2 hours and 54 minutes. That’s the average time Americans spend on their phones each day. In 2022 we will spend nearly a month and a half, that’s 44 days on our phones!  47% of users admit they are addicted to their phones.  I’m a sucker for gadgets and when mobile phones came on to the scene, I admit I was hooked. Remember the first phones? they were the size of a brick! Of course, I justified my usage. I reasoned I’d be more connected, informed, and productive. When social media platforms started popping up, I set up accounts for all of them.

In my journey toward life balance and rest, I recognized quickly that when it came to my use of technology, especially my phone, that I would either have to “tame it or trash it!”

Is it really that bad Ralf? Well let’s take a look at some data. There are 6.37 billion smartphones in the world. 89.9 % of the world have phones and 80.7% have smart phones. We touch or check our phones on average 344 times a day, that’s once every 4 minutes. 71% of us check our phones within 10 minutes of waking up. 53% say they have never gone more than 24 hours without their phone.35% use the phone while driving. 64% use their phone on the toilet. 61% have texted someone in the same room. 48% have a sense of panic or anxiety if their phone battery goes below 20%. And 43% look at their phones while on a date.

There is now a psychological disorder called Nomophobia. It is the fear of being without a mobile phone. When I first read about this I thought, “Are you serious?” “Come on that’s absurd!”  But as I read more about some of the unhealthy patterns and experiences so many are having, I’m not so quick to judge. Nomophobia can lead to anxiety, depression and isolation, as well as physical problems such as headaches and stomach aches. Causes for mobile phone addiction include low self-esteem, personal insecurity, and problems maintaining social relationships. Perfectionism is another cause, which is most prominent in adolescents between 14-16 who need to be accepted.

Indicators that suggest you may struggle with a phone addiction include:  constantly checking your phone for no reason, if you are anxious or uneasy if you think your phone is missing, if you avoid social interaction to spend time on your phone, waking up in the middle of the night to check your phone, if your academic or work performance has deteriorated, if you are easily distracted by emails or apps, if you feel uncomfortable without constant access to information through your phone, if running out of battery power scares you, and if you feel anxious because you aren’t able to keep in touch with family or friends, you may be in trouble.

As human beings we are not wired to be constantly wired! We need a break.

When it comes to phones, here’s one time I would rather be dumber than smarter. I have gradually migrated from a smart phone to one that is as dumb as I can make it. I personally opted from having multiple social media accounts to one. I only use YouTube. I’m not saying you should do the same, but here are some steps you might want to consider to tame your technology beast.

Audit and uninstall most of your applications. Don’t use your phone at mealtime. Remove it from your bedroom. To dumb it down set your phone to grayscale. Turn off most notifications. Remove your work email from your personal phone, and delete at least some of your social media apps.

Unfortunately, technology for many has regressed from being “a useful tool” to “an addiction.” From being “helpful” to a “hinderance”, from a “time saver” to a “time waster.”

I’m not naive enough to think we can turn back the clock and reverse current trends. But if you want more balance, more time, times of rest,and times of interactions with others, then you must evaluate your own phone habits and take action steps to curb your usage.

Back to the daily average usage of 2 hours and 54 minutes mentioned earlier. Can you imagine the impact if we spent even half that amount split between time in God’s Word and prayer each day?

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