Unplug For Health

We live in a hyper connected world today and for all of the good technology has afforded us I am one of those people that I think the bad is starting to outweigh the good. 

We are coming up on the 15-year anniversary of smart phones. Ask yourself, are you better off with it or are you just dependent on it? I am the first to admit that when going on a road trip there is nothing better than typing in the address and not have to worry about getting lost or looking at a bunch of maps while trying to not run off the road. But for me after that if I am being honest other than texting/calling I can live without it. I am not trying to sound Hollier than though but if I am being honest, I have a bigger problem with TV than my phone. I like movies or good series. And its holiday season which means I am all about Christmas specials and the Hallmark channel. Don’t judge me. 

Below is some staggering statistics:

• 84% of cell phone users claim they could not go a single day without their device.  
• 67% of cell phone owners check their phone for messages, alerts, or calls — even when they don’t notice their phone ringing or vibrating.  
• Studies indicate some mobile device owners check their devices every 6.5 minutes. (source)
• 88% of U.S. consumers use mobile devices as a second screen even while watching television. (source)
• Almost half of cell owners have slept with their phone next to their bed because they wanted to make sure they didn’t miss any calls.  
• Traditional TV viewing eats up over six days (144 hours, 54 minutes) worth of time per month. (source)
• Some researchers have begun labeling “cell phone checking” as the new yawn because of its contagious nature.  

Unfortunately, too many people do have a problem with their phones and social media. This is not me saying this there are numerous studies proving this not to mention the documentary on Netflix, The Social dilemma, outlining how bad social media is for us.

This is one of the reasons you are seeing industries popping up about getting off the grid for a period of time. They measure brain activity before and after going into nature to unplug and the results are staggering. On average it takes 3-4 days to get our brains back to baseline from all the stimulation we are exposed to daily. This obviously can’t be good in the long term so what can we do about it?

As a side note that jackass, Mark Zuckerberg, wants you to be hooked up 24/7 in his AI Metaverse. What a dick, but I digress. As if we don’t have enough problems with anxiety, lack of relationships, and health issues, but hey let’s double down and have people never leave their house in live in a fake world. Thanks, but no thanks.

You have to recognize where it is you are having the issues with being to plugged in. Are you on your phone too much? Are you sitting in front of your iPad too long? Are you watching too much Netflix? Only you can answer this but you need to get honest and not BS yourself.

I am trying to limit my phone and screen time, especially on the weekends. If I go out to eat, I leave my phone in the car. If I meet someone for coffee, I do the same. I limit how much TV I watch at night. None of these are a big deal but I think they are helping me to be able to stay focused more on things that require focus.

I also think that finding hobbies that don’t allow for screens are a big help to break the habit of constantly being plugged in.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Am I crazy or do I have a point?