Oftentimes when I watch a movie, I get this urge to throw my smartphone out of the window. It seems like in most movies, even those situated in the present, people are living their lives with minimal smartphone use. Movies that were made before the 2010's for obvious reasons do not feature smartphones either. When I see the characters going about their business with minimal screentime I envy them. They seem to be living in a simpler time and have a greater ability to focus than I have ever had. The internet, e-mail and chatting certainly existed before 2010, but they were activities we did at home for the most part. I remember when I was a teenager how badly I wanted to go online when I was outside or at school but nowadays, I don't get to have such desires anymore. The smartphone enables me to indulge on an internet session at any given time, at any given place. These devices were supposed to make life easier and I guess in many ways they did, but if it's all good, then why am I so jealous of the people I see in the movies?
I am a relatively late adopter in the smartphone game. I only started using one in 2013 which means I still spent the majority of my life without one. Eventually I did cave in to the peer pressure of not being online all the time. I have to admit that in spite of my issues with smartphones, I think these devices have the potential to be an overall good for society. Access to information at any time is extremely useful and can make society run more efficiently. Because of Google Maps we have millions of people spending less time in traffic, taking the right directions and avoiding traffic jams, road closures. Weather forecast apps prevent me from going outside without an umbrella. Another benefit that I think is overlooked is that smartphones replace a lot of other devices for casual users, like digital (video) camera's, calculators, car navigation, agenda's, alarm clocks, flashlights, stopwatches, dictionaries and a bunch more. People tend to complain about how smartphones are bad for the environment, but if you think about all the products that we don't have to buy because of smartphones, they may actually be a nett good for the environment. With all these practical applications, I'd like to see smartphones like Pocket Knifes for electronic and digital tasks.
To me the biggest problem is that a lot of people use their smartphones not as Pocket Knifes, but rather as if they were Life Companions. They are always turned on and most people carry them around wherever they go. I'm often amazed when I sit on a train or bus and I see how many people are either looking at a smartphone or just holding it idly in their hands. Especially that last category frightens me. It's like people are just idling through life, waiting for the next notification to come and entertain them. We tend to use smartphones like instant gratification devices. Little slot machines that we’re constantly pulling in the hope of being entertained and distracted.
I have come to realize though, that smartphones are really just one symptom of a bigger disease. In the age we live in, instant gratification seems to have nestled into every aspect of our lives. You find it in the way we eat, in the way we interact with people and in the way we explore sexuality. When you’re hungry you have hundreds or fastfood chains, pre-cooked meals and sweets waiting for you. When you're feeling lonely you can infinitely scroll down a social nework timeline to see what random people whom you may not know are up to. Horny? Porn is just a click away. These are the paths of least resistance, perhaps in itself not the worst things to do, but they are obstacles in the way of leading more fulfilling lives.
For the sake of focus we will stay on the topic of smartphones. Even though I deleted most of my social media accounts a few years ago, I still seem to have plenty of excuses to whip that phone out of my pocket. Whenever I have a question, I Google it right away when I could take a few seconds wondering if the question really needs answering right away. When I come home and feel tired, instead of lying on the bed and taking a nap, I lie on the bed browsing my phone mindlessly, which is not helping my mind to rest. When I'm washing the dishes, I turn on Youtube or Netflix to watch a video, where I could just finish the task and watch a video on the TV later, which would be a lot more comfortable. These examples are to show that I, and perhaps most of us, use smartphones as an instant gratification solution of any situation where distraction or comfort is desired. I compared smartphones to pocket knifes before and the analogy works because just like pocket knifes, smartphones can do a lot, but don't really excel in anything. One should therefore always ask the question: "Whatever I am thinking of doing on my phone right now, isn't it better to do it later on a more suitable device?".
Becoming more and more annoyed with my overdependence on my phone, recently I have started to experiment with some Rules for Smartphone Use. They're my personal rules so I'm not saying that this is the way to go for everyone, but so far it has been working pretty good for me. With these rules in mind, I am trying to live a less instantly gratifying life. I have never been the rigorous type. I don't believe that getting rid of my smartphone and switching back to a flip phone is realistic or even desirable. Instead, I am trying to be more mindful of when, where and how often I use this device. I hope that sharing these thoughts and tips are helpful for anyone who is looking to demote their smartphone from Life Companion to Pocket Knife. For me, it has helped me to live in the moment more. Like those people in the movies.
Rule #1: My smartphone is never in my pocket:
When I am at home, I put my phone on a central place and I turn on the sound. That way I can keep distance from it until I receive a call or a message. When I go out, I put it in my backpack instead of my pocket. I also try to assess more often whether I really need to bring my phone along. For example when I go out to exercise I really have no use for my phone, so I just leave it at home now.
Rule #2: Notifications for most apps are turned off:
There is hardly app on my phone that is important enough to that it justifies having it buzzing whenever there is an update. I only get notifications for calls and whatsapp messages (but not from group chats!). Everything else can wait until it suits me.
Rule #3: Downtime does not equal screentime.
When I am waiting for a train, an appointment in the hospital or standing in a queue, I make an effort to not whip out my phone anymore. I certainly feel the urge to distract myself, but just looking around the place observing people, makes me much more aware of my environment and my place in it.
Rule #4: Entertainment is better on a big screen.
I don't have Youtube and Netflix apps installed on my phone anymore because watching videos, shows and movies is a lot more comfortable on a television. Waiting to watch a video until I have the time to properly do so, also increases my desire to watch, that good old feeling of delaying gratification that I missed for years, is coming back!
Rule #5: Smartphones have no place in the bed, bath and toilet.
This is rule is pretty self-explanatory. Keeping the phone out of these three places will save you a lot of screentime during a day and it seems like an overall healthier way to live.
Rule #6: Smartphones have service hours.
I don't want my phone to be the first thing I see when I wake up, nor should it be the last thing I do before I sleep. Thus I try not to use my phone in the first hour after waking up and the last hour before going to bed.
Here I will make irregular entries about my experiences living by these rules for smartphone use.
Update 24-9-10: I really like rule #6 as it helps me to not grab my phone first thing in the morning. I wake up and start preparing in the quiet of the morning. I open the kitchen window and just listen to the sounds of birds and the wind instead of turning up a podcast or youtube. Or I just listen to my thoughts for a bit. At night it tends to be more difficult for me to put away my phone on time, but I hope to improve on that part. Rule #1 is also very helpful because it prevents a lot of impulsive smartphone use. I usually leave my phone in the living room with the sound turned up so if there is something important I will hear it ringing. Everything else can wait.
Update 24-8-5: Thinking of my phone as a Pocket Knife certainly helps in the downgrading process. I do struggle and fail to live by my own rules sometimes. Going to the toilet without my phone has weirdly turned out to be one of the more difficult things for me and not using my phone in the last hour at night is something I tend to forget, but for the most part these rules are already improving my mental wellbeing. Not being on my phone so much increases my ability to concentrate and process my thoughts. Outside it makes me more aware of my environment and when my phone is not in my pocket, it creates a barrier that enables me to take a few seconds to think whether I really need to do this right away or whether it can wait until later.