My name is Becky and I am addicted to my phone.
Yes, My Phone
They say the first step is recognizing that you have a problem so here I am. I am not a doctor. I don’t have a high-powered, executive position in some major corporation where every minute is another opportunity for a life-altering decision. But I might miss a status update on Facebook. Or an email from Joann’s craft store. Silly, yes, but important to me.
It has gotten to the point where I don’t watch a movie with my family. I scroll through my Facebook feed or browse news websites and such and just barely pay enough attention to the movie to make a comment now and then. I am not worried about missing a movie. But I am missing time with my family. What is so gripping that I cannot put down my phone for more than 10 minutes at a time?
With all of the terrifying news about missing children, horrible crimes, natural disasters and the current political state, it makes me wonder why I am so obsessed with staying connected. It is important to be informed. But there is no reason to get minute by minute updates on the state of the world and miss what is happening at home. That doesn’t even cover the range of emotions that I go through reading all of this. As a human being and a parent, the news makes me sad, angry, frustrated, scared etc. This is emotionally draining and has no real benefit.
Then we come to Facebook. Yes, we can keep up with friends, but do we really need to see the post from our hairdresser’s cousin who got a new parakeet? Really? And Facebook seems to reinforce our tendency to compare our lives with those of others. I know I do it. And then I start to feel like I am not good enough and my life isn’t good enough and it is a slippery slope from there.
Taking Control
So I have decided to take control. I am weeding out the pages I follow and the people that I am “friends” with on Facebook. I want my feed filled with my friends and news of good deeds and recipes, not hateful memes and political noise.
I am also trying to limit myself to checking my phone once per hour in the evenings. Five minutes and that’s it. It is not enough, but it is a start. Maybe my days won’t be such an emotional rollercoaster and I can focus on the things that truly matter to me here at home.
