In my previous post, I briefly touched upon the topic of distractions. I will be the first to admit that I am addicted to technology, especially to my smartphone. I have not figured out a permanent solution to this problem, and am not sure if anyone has. However, I am in the process of implementing strategies to set personal boundaries for my fascination with technology. I will share how the excessive use of technology is affecting me and what works to reduce its use and negative impact.
Negative impact of Distractions
- Unable to focus – I heavily rely on my smartphone to research, read, listen to e-books/podcasts, make shopping lists, jot down ideas, note all appointments etc. I am sure that most of us are able to relate with the productive use of a smartphone. However, there is also the unproductive side, which is the endless social media scrolling. It consumes our precious time as well as our ability to focus. There is a constant urge to check messages, emails or social media which shortens our attention span. It feels overwhelming as there is always something better to look at and learn.
- Loss of creativity – When I felt bored during my youth, I would think of something creative to do to occupy myself like reading, drawing and connecting with friends. However, that is not the case these days as the first thing that comes to mind is to pick up the phone to check messages/social media. After endless browsing, I not only feel exhausted mentally, but have no energy to do anything else. This leads to feelings of guilt for wasting time and not accomplishing anything worthwhile. We are browsing creative content but not adding to our own creativity.
- Loss of Social Life – I believe our reliance on smartphones has made our society more isolated than ever. We are losing social connections. I intentionally turn off all my social media notifications other than regular text and Whats app messages. Even with the notifications off, I check my phone frequently. It has become such a habit that I do it unknowingly. It is almost like a natural reflex. Can you relate to this, where we check our phones instead of paying attention to the person sitting in front of us? We exchange messages/reels with friends and think we are communicating with one another. When we do meet in person, the phone seems to take priority. So much content is easily available on this little device, and it is shortening our attention span as well as making us forget basic etiquette. Not to mention the countless instances in which I have read distressing emails as soon as I receive them. Doing this has ruined moments with my family/friends. I do not know why we have created such urgency in everything we do. This advancing technology is supposed to make life easier, not harder. It is not the technology itself, but the excessive use of it that is most damaging.
How to Reduce Distractions
- Take short frequent breaks – I am not saying take breaks every 15 minutes; however, it has helped me focus when I take a five minute break every hour to stretch, drink water, and/or check messages. This keeps the blood circulation going and also helps with the urge to check the phone because you have set yourself a specific time to do so.
- Find a hobby – Remember the good old days of in person activities and hobbies? Find a hobby offline so you are away from technology/screen time. We browse creative content and feel we are not creative enough to produce something similar, and such comparison is harmful to our self image/self confidence. Find a hobby like a sport activity, traveling, reading, knitting, crochet, singing, dancing, yoga and so on. The possibilities are endless. You do not have to be good at it, just try it and see if you enjoy it. In my blog post “How Hobbies can help us stay motivated”, I mentioned the importance of having a hobby and how I discovered I could actually draw. Hobbies can help us to stay away from technology/screen time. By writing these blog posts, I am actually challenging myself although I am still on my laptop typing. It has helped me engage in something worthwhile. If nothing else I will improve my writing skills 🙂
- Make time for family/friends – Time is our most valuable resource and it is passing us at a fast pace. I want to spend time making memories with my family and friends instead of browsing social media. You have probably read and heard this statement way too many times. I am making a conscious effort to keep off the phone when with someone. It is not that I have the urge to browse social media but I definitely have the urge to reply to messages/emails. It seems everything is urgent and requires our immediate attention. As a result, it causes stress and anxiety as we are always trying to keep up. In fact, it is expected of us that we respond immediately, as this is the culture we are creating for ourselves and others. If a situation is of an urgent nature, then we should call. If it is a text message, then it can wait. The person in front of us deserves our full attention. Also, make efforts to meet up in person as communication is so much more meaningful. Speaking of meetups, I have some coffee/chai meetings to catch up on.
While advancing technology is supposed to make life easier, we have made it complicated by overusing it. My grandfather used to say “too much of everything and anything is bad”. I think of his quote often and try to correct myself. This is my experience with smartphone technology and I am sharing it with you even if it makes me vulnerable. The excessive use of it definitely impacts my motivation. While it is okay to use smartphone technology, it should not be okay to be owned by such technology.
As a final note, I find it ironic that while smart phones can bring us closer to those far away from us, they also take us away from those who are sitting next to us.
