HOW ATTACHED ARE YOU TO YOUR CELL PHONE?
My answer, up until last week, was that I wasn’t attached and could live without it. Then my answer to whether or not I was attached came up short. It turns out that even though I thought it was easy to live without, it turns out that leaving your phone at home can be a huge mistake! I had phone withdrawals!
I never realized how addicted we all were until this moment; constantly checking social media apps like Facebook when you’re already connected through another device (like a laptop/computer) just isn’t enough anymore because now people expect constant contact via messaging etcetera across various platforms.
At first, I was afraid that if something happened and someone needed to get ahold of me they would have no way. But as the day went on with nothing happening in terms of calls-it became clear that I was addicted!
I was afraid I would miss an important call. And it was storming that day, and I was concerned about driving without a cell phone in the storm on the way home in case something happened. I couldn’t check my personal email either. And I couldn’t get texts, which was a huge form of communication in the office, as well as with my family.
If I needed to get ahold of anyone, I didn’t have their phone number. I only have three memorized – mine, my husband, and my parents. And then there were all of the apps on my phone I have gotten used to using regularly.
And I hate to admit it, but I couldn’t see what was going on with my friends & family on FaceBook.
How many hours a day do you spend on your cell phone? How attached are you to your cell phone?
Wow – I shocked myself when this happened. I was able to answer the question – HOW ATTACHED ARE YOU TO YOUR CELL PHONE? I was.
My husband always says I’m addicted to it, but I didn’t believe him. So, ok, I now admit it. I’m addicted to my phone.
Now I ask, how attached are you to your cell phone?
How much time do we really spend on our phones each day? On average, people aged 18-34 spend 1 hour and 45 minutes per day checking their phones. In the United States alone this translates to about 68 million hours wasted annually! And those numbers are only growing as technology advances faster than ever before – with some estimates suggesting that by 2020 more than 80% of young adults will have their own smartphones but no real-life friends or family nearby at all times. This experience made me think further – just how much time am I wasting in a day due to my smartphone?
Do I really need to check my email so often? Would it hurt me to not get a text right away? It goes back to managing your time. If you are a slave to your phone and let it interrupt an important task, which makes you less productive. Think about it … can you eliminate interruptions and make your day more productive?
I have put into place a new protocol for myself. While I’m working on a project, only three things are allowed to interrupt me: coffee (for the caffeine), bathroom breaks, and silence. I silence my phone and only let myself look at it at specified times. That gives me uninterrupted blocks of time to concentrate on my work and not keep having to refocus. I am more productive and spend less time working on tasks as I don’t have to stop and then refocus. Time management works wonders!
Give it a try, it might work for you too.
I ask you – How Attached Are YOU to Your Cell Phone?
