I heard a few months ago Google was experiencing a surge in the terms “beach vacation”. (This was three or so months into the Year that Will Live in Infamy for its Terribleness.) I still have one friend living on the same tank of gas when her state locked down (five months to the tank = problem). So if your phone has been providing a bit of an imaginary getaway lately: I get it. But maybe you’re worrying, “Am I addicted to my phone?”
Even simple excessive screen time reshapes the brain’s structure and function. It inhibits our emotional processes, executive attention, decision making, and cognitive control.[i]
And of course, cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million traffic accidents every year, many resulting in death. Texting while driving contributes to one in every four auto collisions.[ii] (Gulp.)
(Wondering if you may have legit Internet Addiction Disorder? Begin with a self-evaluative questionnaire.)
But when asking “Am I addicted to my phone?”–do we set the bar high enough?
Consider the possibilities of face-to-face connections (…mask-to-mask?). The real-time relationships. The quality of life we could be having.
Maybe “not addicted” isn’t enough.
Jesus, we know, “dwelled among us” (John 1:14). He shared life with us–and not just trying not to walk into any sycamore trees while texting.
I’m diving into screen addiction over at FamilyLife.com in ‘My spouse wants me to get off my phone!’ Breaking a Technology Addiction.
Take a peek–and maybe envision a bigger, more fulfilled life.
Like this post? You might like
- The Tech-Wise Family: 13 Next Steps
- How we’re gaining control of screen time, step by step (free printable!)
- A Mountain of [Surprising] Reasons to Get Our Kids Outdoors this Summer (…and Maybe Follow Them)
- In Praise of a Culture that Walks—Or, Why I Waited to Get an iPhone
[i] Colditz, Jason B., et. al. “Social Media Use and Perceived Social Isolation Among Young Adults in the U.S.” American Journal of Preventative Medicine. March 6, 2017. https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(17)30016-8/fulltext
[ii] “Texting and Driving Accident Statistics.” EdgarSnyder.com. https://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics.html#:~:text=General%20Cell%20Phone%20Statistics,caused%20by%20texting%20and%20driving.
