THIS...Is Your Enemy
Every day you wake up to it. Every day you put yourself at risk for it. While driving or walking. Each day, you are facing it and don’t even realize it. Now if you did some research on it, you may or may not come up with much. It starts as a form of distraction. Then, it turns into anxiety. Then worry. You are exposing yourself to hours of this enemy. For some of you, it kills you, slowly. For others, death happens much faster.
This enemy is your smart phone.
Incredible smart people have come together to develop apps and algorithms to keep you on longer. One platform only had photos and now it’s all about video. You can watch one video on social media now and the next video is about the same thing or theme as the last. The phone ends up using you, instead of you using the phone. The information and posts you see are pushed in your direction on purpose. And created to get your attention.
Just like casinos, having an entire process to get you looped in, sucked in and know how to take your money. At the casino there are no windows or clocks to tell you the time or to hint at how much time you’ve spent there. In addition, the casinos play with scents to keep you in there longer. They offer free drinks if you’re playing on the casino floor. Everything is set up like a game. Bells, whistles, lights, sounds. Our minds are attracted by this because they have research that helps shape the experience in favor of the casino, making money.
The phone is no different. It’s killing you slowly. It is taking you away from you dreams. You are spending too much time on it. You are putting yourself at risk when you drive with the device in your hand or walking down a busy street and you never look up. You have children that you don’t make eye contact with because the phone has you. It owns you, it has stolen you and your attention from the things and people who matter. It makes you anxious. Worried. Stressed. Rushed. Insecure. And lazy.
Life is short and you complain about it. You complain about not having enough time. You complain about your kids growing up so fast. You complain at how your life is not what you want or you aren’t doing the things you want to do. And you waste hours each day on the phone. Hours you’ll never get back. And then, you want to snap at someone because you don’t have time.
Stop. Put the phone down. Look up and around you. It’s much better here in the real world than in your phone. The phone, is your enemy.
Look at these additional resources dating back to 2019. I am sure since going through COVID it is much worse:
1. We tap, swipe, and click on our phones 2,617 times per day (King Online University).
2. The average smartphone owner unlocks their phone 150 times a day (Internet Trends).
3. We use a gadget 10 hours and 39 minutes on average each day (Penn State).
4. 73% of us have experienced anxiety over losing our phones (Harvard).
5. We send or receive 94 texts per day on average (Text Request).
6. 25% of adults wake up to use our phones at night (Wharton).
7. We're using our phones 20% more often than we did in 2015 (King Online University).
8. 33% of teens bring their phone to bed at night (Wharton).
9. 60% of college students say they are addicted to their phones (Baylor).
10. 75% of Americans use their mobile phones on the toilet (Tech Jury).
11. 59% of teens reported moderate exposure to online bullying (Psychology Today).
12. 94% of all Americans now have cell phones (Mobile Coach).
13. 85% of smartphone users check their phones while speaking with friends and family (Bank My Cell).
14. 87% of Millennials say their smartphone never leaves their side (Zogby).
Source: NOV 19, 2019 -These Updated Stats About How Often You Use Your Phone Will Humble You
Thought Provoking Questions : How much time will you waste on your phone today? What could you do instead? What are you gaining by being on your phone?
Dan Roman is a writer that releases a daily meditation. A quick read. Sharing wisdom and asking thought-provoking questions. Influenced by the obstacles, success and failures in life and of others. Using history, books, current events, philosophy, and ancient wisdom. These writings are actionable, thought-provoking, designed to make your life better.
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