We are everyday robots on our phones” crooned Damon Albarn through my headphones, and I had to pause the song. Damon is right, we have become robots…every single one of us. Our eyes are constantly glued to our cell phone screens as we mindlessly scroll through twitter, thoughtlessly double tap Instagram photos, and apathetically up vote Yaks.
Our generation, the millennial generation, has also been labeled as the ‘always on’ generation; how fitting of a title.
We sit in crowded classrooms texting rather than engaging in conversation with the person next to us. We go out to dinner, a time when engaging discussion is expected, and check score updates or play candy crush instead of talking.
This cell phone fixation could be a sign of a deeper problem. Many researchers report that people today, especially our generation, may actually have varying degrees of cell phone addiction. Yes, we may actually be addicted to our cell phones.
That anxious feeling you get when you are away from your phone for an extended period of time? A sign of addiction. Those moments you think you feel your phone vibrate, dubbed textaphrenia, but upon checking your phone you discover you actually do not have friends who want to text you? A sign of addiction. The moment of terror you experience when your battery drops below 5 percent? You guessed it.
Many of us, me included, basically cuddle with our phones at night, ready to send a text mid-REM somehow; we cannot be separated. This fascination with our phones is understandable; we have these super computers within an arm’s reach at all times. They are gateways to the incredible, the awe inspiring, the hilarious, the infuriating, and the unpredictable. However, it becomes a problem when technology begins to be control our lives. We do need technology; for school, work, or to keep in touch with loved ones. It is time to take some of that control back.
I am sure many of you have heard this before and probably participated in something similar, but I’d like to suggest that we set aside some time each week to just unplug. If it is truly an addiction we can call it a detox of sorts.
One day this weekend take an hour, two, or maybe even the full day, away from your phone. It only has to apply to your cell phone; I realize quitting technology cold turkey would cause some of us to lose our minds. Go on a walk, pick up that book you have been itching to read, talk with your roommates, do some yoga, go to the farmers market or the coffee shop. If you start out with just an hour work your way up to two, three, a full day, maybe even a full weekend.
Notice the changes in your life you will experience by just taking the time to get out and explore yourself as well as your surroundings; you will be surprised what you miss while your head is buried in your phone.
