Nearly two-thirds of Americans own a cell phone, making them a common sight across the country. In fact, the Pew Research Center says many young adults “have deeply embedded mobile devices into the daily contours of their lives.” Over the past year I have noticed just how much I, and others, use mobile devices, such as a smartphone or tablet, in our daily lives. I can easily say many young adults spend a good chunk of time each day staring at a little screen in their hand. But when we are busy looking at these devices, life passes us by and we miss great opportunities. Here are five reasons why you should put down your phone (or other mobile device) and live life.
1. Get to know those around you and improve your conversations.
When you are on your phone, it becomes difficult to interact with those around you. It distracts you from the person you are interacting with and the interruptions ruin the conversation. The other person may even feel like they are not important when you look down at your phone, like you would rather be talking to whoever you are texting or playing a game than talking to them. In a study performed by Virginia Tech, it was proven that just the presence of a cell phone lowered the quality of the conversation. It stated, “Conversations in the absence of mobile communication technologies were rated as significantly superior compared with those in the presence of a mobile device, above and beyond the effects of age, gender, ethnicity, and mood.” So next time you are with some friends, or going out on a date, remember to put the phone away and give the other people your attention.
2. You are missing the world around you
While you might be able to watch live or recorded videos of everything going on, you are missing out on the experience of physically being there. When you go places, not only do you get physical exercise as a health benefit, but you get to interact with others, meet new people and have the opportunity to experience other new things. And if you are at a concert, the performance is a thousand times better when seen in person than paying to get in only to watch it through a little four-inch screen because you are filming or Snapchatting it. So put your phone away and experience life and everything it has to offer.
3. Your eyes need a break
Looking at electronic devices such as cellphones, tablets and computers can lead to digital eye strain, also known as computer vision syndrome. Symptoms of computer vision syndrome include dry and irritated eyes, fatigue, blurry vision and headaches. Unless you take a break from looking at the screen, computer vision syndrome can cause long-term vision problems, even in children and young adults.
4. It can help you sleep
Looking at the screen of your mobile device can also prevent you from getting sleep. According to research from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, the “blue light” that many devices emit lowers the level of a chemical in your body that control sleepiness. It also effects your REM cycle which causes you to feel more tired when you wake up. Putting your phone down for at least 30 minutes before going to bed has been proven to help you get better sleep.
5. You’ll feel less stressed
I went for a week without a phone last August because the charging port was broken. At first I was freaking out because I use my phone to keep up on social media, check my emails and to talk to other people. After a few days however, I noticed I didn’t need to worry about everything. My emails could wait until I got on a computer, I learned that I could live without social media and if people really wanted to talk to me, they would make an effort to see me. Not having to carry my phone with me 24/7 actually made me less stressed and allowed me to live life with fewer distractions.
