flashing lights and alluring vibrations. 

-Social media. As inspiring and attractive as these platforms can be (and they do spread an unbelievable amount of good in the world), they also distort reality, and shift the focus from the beauty of a photo or post, to the amount of likes or shares it gets. Our human brains cannot help but make the obvious conclusion: the more 'likes' or 'shares' something has the more true that it must be. But wait, what? Does that even make any sense?

-Facebook, specifically, seems to create an environment where strangers feel comfortable to tear others down, without basis or reason, and certainly without familiarity of the person. It happened to me and to my friends. It's truly disgusting the amount  of bullying one can expect when opening up their Facebook page.


-My attention span. I struggle to make it through a film without glancing at my little screen. I have to push myself to continue reading the chapters of my book without pausing to just check if anyone wrote me, or see if there is a new photo I should see. 

-I get a false sense of friendship and this affects my emotional state. If I don't get any messages I feel sad, unpopular, and despondent. This is absurd! I know this on an intellectual level, and yet I can't help the unfounded feelings of rejection and worthlessness that wash through me when I unlock the screen only to see no new notifications.


And so, friends, for many months I have been trying to figure out a way to stop. I tried not being on my smart phone for 12 hours, from 7pm to 7am. I think I lasted fifteen minutes. I realized that the more pressure I put on myself, the more stressed and obsessive I got. So I backed down, and decided to start smaller. I put my phone on airoplane mode before I went to sleep. Not only is this a good decision health-wise, but it is an empowering personal choice: I, Shira the human being, get to decide when I don't want to receive any more stimulation at night. I get to determine if I will be woken from the buzzing of my phone, or if I can just look in the morning.

Around this time, I also realized that even if I didn’t go on a “phone fast” for 12 hours, I could still choose blocks of time I wasn’t on my phone. I started just leaving my phone in the back while I was at work, or setting it on my bed while I went to sit with my family in the den. My, oh my, what a lovely thing this is! I began to find myself more present, more sharp, and more kind. Suddenly, my mind was clear and I could remember things from long ago, or make intelligent connections. I feel like my mind was sitting in goop and now it’s been cleaned out.


The biggest take-away for me was an understanding with myself that I am in control of my smart phone, and not it of me. If there are days I want to be on it all day, and be distracted that is okay, it is my choice and my call. And when I want to focus, to be present, to think, or even to daydream, then I can put my phone down and walk away. 

There is beauty in balance

There is power in gradual-ity

And there is value in being truly present

I remain yours etc,
Shira