Sometimes, parents just don't understand.
For generations, parents have feared that the latest and greatest gadgets would fry their kids' brains, ruin their work ethic, or destroy their tiny, fragile moral compasses. Just pick any point in history. Radio, television, video games, and even books have all been accused of corrupting the youth.
I mean...kids today, right?
Well, usually the kids turn out just fine, the newest technology eventually integrates into our lives, and life goes on.
"Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything." - Steve Jobs while announcing the iPhone back in 2007.Yeah. This time it really is different. It's been over ten years. The research is in. It turns out that Steve Jobs was right. The smart phone has changed everything. It's changed our memory, our attention span, our cognitive ability, our relationships, our productivity, our social connections, our sex lives, and much more. And not all for the better. There's no question about it. Smart phones have changed our brains, our hearts, and our daily schedules. The digital revolution was supposed to make our lives better, but it instead feels like it is eroding our happiness little by little. Maybe that's why Steve Jobs and other titans of the tech industry famously do not allow their own children to have smart phones or tablets. Maybe that's why depression, prescription drug use, and suicide rates are all up. (WAY up, in fact...) Maybe that's why more and more people are finding clever ways to take back control of the technology in their own lives.
Here are four of the more strange ways I've found for you to push back at the pull of technology...
1. Buy an Ugly Phone (or an Ugly Case)
When I shattered my last phone on a trampoline, I decided to buy the latest model. Unfortunately, the only color they had in stock was "rose gold" (a euphemism for shiny pink.) It wasn't ugly. In fact, it was pretty. A little too pretty. Lo and behold, it stayed in my pocket more often. Get an ugly phone (or case) and you'll be too embarrassed to take it out in front of people. Here's a couple of suggestions:
2. Drink Some Beer
Don't you hate it when you're out to eat and the person you're with only has eyes for their phone? There is a bar in Brazil that has solved this problem. They serve their beer in glasses that will only stand upright if perched on top of a cell phone. Have a look:
Weirdest/Awesomest drinking game ever.
3. Use a Lock Screen Reminder
My lock screen is a picture of the back of a receipt on which I wrote the words, "Human Connection." Every time I reach for my pretty little phone, I'm reminded not to let my device interfere with any relationships right in front of me. It is said we check our phones over 80 times a day. That's 80 opportunities to remind ourselves of what is truly important.
What will your lock screen say? "Focus?" "Count to fifteen?" "Read a book?" "This phone is shiny pink?" The name or photo of someone important to you?
Do it now, then leave a comment below telling me what you changed your lock screen to. (I might include your idea in a book I'm working on.)
4. More Technology...Seriously
Once, I accidentally overdosed on antibiotics. Guess what the doctor prescribed? MORE ANTIBIOTICS! Just a different kind. So, I took the right dose and the pain went away. Similarly, you can use technology to help you beat tech obsession. Different technology. With the right dose. Technology that WASN'T designed with the sole purpose of sucking up every minute of your attention. There are quite a few of these but the following three are my favorites:
Moment will show you how much time you spend on your phone every day.
"If it cannot be measured, it cannot be improved," sayeth management guru, Peter Drucker. Imagine finding out you that spent five hours per day on your phone? Ten? The first step is realizing you have a problem.
In addition to passively measuring your phone time, Moment can also help you set limits.
This is useful for monitoring your child's phone use. It won't turn off your kid's phone, but it will make a god-awful sound until they do. Closing the app is not enough, they've got to shut down the phone.
Need more time to focus on work or relationships? Forest offers an interesting solution. This app lets you "plant a tree" that will "die" if you check your phone too soon. But if you can stay away, the sapling will grow into a healthy tree and be added to your forest.
It's the opposite of those Tamagotchi pets that would die if you neglected them.
This makes staying away from your phone FUN - which is much-needed if it is going to compete with any of the other apps on your phone!
Space is a free app that includes the "Moments of Zen" feature. Pick the apps that you want space from and Space will make you wait fifteen seconds every time you try to open it. During that time, you'll likely reconsider the importance of checking that particular app at that particular moment.
As their homepage says, "You don't really want to dump Facebook. You just need Space."
Do you have a way to use your phone less? Comment below and tell me about your idea. (I may use your idea in a book I'm working on.)