I'm old enough to remember when you never heard anyone say that they lost their phones. We all knew where our phones were. They were in our homes on a table or mounted on a wall.
Today they go with us everywhere. Most of us have become a slave to our phones. We feel the need to stay connected, post photos or something to entertain us when we are bored. In almost every public place you go now, you will find people looking at their phones. We can no longer enjoy the company of others or even go to concerts without our phones being involved. When I grew up and visited family, we didn't sit around on our phones, we actually TALKED to people.
Our phones have become our distractions.
- 81.6% of Americans, totaling 270 million people, own a smartphone as of 2023.
- The average American spends 5 hours and 24 minutes on their mobile device each day.
- Americans check their phones on average of 96 minutes per day or once every ten minutes.
- The average American touches their phone 2,617 times per day.
The most troubling statistic from the National Safety Council reports that phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. Nearly 390,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting while driving. One out of every four car accidents in the United States are caused by texting and driving.
A device which keeps us more connected to the world than ever before actually disconnects us from what is around us. I have heard of people who have "fasted" from their devices. I think that's a good idea sometimes or at least have better control of the phone than our phones having control of us. It is no surprise that the noises from the world can distract us.
I think it is a good idea to start our days WITHOUT reaching for our phones to see what's going on in the world. I can guarantee you that it won't usually be good news. We should try to get our day off to a good, positive start. I'm guilty of this too. My phone is instinctively the first thing I reach for when I wake up. I might start by checking on sports scores but then I'm scrolling news stories or checking social media. I will admit that it's a difficult habit to break.
I could quote you some Bible verses here, but I think it's clear that God wants us to remove our distractions and focus on Him and what He wants to do in our lives. It is meaningful for us to promote the positive things rather than get wrapped up in the "news" which bombards our miniature screens and into our minds.
Am I saying our phones are a sin? No. You are likely reading this blog on your phone right now. The point is that anything can be a distraction and our phones seem to be a part of us now and everywhere we go. We can't let it rule us or rob us of the interactions we have with the people around us. Sure, our phones can be used for good but we must also recognize the need for self-discipline and not let it distract us from life.
Try these things:
- Avoid reaching for your phone when you wake up. Move it into another room.
- Schedule time in your day to completely unplug. Sit outside without your phone and just enjoy nature and your own thoughts.
- When talking to people, put your phone away. Make eye contact with the people around you and not your phone screen.
- Set your timer for seven minutes, close your eyes and meditate. (This is probably the hardest thing you can do but give your mind a timeout)
I think you will agree that our connection with our phones have gotten slightly out of control. We need to rein it back in and enjoy the life around us. Our life is more than want is shown on that tiny screen. I will admit that I love this technology and having it with me, but I also don't need IT to have ME.
