On the wire: How to get rid of phone slavery?

What to do if the phone takes away all vitality? You endlessly check your email, look at instagram, take photos, instead of enjoying real life? Then the article Jeremy Vandehey about his personal experience getting rid of mobile slavery for you.

Turn it! When was the last time you turned off the phone? Quite. Not translated in silent mode. Did not put the "In plane". Try to turn it off now. Take your phone and turn off (note: do not do this if you're reading this from your mobile phone: in this case, you probably went too far). Fair warning that you will experience a short feeling of emptiness and anxiety. Yes, the rejection of the phone is unpleasant, but sobering and experience liberation from the shackles of mobile slavery is worth more than the 25th today for a chat. I promise.

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© Casey Richardson

I was a mobile addict. Glowing phone screen hypnotized me, and I needed him more and more. Every message or notification fueled my need for constant news, updates and made me the winner in the battle with boredom. Often my conversations with friends and family begins with the words "you have a charger?".

I remember the turning point. I just got back from a trip, which witnessed a beautiful sunset. I was thinking about how I was taking pictures of the sunset on your phone, but the memory of what I actually was there — there was! Too deep I tried to perpetuate a great on phone camera, so intently that they did not bother to do the same in their own memory. I realized my addiction and decided to change everything.

Open fully: I am a developer of mobile applications. We want people to be dependent on our products: it is that the manufacturers of chips, we try to make the crunch and amount of salt is optimal, so you don't deny yourself another bundle. We are eager to get you hooked on our apps. Of course, I have no doubt that mobile is the future that has already arrived. Thousands of interesting apps already enriched and improved many aspects of our lives. However, we've trained myself to constantly seek refuge from the boring, everyday life in our phones. And so accustomed to such behaviors that cannot give it up even during the really exciting events. Instead of enjoying them, we poke at the screens of phones. The reality is that 95% of the day — boring everyday life. I needed to get to the end to realize that I spend 95% of their lives staring at the screen.

 

Take it to the limit

After that, my interactions with people in real life have undergone tremendous changes. I could not talk to a person without checking their phone. I wonder what is doing there my friend? Did my favorite team? How's the stock market? How I likes my photo on instagram? When I had access to this data, I could not talk with a good friend, whom I haven't seen for a few weeks, without having to be distracted by them. I am ashamed that I brought myself to such a state that if not to poke at the screen, thought of how would hurry to do it. I bet if you analyze your habits related to mobile, you'll also notice something similar.

What's worse, I used Twitter and Snapchat as a means to raise self-esteem. Therefore, even over the phone I felt like I was busy in routine work. Constant push notifications, e-mails and SMS have proven that I can't turn the phone off.

When I first rode the subway, it was an exciting adventure. And now? Why not play a game? It's time for stupid games, has robbed me of a huge number of seemingly insignificant but beautiful moments. Take a photo of something beautiful does not mean to live through this moment, if the aim was to make a beautiful picture and put it in a steep filter.

 

So I changed myselfI gave a promise to spend more time in real life. I'm not gonna let a tiny piece of glass and plastic to get in my way. I began to try to change their habits, thinking about when and why I used your phone. And decided that the phone should be left only the most necessary. All unnecessary applications should be removed. And you must turn off all notifications, sounds, vibrations — in short, everything alert. In addition to these changes I began to notice more and more opportunities to get rid of the shackles of mobile slavery and decided to summarize my thoughts on the list, which I called "Steps to getting rid of mobile slavery".

Getting rid of mobile slaveryKeep it in your pants Obviously. Rarely when you need to use your phone in a social environment. Of course there are exceptions, when you need something to photograph — but something really important happening once in a lifetime (a wedding or baby's first steps — but not the sunset or Breakfast). There is no need to miss out on the true experience, making five thousand shots of the sunset. If you suddenly feel the need to get the phone, ignore her. Undoubtedly, your friends will pull out their phones, and the temptation will be almost unbearable. To start working on them, you can request the friends to beat you on hand in case of violation of prohibitions. After a few days I adapted, and annoying itching, urging me to get the phone, disappeared.

  First the brain then the phone

Can't remember the name of the artist of the song? Forget about Shazam. Not sure what year Columbus discovered America? Do not meddle in "Wikipedia". Try to use your memory and focus your attention on other problems — it will help sooner or later to recall the necessary information.

  Hide and remove

It's a mantra about the phone. Repeat after me: "Hide (inhale) and remove (exhale), hide (inhale) and remove (exhale)". You don't have two hundred applications. Remove those that no longer use, and remove the minor from the home screen in folders. Leave only the most necessary.

  Turn off push notifications

Of course, if your wife is not expecting a child. If not, then there is nothing more important than the people with whom you are talking. Set your phone to silent mode without vibration. Those pesky notifications only doing it to distract you from work, Hobbies, emotions.

  The more you walk

If the distance to travel, less than one kilometer walk. If weather and time allow. Take a stroll in the grocery store enjoying the fresh air (10 points if you get to him, no photographing on the phone; 20 — if I go without music in your headphones; another 50 if you make it to the store without the help of GPS).

  Buy watch

Often find myself pulling out my phone to check the time (and then doing it again because I forgot what I wanted to see the time in the first time). This check of time reinforces the habit to reach for the phone. Better buy a watch. And wear them.

  No phone in the bedroom or bathroom

Let's think about how much time you can save without using a phone in the bathroom or toilet. In addition, you lose the risk of falling your phone in the toilet. OK, but why then can't keep the phone in the bedroom? Proven to look at a bright screen before bed increases the time required to fall asleep.

 

With great power comes great responsibilityIt is a pity that I did all of this just a year ago. So many impressions already lost. In our pocket more computing power than was necessary for landing the first man on the moon. However, we do not understand how to use it, because technology is evolving faster than our ability to use them. Now I wish good luck to you in getting rid of mobile slavery.published 

© Jeremy Vandehey

 

P. S. And remember, only by changing their consumption — together we change the world! © Join us at Facebook , Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki

Source: theoryandpractice.ru

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