What is that screen addiction all about?

I'm probably part of one of the last generations that grew up without too many screens. Besides TV, movie theater and some little game consoles, there wasn't much around. In terms of activity, these screens were nice, now I still preferred playing outside football, skateboard, bmx, basketball... with friends way more than being behind these screens.

Of course, being with friends together in front of these screens were nice shared moments as well. Then at some point, when I started working, I received my first mobile phone. It sounded like wonderful, I would be reachable all the time.

With that start, these screens have evolved to become very heavily brain stimulators, addictive toys and especially to fill up the empty moments that used to be the moments great ideas would come up. When I see these screens today, it looks like they are so much part of life, that people might panic without them. I’m even very scared for my kids and their possible heavy dependence on screens in the future. It freaks me out when I see people taking a walk with the pram or with the dog, and being on the phone at the same time. Really not a second without it?

I've always been sceptical with technology, I found it great inventions, now if they did not serve me, they would in my eyes not be useful. What is serving, can of course be interpreted in different ways...

Being able to call anywhere, didn't look like very useful for me, the email and sms, so the ability to contact someone to meet up, without time constraints, looked like way more of use for me.

Since we've a phone, we've to be always connected. How does that always connected serves me? It doesn't, so that is where it stops for me. I will get connected when it serves me.

When I'm waiting for the bus, not talking to people around me, not taking that moment of quietness and silence, not seeing what is happening around and just being attached to my screen, does that serve me?

When I would be addicted to my screen I would say, of course it helps me, it fills up the empty moments, I would not be able to do without... Is that not a sign of a dangerous addiction? For me it is. My changing food habits made me realise all this and I definitely moved away from it.

My phone is good for;

• calling or contacting someone in order to ideally meet up.
• a calendar to liberate my mind of things I might have to do in order to be able to live in this multitasking world.
• taking some interesting notes instead of doing this on the little paper notebook.
• camera in order to capture wonderful moments at a time that feels right for it. 
• an recently also a location search, although I've to say that I still prefer to ask directions to people around.

This useful technology for the tasks mentioned here above (and probably others I forgot), looks to me like taking a dangerous direction against my normal behaviour.

It serves for when I'm bored, when I'm lonely, when I'm shy, when I'm annoyed... I just dive my head in the screen, look for funny things, smile and everything is solved. I remember people used to use cigarettes for this as well. Is this better? For physical health probably, for mental health, not so sure.

If I now look into what it serves;

• the moment my creativity would work the best, is when I'm bored.
• I would and look for friends or community when I'm lonely.
• I would test things out in order to get more confidence, learn about myself and be less shy.
• I would get confronted with a situation and try to handle it the best I can when I'm annoyed.
• ... 

It's great that the phone is the solution for all this, isn't it?
Now is it really the solution?
And if it is, it means no life without it anymore. I know some brands that love that idea and encourage it heavily. Even spend billions to make these toys that way.

I don't like that idea, for me, life is meant to be without technology. If it can make my life truly easier, then use it, if not move away from it.

This is of interest and don't know how to start?

Some concrete steps to detox from the phone from easy to maybe more challenging. If they are all easy, there is probably no addiction which is great!

• Only have applications on my phone that really make my life easier and better less than too much applications.
• Set all notifications of besides call and sms.
• Make dedicated time in my day (2 times, for example), week... to check for notification in the application. I decide when to check, not the phone pushing notifications.
• Only connect to Wifi or mobile data when I decide so, for the rest I leave it off. My battery loves me, my mobile network provider will be obliged to invoice me a little less.
• Switch the phone completely off for some time, at least 2 hours before sleep and more if I can. I trust that real news that will have to come to me, will find his way to come to me.

Now these screens are designed to fill up life so heavily, that life passing by without being realized. It’s a choice, looking for a screen or living?

Live free, enjoy life, let technology serve you and if it doesn't, move away from it, it’s most of the time in for nothing.

#peace #goodfood #nature #fruitsandvegetables #wholefood #freedom #giveupfear#livefree