Electronic devices have taken over nearly every aspect of our lives. Recently I attended my first day of my Mental Health class. My professor invited us to do something that would be nearly impossible for everyone in the room. People started looking around questioning what he could possibly ask us to do. When the question turned out to be to “Turn off your cell phones for our entire class”, you would be astonished at the discomfort and unease on everyone’s faces. 3 hours and 15 minutes with no “connection”. If someone saw their faces, they might have assumed our teacher asked them to cut their own finger off. The attachment people have with their phones is mind blowing and it’s not something you realize until you turn it off.
Surprisingly enough once our phones were off we had no choice but to speak with your fellow students. I don’t think you realize how often we turn to our phones. When the teacher is setting up the PowerPoint, you take a quick twitter break. When there is a quick break, you send a snapchat to all your friends. When you’re finished with your practice problems, you check your email and refresh Instagram. Your phone is often connected to your hand like an extra digit. The thought of initially shutting it off is scary, what will you possibly do in those spare seconds of time. This class, although I have only attended one has taught me a tremendous lesson.
It is okay to power off. You’re more productive. You have your full attention span to focus on what you’re doing. You can complete a full task without having to take a break to check twitter every 3 minutes. You don’t have to compare. I know most people find themselves looking at others social media, unconsciously, comparing what others do to their own lives. People are constantly posting to compete with others. I also noticed in my short 3 hours without my phone, I didn’t miss it. I didn’t have a dire urge to turn it back on. I was content without the constant buzzing and notifications. It was nice to have time completely unconnected. When you disconnect with your phone, you have time to actually connect with people.
