As I lay in
bed scrolling through my Instagram feed, I look over at Melissa, who's
also scrolling, alternating between her Snapchat and Instagram feeds. It's girls night, and in
between the jokes and the stories, we're glued to our phones. That's always been a
bad habit of mine, the constant glancing at my phone. Whether a nervous habit,
something I do out of boredom, an addiction, or something I'm just used to due
to working in social media, I find myself pushing the button at the top of my
screen excessively, even if just to confirm that I have no notifications.

I say all of that to say that this phone obsession runs deep, and can't be reduced to the lack of interest in whoever's company I'm in. In fact, I love being around people and the energy they bring! Being on my phone is in no way a sign that I'm more interested in what's happening in cyberspace and not in front of me...or is it?
Derrick
especially hates this habit. I find myself explaining why I'm glued to my phone
during times we should be phoneless, giving excuses like "I'm updating my
mom on our weekend," or "Michelle needs me to mail something to her
so I'm getting her info." The truth is, though, that it can all wait. None
of it is really ever urgent in comparison to the face time we should be
spending together.
This past weekend, Derrick and I visited
the restaurant he'd been itching to dine at since his first visit here. As we
sat down and looked at the menu, I picked up my phone, glanced at it, and
placed it beside me for easy access to the next obsessive compulsive phone
check.
"I want us to have an evening with
no phones, just talking. Let's put our phones away for the rest of the
night."
"Okay, good idea," I said,
wondering how I'd manage that for the next few hours. It was then that I knew
it was a horrible, horrible habit.
An hour went by, and I didn't touch my
phone. Then two hours passed, and I found myself enjoying people watching in
Williamsburg with my love, not even wondering what the good folks on instagram
or Snapchat or even in my text messages were up to. And that's how it should always
be, right?
I'll admit that it's hard, but it's something that I must do. I must disconnect, if just for a few hours, and spend one on one time with the family, friends, or loved ones I value the most. I must break the cycle that started back in 2009.
From now on, I'm vowing to spend less
phone time, more face time. (Wish me luck!)
Great post Janna! I find that my phone only encourages my introvert tendencies. I am giving it up for a few days for this 3 day weekend. Thank you for confirming my choice xoxo
ReplyDeleteGreat and insightful thoughts indeed.
ReplyDeleteYes
ReplyDeleteI love this post. Unfortunately I check my phone wayyy too much trying to find updates on hot you day is going. SORRY! !!
ReplyDelete