I started monitoring my smartphone usage recently and I think I am obsessed with this piece of technology, particularly, to YouTube. This is my take on saving my limited time on earth and using it for doing something productive.
The Trigger
I took a lift on some random day gazing my phone with my chin touching my neck. For some reason, I looked up and saw 7 or 8 people busy with there phone like me. I’ve seen this before, maybe I’ve been through this moment every day without being observant enough to realize we are not living in the moment. I asked myself when was the last conversation I had with a random person on a random topic while having a cup of tea? I could not remember. Maybe because I am an introvert and not the person who starts the conversation. Still, gazing on my phone while seeping the tea(chay) in a tea shop(chay tapri), am I not reducing the chance of random conversation from 10% to 0%? am I not lacking the appreciation for being able to have this tasty cup of tea? and then I drifted in thought-provoking rhetorical questions and stopped at one.
What if I had no smartphone in my hand?
I asked.
The Problem(s)
The apps which are optimized to grab my attention created by some of the most smarter minds in the world, and of course my lack off self-control. My inability to avoid looking into my phone while waiting for anything, even for 10 seconds. Using my phone as a tool for avoiding eye contact with other people. The constant urge to unlock the phone. Lack of focus. Phantom vibrations. Feeling of irritation on receiving a call while watching interesting YouTube videos. Using the phone for procrastination. Inability to sleep on time. And on weekends, these problems grow twofold.
The cons outweigh the pros.
The Solution(Probable)
Give-up the smartphone and downgrade to a basic feature phone. I choose JioPhone. Because it has WhatsApp and maps which are important and non-addictive applications for me. Though you can install YouTube on it, as a touch screen user, it is very discomforting for me to stare at the tiny screen.
This is the first day after the downgrade, and I already wrote an article for my blog after months which is a positive sign. Also, I am going to struggle to find the alternatives for booking the cab, making online payments, checking the mails on the fly and many more perks of having a smartphone. Let’s see if it is worth it. I will write another article on my experience after one month. Cheers.