The question that is plaguing more and more people. Sure, the idea of being disconnected from the virtual conveyer belt world seems ideal. But, the more you try to slip away, the more you realize how intricately intertwined your life is in this oh-so digital universe that's been created and, it seems, embedded into the human experience.
Screen time restrictions started a long time ago. But, the built-in option of clicking "Ignore" staring you in the face, doesn't altogether inspire anyone to stick to their goal of limiting phone usage. And, let's face it, what phone company would want us to? Sometimes, if making incremental changes doesn't work, more drastic measures need to be taken.
Living in the moment has been replaced with living in our phones. Life is faster because we are filling the slow moments with short spits of dopamine bursts. It replaces time we'd use to improve our skills, to learn something new, or simply to sit there and think about ourselves and our lives. In many ways, then, it prevents personal progress. Without reflecting on one's character, how are we supposed to track progress and identify areas of improvement? Once you leave school, you don't have anyone tracking your behaviour or anything about you. It's all up to you.
No one is allowed to be bored anymore. I remember as a kid, one of my lines from time to time was "Mom, I'm bored." If you're a parent, I'm sure you know it well. This is actually a good sign. It means the brain is craving a challenge. Imagine if you filled that craving with mind-numbing, temporary stimulation, sitting them down with a tablet in any or all spare moments... Do we think they're going to tell us they're bored after that? Do we think they're going to grow up one day and suddenly not fill the silence with 24/7 noise?
Take, for example, the memory of my childhood mornings in the early 2000s. Wake up. Make my bed. Have my morning cereal and giggle with my sibling at the kitchen counter until breakfast is over and it's time to get changed, pack my school bag, and get on the bus. While waiting for the bus, I talk with my sibling about who knows what, but it's fun. Once on the bus, I pull out my MP3 player to listen to some tunes on the way as I look out the window. Yes, it would have been more "in the moment" even in this scene if I had no music. But, at least I was present by looking out the window. Compare this moment to a kid staring at an iPhone from the time they get on the bus to the time class starts... even past that. Anyways, back to the story. I start ravelling my earbuds up around the MP3 player when I see the school bus is close. Class starts, my eyes are on the teacher and ears on the lesson. Hands are writing the assignment on paper (with no auto-correct, to show the teacher where I'm really at in my education). The slow writing allows time for processing and planning. The absence of devices removes the possibility of cheating. Everyone's pretty stable with sitting through class... more so than when you get to high school (when phones were predominately circulating). I swear, a class full of primary graders with no phones, is more productive than a class full of high schoolers with phones.
Now take that day, but change the year to 2026. Wake up. Go on phone. Forget to make bed because they I'm sucked into another doom-scroll. You can see the bags on my eyes from the doom scroll I did just before bed. I scarf down breakfast while watching more content. I thereby ignore my sibling who's also on their phone. Parent packs my school bag because I'm distracted/busy. While I wait for the school bus, I'm on my phone. My siblings on theirs, but I don't notice. I scroll all the way from home to school. Couldn't really tell you who was sitting next to me. I struggle to put away my phone and so the teacher takes it away... All of this, affecting my ability to exercise self-control which will affect other areas of my life, into the future. Especially when life gets tough and the addiction then turns into a method of escape, rather than merely how I happen to occupy my time. And, suddenly, I've lost touch with myself and people around me, family, friends. Years later, I get married. I come to be more invested in the metal box with flashing lights than I am with my partner. The one I vowed to love that one day when my eyes weren't pulled into a screen. Coming home from work and reconnecting, gone. Going to bed with a conversation about the day, gone. Connection = gone.
This is not to say that technology is bad. But, if it is not in the right place and controlled in a healthy, beneficial manner, it'll make it so that one morning we see our youthful face in the mirror, only to take a second look and wonder how on earth we got those wrinkles so quickly.
We were not designed to be this accessible. This readily available to everyone all the time. Right now, when someone texts us, we feel we need to immediately respond. And, that if we don't, there better be an apology or reason. Even if we don't feel we need to give one, the other person wonders why you're not there... what's wrong... if you're mad at them, etc. Back it up... Used to have to send a hand-written letter. Personal. Something that took time to write, seal and mail. Something that you can hold in your hands, that you know came from that other person... something they held in their hands.
What about phone calls on your cell whether you're out or at home? Back it up... it used to be a landline with a voicemail... Back it up before the landline... you used to have to go over in person. And bam, we've identified the problem. Every movement of technological "progress" has basically been a "Remove-ment" from society itself. It's called "Social media" but really, the social part is often forgotten. I work hard to not think about numbers, and focus on the people on social media. Connect. That's why I've gotten into the theme of books. It is a passion of mine, and I feel more than ever that I'm having real conversations with real people. Technology makes it possible to meet and get to know these people no matter where they live in the world, which is amazing.
So, how much control technology has over your life, comes down to what you do with it. It's January 2026. A new year. Get a journal. Start reflecting and recording on paper this period of your life. You'll look back and see your handwriting the way it looks in 2026. You'll see the way you thought in 2026. The struggles you made it through in 2026.
Don't know where to start? Start with screen time. Sure, as aforementioned, it can still be tempting to go beyond your limit. But, write in your journal your new goal... your new boundary with technology, and go from there. I wish you the best. And, to help with your journey, I've made a custom journal for you. Add your name and the current year, add it to your cart, and wait for the package to be delivered. Yes, wait. Consider this your first step towards slowing life down. And, once it gets to you? Consider that the second step towards taking control of your life back.
