Robert Palmer had the sensational music hit Addicted to Love which was a major hit around the world. If we look at addiction they all fit in the same psychological category…some good some bad! As I walk around Thailand I see every kind of addict (especially smartphone users) who are oblivious to the real world and its surroundings. Its amazing to me you can get any food in the restaurants, walk on the sidewalks, or try to converse to anyone in the restaurants , travel buses, health clinics or just about everywhere on earth. If someone told you several years ago you would spend most of your time looking at tiny screens and responding to every message you got…you would say are you crazy…my time is more important to me. Not so fast! As the smartphone addiction slowly takes over you are basically just a walking zombie for a few super-rich technology giants… Who are laughing all the way to the bank.
Sometimes I want to ask the smartphone user whats so damn important that you spend most of the time punching in numbers and looking at tiny screens. Originally smart phones were used for close friends , family and emergencies. Now you can get an apt for almost anything including: the local horse races, sporting events…and apps for apps sake. We are so dependent on our smartphones that we often joke about being addicted. However, what many people still fail to realize is that smartphone addiction is actually a very real problem affecting millions across the globe. One in ten smartphone users now admit to using their phones in the shower and during sex. The same figures even show that half of people use smartphones while driving.
Right now, there is a growing body of research that says excessive phone use is really bad for you. For starters, it’s bad for your brain, your neck, your eyes, and your fingers. It’s also linked to poor sleep, higher stress levels, and depression. Nomophobia is the fear of being without your smartphone, or more simply smartphone addiction and it’s a “first world problem” that’s showing no signs of slowing down. It’s already an enormous problem, but smartphone addiction is likely to grow even more common due to the rising demand for and access to the handsets. That is not to mention the rapid advances in the technology that allow them to perform more duties at even faster speeds. So what can we do?
We need to beat the addiction and learn how to use the smartphone to your advantage. Like any addiction including smoking cigarettes, alcohol or sex abuse you need to realize your addiction and come to terms with your addiction. Because of the nature of the smartphone in the technology world this addiction rarely uses the cold turkey approach…unless it is ruining your life and your relationships. In this very short article on smartphone addiction we can simply do a few things that will help you beat the addiction.
- Customize notifications on smartphone
- Limit smartphone usage
- Get rid of unnecessary apps
- Turn phone off before going to bed
- Decide why do I really need my smartphone
- Have one day a week using a digital detox
So there you have it! After weening yourself off of the smartphone addiction… kick your heels up in the air, take a long walk and begin to enjoy life again. After-all whose life is it anyway?
QUOTE:
A smartphone is an addictive device which traps a soul into a lifeless planet full of lives.
THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: According to research from the media analytics company comScore, the average American adult spent approximately 2 hours and 51 minutes on their smartphone every single day in 2017. Tally up the hours we’re projected to spend on social media apps over a lifetime and the sum comes to a whopping 5 years and 4 months. (To put that in perspective, it’s 36% more time than any of us spend eating and drinking.) In other words, if you’ve ever questioned whether that twitchy feeling you get every time you scroll Instagram is a sign of actual addiction, you can officially stop wondering.
THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE: A quality portion of your life!
ZENTRAVELER SAYS: Use the smartphone wisely or end up a ZOMBIE CONTROLLED DIGIT.
From here to Infinity is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on. Follow the Zentraveler Blog often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a three in one blog for the price of free.