Is your smart phone is making you lonely?
Technology has truly transformed our lives. For the most part, these changes have been for the better. We can look forward to a complete lifespan, good health, and relative comfort all thanks to technology. Our smart phones in particular have done some pretty amazing stuff for us. We can research where we want to eat, or when the next movie will be where ever we are. We can let our boss know we're going to be late, or alert the local fire station to an emergency, all thanks to smart phones.
Technology has its price however, and that price may be that we're more vulnerable to loneliness. Here are some ways that your smart phone may be making you more lonely, and how to combat it.
In the revealing book, Bored Angry Lonely Stupid, Luke Fernandez and Susan Matt explore the history of loneliness, and how it has changed since the advent of smart phones. They found, through looking at diaries, and interviewing people of all walks of life from as far back as possible, that feelings of loneliness increased after smart phones went mainstream.
Before the smartphone, moments of loneliness, or just plain being alone, were expected as part of the life experience, and often sparked creativity rather than boredom. Without these moments, we may be stifling our own creativity.
Solution? Reframe your emotions.
Since smartphones have made it virtually impossible to be alone, we often don't know how to react when we end up without anyone around. You can combat this by reframing loneliness in your mind. Explore ways to enjoy time by yourself, so that when these things happen and they're not by your choice, you'll know what to do.
Being two places at once means you miss out on both
Have you ever gone to an event and spent most of your time viewing it through your camera? You snap so many selfies, tweet your location, and text your friends how fun it is, so much perhaps that you don't really get to experience it.
While there's nothing wrong with taking shots of a really awesome festival, or letting your friends know where you are, but it can quickly creep into inappropriateness. There's a reason why the movie theater has to formally ask people not to be on their phones during a movie, and why amusement parks ask you to secure phones before a ride.
Solution? Know when to put the phone down.
If you find yourself texting your way through a date, or spending more time on your phone than you do seeing a national park, you're not getting the most out of that particular moment. Knowing when to put the phone away and enjoy what's right in front of you is one of the hardest parts of blending a healthy lifestyle with a high-tech one.
Your smart phone is an essential part of life, but it doesn't have to make you lonely. Instead, learn how and when to strike a balance in order to be happier.
