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Rachael Tiss's avatar

Excellent piece, Alex. I found myself nodding along to your points. I can relate to the gym experience. I find it amusing, yet sad, when I look up from a set and see everyone staring at their phones in between sets. Yet I do the same thing! You prompt me to reconsider all the micro-moments in which I pull out my phone to occupy the time.

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Syd's avatar

Love this, Alex!! I think about this a lot too. I intentionally try to minimize time on my phone - both because it takes me away from my experience with the physical world and because it damages the attention and care I show for those around me, especially my partner - but it’s tough. That feeling you described when your phone buzzes and you itch to check it is too real.

One of the only things I’ve found helpful is keeping my phone in a perpetual state of “Do Not Disturb.” Sometimes I miss messages I wish I’d seen immediately, but I also love that I read the messages when I consciously decide it’s a good time instead of allowing my phone to dictate when it’s a good time.

I’m reading Rick Rubin’s “the creative act” right now and a few of the passages that really stuck with me made me want to be on my phone even less. All about how our awareness is the fuel for our creativity - there’s always something new to notice given how the worlds constantly changing but we have to be present to notice it. “When you practice listening with the whole self, you expand the scope of your consciousness to include vast amounts of information otherwise missed.” Considering the moments and experiences I miss when I check out while on my phone felt like such a reality check of all the missed opportunities to learn and connect with the world around me.

Side note: the little voice in the back of my head is like wait! But you learn and connect with people through your phone. Which brings me back to the benefits you alluded to and grounds me in the fact that using our phones can be a good thing when done with intention at the right time and place.

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