Finding Balance in a Tech Obsessed World
Photo by Wengang Zhai on Unsplash
Have you ever felt like all the scrolling and group chat activity controls your day? You had so much you wanted to do, yet, somehow you look up from your phone and the whole day has passed! If that’s you, don’t worry. You are not alone. Big Tech companies and online platforms use a variety of methods and tricks to keep users on their phones for as long as possible. “Why” you may ask? There is a very simple answer: Greed.
Science reveals a lot about these tactics and how they work to gain users’ attention. Things like harnessing dopamine releases in the brain, insecurities and FOMO, as well as personalized algorithms and notifications. With all of these deceptions, it’s no wonder that so many of us seem to struggle with putting away our phones. My friends often describe the feeling like having no control over our days, as the phones seem to snatch any free minute we think we have.
Trying to cut out technology completely isn’t actually all that helpful, as there are so many ways that having access to tech improves our lives. What it’s really about is learning to live WITH our phones instead of FOR our phones.
For me, the most effective way to counteract the constant need for a dopamine rush is to replace it with something far better: relationship.
One of the things my phone disrupts the most is my time with friends and family. I feel like it can go one of two ways:
I isolate myself with my phone instead of reaching out to friends. As a result, I feel more lonely and disconnected.
My time spent with others is diluted by constant phone usage. Have you ever had times hanging out with friends only to look up and realize that every single person has a phone in their hand? I definitely have.
One of the solutions to dealing with constant phone usage is to create boundaries around when and where we take out our phone. This way, we can enjoy the moments of using tech while also fully immersing ourselves in everything else that life has to offer!
For example, I started to leave my phone in my bag at lunchtime during school because I noticed that all I would do is sit and scroll. As a result, I actually shared meaningful time with my peers and created memories I never would have otherwise. Like I said before, it’s not about completely taking anything away. Setting the boundaries opens life up and ultimately gives you MORE. MORE belonging, MORE connection, MORE life.
Some other tips to live well with your phone include:
Turning off notifications
Setting up screen time alarms
Getting rid of distracting apps you don’t need
Creating no-phone zones
Small changes like these can make a meaningful difference in the quality of our time with and without our phones. Remember, it’s totally relatable to feel out of control with tech, but there are solutions that can leave us feeling more in control of how we spend our time.
